Do you have a jar of preserved lemons sitting in the refrigerator feeling ignored? Well, it’s time to quit ignoring it and put those lemons to use. If you don’t have any preserved lemons, do not fret – one of the following recipes tells you how to make a small batch in just 24 hours. Following are at least 30 luscious recipes that take advantage of the unique and absolutely divine flavor of preserved lemons.
Just a little note for those new to preserved lemons – Preserved lemons are not a “delicate” condiment. In fact, they are quite the opposite. Because of their salty sourness, they are quite bold and are best use in small amounts and in tiny pieces. For most of the recipes in which I use preserved lemons, I minced them and limit the amount to about 1 tablespoon (depending on the recipe). Large pieces of preserved lemons can be quite overwhelming and actually ruin a recipe, but then there are exceptions. So treat preserved lemons like raw garlic There are very few of us out there that want to munch down on a large clove of raw garlic. 🙂
A quick & easy method for making mock preserved lemons in 24 hours. No quick as good as the real thing but a great substitute.
- 1 large lemon
- 1 tsp. Kosher salt
- Peel the zest off 1 large lemon. Try not to get any of the white pith.
- Juice the lemon and set the juice aside.
- Cut the zest into narrow strips and place in a glass jar or bowl. Top with 1 tsp. (5 g) salt and the lemon juice.
- Stir to dissolve some of the salt. If the juice does not cover the zest, add more lemon juice.
- Let sit on the counter for 20 to 24 hours or longer.
- After 24 hours, both the zest and the juice are ready for use.
- Be careful about adding salt to any dish in which you use preserved lemons. They are pretty salty.
Process and Appetizers with Preserved Lemons
Green Olive and Preserved Lemon Tapenade @ Closet Cooking
Crostini with Roasted Butternut Squash, Ricotta, and Preserved Lemon @ Food and Wine
Pasta Recipes with Preserved Lemons
Capellini with Preserved Lemons, Olives and an Egg on Top
Orzo Salad with Preserved Lemons
Pasta with Broccolini, Leeks and Preserved Lemons
Penne with Chicken and Preserved Lemon @ Health.com
Couscous Salad with Dried Apricots and Preserved Lemons @ New York Times
Roasted Vegetable Couscous Salad with Preserved Lemons @ MailONline
Vegetable with Preserved Lemons
Leeks Braised with Preserved Lemons and Tarragon
Preserved Lemon Garlic Asparagus
Steamed, Chilled Vegetables with Preserved Lemon Dipping Oil @ A House in the Hills
Garlic Roasted Asparagus with Grilled Preserved Lemons @ The American Bite
Roasted Fingerlings with Preserved Lemons @ Epicurious
Grains and Salads with Preserved Lemons
Preserved Lemon Quinoa with Shaved Brussels, Toasted Walnuts @ Simple Bites
Strawberry Tomato Salad with Mint
White Bean Salad with Preserved Lemon @ Gourmet Traveler
Moroccan Chickpea Salad @ Delicious Everyday
Steamed Asparagus with a Garlic Lemon Dressing
Watermelon Salad with Preserved Lemon, Feta and Olives
Lamb and Beef Recipes with Preserved Lemons
Brisket with Olives and Preserved Lemons @ My Recipes
Braised Beef Shanks in Preserved Lemons @Ang Sarap
Poultry Recipes with Preserved Lemons
Roasted Poussin (Cornish Hen) with Preserved Lemons, Olives and North American Spices @ Spicie Foodie
Chicken Salad with Preserved Lemons and Basil @ Blue Kale Road
Braised Chicken with Preserved Lemons and Olives @ Tasting Table
Grilled Chicken with Corkscrew Pasta in Preserved Lemon and Garlic Sauce @ The Fork Ran Away with the Spoon
Chicken Tagine with Preserved Lemons, Green Olives and Golden Raisins @ Camille Styles
Seafood & Other Recipes with Preserved Lemons
Crispy Skin Snapper with Peas & Beans and Preserved Lemon Butter @ MindFood
Grilled Clams with Jalapenos and Preserved Lemons @ Barbecue Bible
Salmon Quiche with Preserved Lemon @ Shockingly Delicious
The Secret Ingredients: Preserved Lemons @ Serious Eats
For even more recipes, visit Simple Living and Eating’s post on Recipes with Preserved Lemons.
Do you have a recipe that uses preserved lemons that you would like to see added to this list? If so, please send me an email with a link to the recipe.
