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Lemon Pepper Butter Sauce

Need a terrific sauce for your chicken, fish or shrimp that whips up in minutes and is EASY PEASY AND will have your guests saying, “You MADE this?” WOW! This Lemon Pepper Butter Sauce is the perfect answer and is ready in minutes!

lemon pepper butter sauce in pan

Lemon Pepper Sauce

A lemon pepper butter sauce is the perfect accompaniment to so many dishes that you’ll want to have this one under your belt.

It’s easy and fast so, with only 5 ingredients, you’ll be able to keep this one in your memory at all times.

You can cut the recipe in half if it’s more than you need or double, triple or even do more if that’s where you are headed.

Also try our Sweet Thai Chili Sauce!

Here’s What You’ll Need

  • Butter
  • Lemons
  • Ground Black Pepper
  • Black Cracked Pepper
  • Salt
lemons

How Do I Make Lemon Pepper Butter Sauce

It’s so easy, you can NOT mess it up. Promise!

  1. Melt the butter
  2. Add the zest and lemon juice
  3. Add the pepper and salt. Mix well. Serve. So easy!
fish with lemon pepper butter sauce

How to Use Lemon Pepper Butter Sauce

There are about a million ways to use this sauce, but we’ve found that it works best with

butter melting

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

What kind of butter do I use

You can use the salted or unsalted real butter. I don’t recommend using a butter substitute here since you’ll get the most flavor out of real butter. That said, if butter substitute is all you have, then use it. If using the salted butter, taste it before adding salt to make sure it isn’t too salty for you.

Why Use Cracked Black Pepper and Ground Pepper

The cracked black pepper will give you “pops” of flavor and the ground black pepper will give you an all-over heat and pepper flavor.

Why Use the Zest AND the Juice?

The zest gives you a strong lemon flavor while the juice gives flavor and acidity. Both are needed for this recipe.

chicken in pan

Tips and Tricks

  • When melting the butter, do so gently over a low heat. This takes a bit longer, but it helps keep things on an even keel while cooking.
  • You can make this sauce last minute. I haven’t noticed that it tastes better after sitting for a while.
  • The cracked black pepper is going to add bigger pops of flavor to your sauce, so that is why it is included. The ground black pepper gives you some heat and also pepper flavor.
  • When zesting a lemon, be sure to avoid getting down into the “white” part of the lemon as it is way more bitter. The yellow part will give you the bright lemony flavor. It is very powerful.
  • The juice gives you a bit of acidity which is welcome in this heavier buttery sauce. Be sure to avoid getting seeds in your sauce. I always squeeze mine over the palm of my hand to catch the seeds.
  • Once the butter is melted, turn the heat off and add the other ingredients. Stir well. This avoids the possibility of boiling your butter or boiling off any of the juicy acidic lemon.
  • Before serving, stir well and tell your guests to stir their sauce before adding to their food.
  • Here’s some interesting info about Lemon pepper sauce from the NY Times

Substitutions

  • Butter: I recommend using either salted or unsalted real butter, however, if you can’t find this it is possible to use a butter substitute (margarine, for example) or a butter flavored olive oil. If you use either of those, the taste will be somewhat different and you’ll want to taste at each step of the recipe.
  • Lemon: There really isn’t a way to substitute for the lemon zest, however, you can use the bottled lemon juice for the fresh lemon juice if needed.
  • Pepper: Both the cracked black pepper and the ground pepper are needed in this recipe, however, if you only have one or the other, then use that. If using only cracked black pepper, use a larger grind for the cracked pepper and a smaller grind for the ground pepper. If using only ground pepper, then taste as you go until it is the right amount of peppery for you.
  • Salt: The pinch of salt is really necessary to give the pop you’ll want in the final product.

Watch Me Make This

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lemon pepper butter sauce in pan

Lemon Pepper Butter Sauce

Easy FAST and ready for everything! This lemon pepper butter sauce is perfect on fish, shrimp, lobster and chicken.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Save Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Lemon Pepper Butter Sauce
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 7 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 156kcal

Ingredients

  • 12 tbs butter
  • 2 lemon zest
  • 2 lemon juice
  • 1 tbs black cracked pepper
  • 2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 pinch kosher salt

Instructions

  • Over low to medium heat on the stove top, melt the butter in a small sauce pan.
  • When the butter is melted, add the zest and juice of two lemons, cracked black pepper, ground pepper and a pinch of salt. Turn off the heat.
  • Mix well with a spoon and serve immediately. Mix just before using on your dish.

Notes

  • When melting the butter, do so gently over a low heat. This takes a bit longer, but it helps keep things on an even keel while cooking.
  • You can make this sauce last minute. I haven’t noticed that it tastes better after sitting for a while.
  • The cracked black pepper is going to add bigger pops of flavor to your sauce, so that is why it is included. The ground black pepper gives you some heat and also pepper flavor.
  • When zesting a lemon, be sure to avoid getting down into the “white” part of the lemon as it is way more bitter. The yellow part will give you the bright lemony flavor. It is very powerful.
  • The juice gives you a bit of acidity which is welcome in this heavier buttery sauce. Be sure to avoid getting seeds in your sauce. I always squeeze mine over the palm of my hand to catch the seeds.
  • Once the butter is melted, turn the heat off and add the other ingredients. Stir well.
  • This avoids the possibility of boiling your butter or boiling off any of the juicy acidic lemon.
  • Before serving, stir well and tell your guests to stir their sauce before adding to their food.
Substitutions
  • Butter: I recommend using either salted or unsalted real butter, however, if you can’t find this it is possible to use a butter substitute (margarine, for example) or a butter flavored olive oil. If you use either of those, the taste will be somewhat different and you’ll want to taste at each step of the recipe.
  • Lemon: There really isn’t a way to substitute for the lemon zest, however, you can use the bottled lemon juice for the fresh lemon juice if needed.
  • Pepper: Both the cracked black pepper and the ground pepper are needed in this recipe, however, if you only have one or the other, then use that. If using only cracked black pepper, use a larger grind for the cracked pepper and a smaller grind for the ground pepper. If using only ground pepper, then taste as you go until it is the right amount of peppery for you.
  • Salt: The pinch of salt is really necessary to give the pop you’ll want in the final product

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Lemon Pepper Butter Sauce
Amount Per Serving (1 Tbs)
Calories 156 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 11g55%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 45mg15%
Sodium 155mg6%
Potassium 32mg1%
Carbohydrates 2g1%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 533IU11%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 13mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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A Verse To Share

Sometimes we fall short of loving each other the way that God intends.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres

Wendi is the writer, CEO and dishwasher at Loaves and Dishes! When not in the kitchen or behind the computer, you can find Wendi serving on International Food Conference Boards, Speaking at various conferences, Leading and Cooking for the local Arts Council's "Taste of Stokes" events or donating home cooked goodies to various local non profits such as the Danbury Songwriters and Stokes Partnership for Children. Wendi is also a Registered Nurse with a Master's Degree and serves on her town's board of councilmen.

Recipe Rating




Bill Knee

Wednesday 10th of August 2022

How much zest and lemon juice

Wendi Spraker

Wednesday 10th of August 2022

The zest of 2 lemons and the juice from those lemons as well.

Chris David

Friday 11th of March 2022

Its really a nice recipe and mouth watering.

Wendi Spraker

Tuesday 15th of March 2022

Thanks!

Wendi J Spraker

Friday 25th of February 2022

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