What Goes Well With Lemon?

What goes well with lemon? Learn the best ingredient pairings, meal ideas, popular flavor combinations, and other helpful tips.

Cooking is all about balancing the 5 basic tastes.

Like salt, lemon is a flavor enhancer, which is why you’ll often see that a savory recipe calls for a squeeze of lemon (or sometimes lime) to be added at the end. The acid enhances the overall flavor of the dish without making it taste like lemon.

However, if you were to add the zest of a lemon, it would add that true lemon flavor and aroma to whatever you’re cooking without the sourness.

Lemon Varieties

Although there are many lemon varieties, these three are the most common:

Eureka – This lemon variety has a short neck, minimal seeds, dimply skin, and is commonly found at supermarkets.

Lisbon – These lemons have a pointed end (no neck), no seeds, smooth skin, and are also commonly found at supermarkets.

Meyer – This variety is unlike the other two. It’s a cross between a lemon and an orange. It has a more floral taste, is less acidic, and is slightly orange in color.

Helpful Tips

WHEN TO BUY

Lemons are in season year-round. Peep the seasonal produce guide to see what else is in season right now.

Storing Lemons

When stored at room temperature, lemons last about a week on the counter. After this time, move them to the refrigerator where they’ll last a few weeks.

If juicing several at a time, pull them from the fridge a little while before using. They’re easier to juice at room temperature.

VEGETABLES

artichokes
garlic, ginger
rhubarb
shallots

FRUIT

apples, apricots
bananas, blackberries, blueberries
cherries, cranberries
figs
gooseberries, grapefruit, grapes, guava
kiwi fruit
lime
mango
nectarines
orange
papaya, passion fruit, peaches, pears, persimmons, plums
quince
raspberries
tangerine

SPICES

anise, black pepper, cardamom, cayenne, cinnamon, oregano, poppy seeds

HERBS

basil, bay leaf, chervil, chives, lemongrass, lemon verbena, mint, parsley (flat-leaf), rosemary, sage, thyme

NUTS & SEEDS

almonds, chestnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts

NON-DAIRY/DAIRY

butter, buttermilk
caramel, cheese (goat, ricotta), cream, cream cheese
milk
sour cream
yogurt

PROTEINS

beef, chicken, crab, duck, fish, lamb, oysters, pork/pork chops, poultry, shellfish, veal

Pantry Items

capers, chocolate: dark & white, coconut, coffee
dates, dijon mustard
gin
honey
maple syrup
oats, olive oil, orange liquors
pasta, prunes
raisins, rice, rum
salt: kosher, sesame oil, stock: chicken, sugar: brown, white
wine: red, sweet, white
vanilla, violets, vodka

Popular Lemon Pairings

berries + whipped cream
blackberries + honey + ricotta

What to Make With Lemon

Lemon is a common ingredient in Greek, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Moroccan cuisines. It’s often used in salad dressings such as fennel salad with lemon-mint dressing or simple shallot vinaigrette, dairy-free cheeses like this almond ricotta and sauces such as creamy lemon miso and pesto.

Add it to savory dishes such as caramelized braised leeks, lemon zucchini risotto, and lemon chicken, or make something sweet like lavender lemonade or carrot cake with a zesty citrus glaze.

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What Goes Well With Lemon?

Lemon Varieties