A few weeks ago, I preserved a jar full of lemons before I knew how I’d use them. Tuesday night, we were having hot dogs, and I chopped up some of the preserved lemon and used it on the chili dog instead of relish. It was delicious! I mentioned it to my nail tech yesterday. She had a great idea: use some preserved lemon and freshly ground pepper on chicken when baking it. I can hardly wait to try her suggestion.
Marsha, Thank you so much for the comment! Like you, I LOVE preserved lemons. I put a quart up every January and it last pretty much the whole year. Love the idea of using it as a relish for chili dogs. Sounds quite delicious. I see you found the preserved lemon and peppered chicken. How you try it pan fried, baked or grilled. It’s really very tasty. Enjoy playing with you preserved lemons! Cheers, MJ
I am delighted to discover this website because I am a huge fan of preserved lemons. This morning I fried some onions with chopped preserved lemons in olive oil, then added some chopped lacinto kale and sautéed it until wilted, then cooked an egg on top of the veggies (slightly steamed it by putting a lid on the pan), and then put all of that on top of an avocado toast. Scrumptious!!!
I also regularly make a NY Times recipe for Sautéed Chicken with Meyer Lemons and Rosemary that gets rave reviews from everyone.
I’m looking forward to to using many of your recipes! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you SO much Kathy! You onion and Kale dish sounds wonderful! I’ve managed to keep Swiss chard going all winter so I’m going to try it with chard. Of course an egg on top is always must. 🙂 I’ll check our the sauteed chicken recipe. Anything with preserved lemons gets my vote!
Pingback: Lemon Rice with Peas and Artichokes « Eliot's Eats
Thank you so much for giving the instructions on preparing preserved lemons . . . now that is something that I need to learn, MJ! Nice round-up of recipes, but I prefer yours above all, and not just the recipes, but your beautiful photography! I’m printing this preserved lemon recipe right now! Thank you SO much for teaching me something new!
xo
Thank YOU Roz! So glad to help. Preserved lemons are so very easy to make, I just feel like everyone should have a jar in their fridge. 🙂 Thanks for all of your comments! You’re so very sweet!
I feel a bit ashamed: I have been here some time ago, read the post, admired the photos and… forgot to leave a comment! Anyway, I wanted to say that lemons are among the rare products I have never tried preserving. Moreover, I have never even tasted them! I am very grateful for your quick preserving method and for such an array of recipes; when I finally do preserve lemons one day, I’ll know where to look for wonderful ideas!
No problem Sissi! I know you come to visit. You don’t always have to leave a comment. However, I do appreciate when you do. 🙂 With all of the preserving, particularly salt preserving you do, I’m surprised you haven’t done lemons. I’m sure you would enjoy them.
I love, love preserved lemons — just reading your title made my mouth water. What a scrumptious roundup MJ, thanks for including my recipe.
Thanks so much Nancy!
this is such a lovely post with such great collection of recipes…thank you for sharing
You are most welcome and thank you!
i love all the collections. thanks for sharing.
This was actually a very fun post for me. Unfortunately I do not have a jar of preserved lemons (I do love to have more than a jar! though), but all these recipes are very interesting (because mostly new way of cooking for me) and sound so delicious. Perfect for a citrus lover like myself. I still love your Peppered Lemon Chicken Bites. I would love to eat that….
Thanks Nami! I did a search and couldn’t find any Asian cuisine with preserved lemons, so no, it’s not something I would expect you to have. But next time you feel adventurous, you might give them a try. I know that you would love them!
What a delicious round up of recipes using preserved lemons!I have yet to make them but looking at this list I’m inspired 🙂
Thanks Soni! Glad to be an inspiration. 🙂
Lovely round up! Need to get some preserved lemons or make some soon.
I have a recipe for preserved lemons which I have been planning to make but never did. With so many ideas to using preserved lemons, I am going to make this one asap. thanks for sharing.
Well what are you waiting for? 🙂 There are lots of great recipes here and I plan to try many, if not all of them myself. Thanks for stopping by!
Oh WOW! I didn’t know about preserved lemons until today.I will have to try this but I’ll wait until we’ve moved in to our new home..
Thanks Peachy! Glad to be able to introduce you to something new. HOpe you do make a batch because they are quite good.
This is a good timing as I am waiting for my preserved lemons to pickle
How exciting! This was good timing! Enjoy!
