38 Sweet and Savory Lemon Recipes

Aimee Olexy’s lemony, cream-based scones are light, moist and laced with pieces of chewy candied ginger.

In this golden salad from chef Biju Thomas, beets and carrots marinate in fresh lemon and Korean red pepper flakes. The lemon perks up the sweet, earthy vegetables with acidity, while the gochugaru adds just the right amount of sweet heat and color.

An icy treat for a warm summer evening, this granita gets an unexpected boost from the bold flavor of rosemary. You can put the hot lemon mixture directly into the freezer rather than chilling it first, but the freezing time will be longer.

At Thanksgiving, F&W’s Justin Chapple serves these green beans because they can be made the day before and served either chilled or at room temperature.

For the best results, slice these cheesecake bars with a warm knife, wiping off the blade between cuts.

This seafood salad from Provence, by chef Cyrille Chaussade, combines simply poached squid, a piquant dressing and a mix of super-thinly sliced vegetables made extra crisp thanks to a soak in an ice water bath.

Roman chef Angelo Troiani riffs on the classic spaghetti ajo, ojo e peperoncino (garlic, oil and chile), embellishing it with shrimp, lemon, pecorino, almond and mint. It's simple, delicious and crowd-pleasing.

To make this custard really special, Andrew Zimmern suggests using fresh cream, fresh butter and fresh strawberries.

In this riff on chicken under a brick, chef Chris Cosentino flattens the bird before roasting it. He finishes off this deeply savory dish with a luxurious pan sauce. Weighting down a butterflied chicken with a heavy pan makes it cook much faster; pressing the chicken into the hot skillet also yields crisp, crackling skin. 

Olive oil and cocoa butter make this lemony curd extraordinarily creamy and luscious. Spread on baguette toasts, it becomes a fantastic dessert.

All you need to make this Thanksgiving turkey (besides the turkey itself) is unsalted butter, lemon zest, kosher salt, black pepper, extra-virgin olive oil, and garlic.

Topping the pie with pre-charred, thinly sliced lemons means the citrus practically melts by the time the pizza’s ready.

Michael Symon, who grew up in a Greek and Sicilian family, often adds Greek accents when he cooks. He seasons lamb ribs with oregano and coriander before grilling and serves them with tangy, quick-preserved lemons.

Lemon filling highlights the nuttiness of buckwheat flour in these shortbread cookie sandwiches from Nina Compton.

At Maydan restaurant in Washington, D.C., these carrots are cooked directly in the coals of their massive hearth. Grilling over charcoal until charred gives a similar result. A blend of roasted and dried peppers and chiles give the harissa sauce fruity, smoky depth. Use the leftovers to season roasted chicken or vegetable soup.

To make the lemon-herb butter for this recipe, you’ll need unsalted butter, one small shallot, fine sea salt, parsley, dill, thyme, lemon zest, and black pepper. Be sure to have lemon halves on hand for serving as well.

This tender, lemon-scented almond cake is topped with roasted rhubarb, but is equally delicious with any kind of fresh or roasted fruit, like roasted strawberries, fresh orange segments, or roasted plums. 

“It’s garlicky, a little spicy, herby, and full of surprises,” Ann Taylor Pittman writes of the relish in this dish. “First, it includes firm feta cheese that gently warms to the point that it becomes soft and almost gooey—which is the way I always want feta from now on. The relish also gets a brazen hit of citrus from chopped lemon sections, which offer tart, juicy bursts that are way more forward than lemon juice would be. The effect is an unsubtle finishing touch that balances out the nutty grains and meaty chicken.”

Marinating the lemon flesh with salt mellows its acidity while intensifying its fragrant citrus pop. It takes the creamy yogurt dressing in chef Biju Thomas’ refreshing salad to an entirely new level of deliciousness. You also can use store-bought preserved lemon rind in a pinch.

