27 Meyer Lemon Recipes to Make the Most of Citrus Season
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If you happen to be lucky enough to have a Meyer lemon tree in your backyard, you’re probably desperate for Meyer lemon recipes. And while you can adjust any lemon recipe to work with this extra-sweet and extra-fragrant citrus, it takes a little tinkering, since Meyer lemons are slightly less acidic than the Eureka version you usually find at the supermarket. The recipes below were designed to highlight the strengths of this particularly juicy, smooth and thin-skinned hybrid. And cooking them is guaranteed to make your kitchen smell amazing. Find yourself with a really big haul? Make a jar of preserved lemons to extend the season while you cook your way through all the Meyer lemon recipes below.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Drew Aichele1/27Fresh and Puckery Lemon Sauce
Because Meyer lemons have pulp that’s relatively sweet and juicy, and they’re short on bitter pith, Meyer lemon recipes often call for the whole lemon, skin and all. Here, you'll toss the chopped fruit with shallot, olive oil, salt, honey, and fresh parsley or mint to make a sauce that's great with roasted vegetables, grilled fish, or braised meats—or mixed with yogurt to make a dip.
Photo by Gentl & Hyers, Prop Styling by Ayesha Patel, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich2/27Risotto al Limone
You don’t need any stock to make this deeply lemony risotto. Instead, you’ll just use water, so the Meyer lemon flavor shines. Serve as is or top with buttery seared scallops.
Photo by Kristin Teig3/27Olive Oil Thumbprints With Lemon Curd
Instead of jam, these slightly savory, tender cookies from from Company by Amy Thielen are filled with luscious Meyer lemon curd.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell4/27Roasted Niçoise Salad With Halibut
This sheet-pan dinner can be made with Eureka lemons, but the fragrance of Meyer lemon zest really enhances the combo of halibut, crisp-tender green beans, and roasted jarred artichoke hearts.
Photo by Amy Neunsinger6/27Grilled Salmon With Meyer Lemons and Creamy Cucumber Salad
Grilling lemon slices always renders the fruit juicy and sweet, but it truly works best with Meyer lemons. Pair with grilled salmon fillets and a dill-flecked cucumber salad.
Photo by John Kernick8/27Meyer Lemon Cake With Lavender Cream
Olive oil gives this golden lemon cake its melt-in-your-mouth texture, but its the layers of Meyer lemon filling that you’ll keep thinking about. Serve each slice with a dollop of gently floral lavender cream.
Photo by Laura Murray, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich9/27Pasta With Brown Butter, Whole Lemon, and Parmesan
This dinner-party-ready pasta pairs the citrus with a whole stick of butter. Other than that, you just need the pasta itself, some freshly grated Parmesan, and salt and pepper.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop styling by Tim Ferro, Food styling by Taneka Morris11/27Slow-Roasted Salmon With Fennel, Citrus, and Chiles
If you’re at all nervous about cooking salmon, we highly recommend this low and slow method, which helps the fish retain moisture and avoids overcooking. Lemon slices add bright, juicy flavor, basting the salmon as it roasts.
Romulo Yanes13/27Lemon-Honey Tart with Salted Shortbread Crust
There are lemon recipes, and then there are lemon recipes that really put the lemons front and center. In this tart and tangy offering, paper-thin slices of Meyer lemon rest in a mix of honey, sugar, and lemon zest before joining a rich and fragrant custard.
Marcus Nilsson15/27Rigatoni With Lemon-Chile Pesto and Grated Egg
The best part of the Meyer lemon might be its zest—here, it adds rich perfume to rigatoni that’s sauced with butter, lemon juice, Pecorino, and grated hard-boiled egg yolk. Serve with broccoli or a chicory salad.
Photo by Stephen Lewis18/27Salted Meyer Lemon and Sage Pressé
Looking to change up your nonalcoholic drink game? This recipe from the folks behind Trick Dog in San Francisco mixes fresh sage leaves with fragrant lemon, salt, and club soda. It’s a refresher that's not too sweet.
Photo by Maren Caruso20/27Meyer Lemon and Dried Blueberry Scones
In more of a baking mood? We love this option from our archive of scone recipes. Made with buttermilk and lots of grated Meyer lemon peel, they get sweetness from the dried wild blueberries. A little Meyer lemon curd on top wouldn’t be out of place.
21/27Meyer Lemon Soufflé
Highlight the flavor and floral quality of Meyer lemon with a puffy, golden soufflé. You can prep the lemon custard in advance, so you’re just whipping the egg whites and folding them in before popping the dessert into the oven.
Coral von Zumwalt23/27Meyer Lemon Semifreddo With Summer Berries
We love a make-ahead dessert for any time we’re hosting a crowd. You can pop this into the freezer up to three days before serving.
Mark Thomas26/27Frozen Meyer Lemon Cream With Blackberry Sauce
This frozen dessert uses an electric mixer, not an ice cream maker. Even more good news: The sauce calls frozen berries, so you don’t need to wait for summer.