I DO have preserved lemons in my fridge! How’d you know?? Thanks for all the inspiration 🙂
So glad to be of service my dear. 🙂
I love these recipes. Making preserved lemons was on my to do list… thanks for reminding me that I still have not done them. I like your 24 hour method.
Thanks Ramona! Hope you get a chance to make them. With the type of recipes that you come up with, a bit of preserved lemons would be quite complementary!
What a fantastic idea for a post. I’m so glad you did this. I have a HUGE jar of preserved lemons my husband’s ex-wife gave me for Christmas. She’d recently been to Morocco and took a cooking class one day there and came home full of wonderful Moroccan recipes. I’ve been looking for ways to use them! Thanks soooo much!!
Thanks Susan! What a great gift from Morocco! I hope you find some recipes from the list that you enjoy! and you are MOST welcome!
Excellent quick tip and round-up of recipes!
An amazing roundup, MJ. Thank you for sharing.
MJ, what a great idea! I love lemons, but so many go bad before I ever have a chance to use them. I usually squeeze them and try to use the juice any way I can in a short amount of time. I love this idea…thanks for sharing!
Thanks you Jodee! You really should try preserving some of those lemons. They can last up to a year in the fridge. Hope you give preserving a try!
Wow, what a gorgeous round-up, and such a lovely mix of unique recipes! Now I wish I had a jar of preserved lemons in my fridge! Thank you for sharing so many fun ways to use preserved lemons! Hugs, Terra
Thanks so much Terra! Because preserved lemons are one of my most favorite condiments I’m always surprised when someone doesn’t have a jar in the fridge. 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Love the roundup! And even happier to see the preserving recipe
I might give it a go with the lemons from our tree:)
I am still waiting for the day I make those chicken bites. They look so delectable!
Here’s a funky twist of a thought that came to mind: Have you come across any desserts that use preserved lemon? I didn’t seem to spot any in the roundup 🙂
Thanks fati! You have a lemon tree – I’m envious! 🙂 About preserved lemons desserts? I actually did a search for that and found nothing. I was quite surprised at how few recipes (other than the standard Moroccan recipes) were out there with preserved lemons. It has to be one of my most favorite condiments, so I was surprised to see so little. Oh, those chicken bites are so good. Hope you do make them someday. Have a wonderful weekend my friend!
Pingback: How to Make Preserved Lemons | MJ's Kitchen
I did recently throw out a very neglected preserved lemon 🙁 Now I wish I had not because this is a great collection. I guess I did not use it from lack of inspiration. Time to make some again. I do love the classic Lamb Tagine with Preserved Lemons and Green Olives.
WOW!! So much recipes with one single and delicious ingredient!
Thank you so much for this line up of great recipes. I just bought another jar last weekend and was going to start a search for different ways to use them. I’ve only ever cooked with them in my lamb tagine (listed here). The flavor is so fabulous and unique I look forward to trying a couple of recipes. Thanks for the link back to my Lamb Tagine.
Thanks so much Lea Ann! I’m glad you enjoyed the list! Your lamb tagine looks wonderful and I’m hoping my BIL sees it. He has a tagine and just made a jar of preserved lemons. I think he (and I) would love the dish. Maybe I can get him to make it for me the next time we visit. 🙂
This is a pretty neat post!! I don’t do preserve lemons, but I think I should do some just so that i can make some of those fantastic looking recipes that you have posted.
Thanks Minnie! You could always make a quickie batch to give them a try. Once you do that, you’ll be making a while batch. 🙂
I love this collection of preserved lemon recipes, they are so flavoursome 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thanks Uru! I agree – the flavor of preserved lemons is awesome!
MJ, what a fantastic collection of recipes! I love making – and using – preserved lemons and now I have wealth of new ways to try them. Thank you so much!
Really great roundup of recipes! I have no problems using preserved lemons, but it’s always great to have more ideas. You have some good ones! My problem is getting around to making the lemons in the first place! I should really try the quick method you posted — that way I can have my lemons, and use them almost right away!
Thanks John! I’m with you. They never go to waste and about every 3 months I have to start a new batch. The quick methods does work great! The texture is a little different, but the flavor of the preserved lemons is still there.
Dorothy said it and I second it. I have made preserved lemons (I made the mistake the first time of making 3 jars) and then hunted for ways to use them.
Thanks Maureen! 3 jars? Even I would take a while to use that many lemons and I use them A lot! 🙂
Great collection of recipes…wonderful cooking resource! Thank you for including my salmon quiche!
You are most welcome Dorothy! Your quiche looks fabulous!