Chef Andrew Zimmern mimics the sweet, fragrant lemons of Italy’s Amalfi Coast with Meyer lemons in this beautifully bright and creamy pasta. The dish originated at L’Antica Trattoria in Sorrento, where lemon juice is tossed with just-cooked pasta until absorbed. Supremes of lemon add a juicy, tart pop that cuts through the cream in the sauce.

If you want to get a head start on these cookies, the dough can be made and frozen up to three weeks in advance.

Spoon salmon is the meat that’s scraped from the carcass of a freshly butchered fish. It would normally go to waste, but its rich flavor and silky texture make it perfect for this lemony, pistachio-studded tartare.

“Paired with smoky grilled lemon halves, the lobster is exceptionally delicious over small, pebbly pasta like stelline (star-shaped pasta typically served in broths), which provides a tender contrast that’s fun to eat and soaks up the buttery juices,” Paula Disbrowe writes.

“I like lemon pie so much that I want even more of the bright, sunny lemon flavor to come through, so there’s less sugar and more lemon juice in this filling than you’ll find in most recipes,” Ann Taylor Pittman writes. “It’s assertively—but not aggressively—lemony, and is balanced by the fluffy meringue topping, which has the perfect sweetness and density to complement the tarter-than-usual filling.”

This spritzy, summery drink from Julia Momose is a showstopper with its distinct pink and yellow layers.

Leopold’s Summer Gin brings a smooth, floral flavor to this botanical cocktail with notes of cucumber, sage, lemon, and lavender. 

To make a simple topping for this elegant dessert, add 2 tablespoons granulated sugar to the leftover egg whites and whip to stiff peaks to make a meringue. Garnishing the tart with mixed citrus segments adds a natural sweetness to balance the rich, tart lemon curd filling. Read Jamila Robinson 's essay about this recipe, Romancing the Stove.

The barely-there binder in the batter makes for incredibly lacy, crispy fritters. Be sure to cook them gently over medium heat so they cook through and crisp up without burning.

“You may notice that this recipe makes more miso butter than one could conceivably dollop onto a single dinner,” Leah Koenig writes. “That leftover butter stores well in the fridge and enhances everything it touches, from grilled fish and pasta to warm biscuits and popcorn.”

“Artichokes are at their best—and easiest to prepare—when cooked quickly over a hot fire, particularly when served with luscious lemon aioli made with the smoky juices and pulp of grilled lemons,” Paula Disbrowe writes.

This fresh and crunchy chaat stars a trio of spring peas punched up with a tempered mixture of whole cumin seeds mustard seeds, chiles, and ginger. The tart lemon raita brings a welcome cooling element; spoon the extra over rice, naan, or fresh fruit.

This one-bowl loaf cake is exceptionally easy to make. Since the batter calls for oil instead of butter, there’s no need for a creaming step—just quickly beat together the ingredients until smooth, then fold in the blueberries. Thanks to plenty of sour cream and minimal leavener, the cake bakes up rich and tender, ready for the final touch of a puckery lemon glaze topped with plenty of fresh lemon zest. To enjoy it as a breakfast cake, just skip the glaze.

Floral and lightly acidic salsa brings out the buttery, rich flavors of grilled King salmon. Salmon is meaty enough to stay intact on a grill and gets meltingly tender as it cooks. Serve leftover salsa with grilled lamb, chicken, or pork.

The ingredient list for Marcella Hazan’s roast chicken recipe is super simple: just a chicken, salt, black pepper, and lemons.

This homemade limoncello boasts rich lemon flavor without being too boozy or sweet. Look for unwaxed organic lemons, or be sure to give the whole citrus a good scrub before peeling.

Chef Douglass Williams’ method for carbonara allows you to hold the cooked pasta before adding it to the garlic–oil–pasta cooking liquid emulsion. It makes for a simple, creamy carbonara without the stress.

Preserved lemon is a popular North African condiment made by pickling the fruit in salt and its own juice. The bracing lemony flavor adds a salty kick to this olive-, onion-, and fresh herb–laden tuna salad.