The osmo-air dehydration process of lemon peels is suggested as an efficient process allowing the effective dehydration of the lemon peels (final moisture content about 0.1kg/kg DM) with excellent preservation of its ORC, lightness and yellowness. WRC were reduced by up to 70% while ORC were conserved whatever the osmodehydration and air drying operating conditions (~1.744±0.039g oil/g DM). Osmo-dehydrated peels at 40 and 60°C showed the increase of redness, whereas the lightness and yellowness parameters were preserved. A protective effect of osmotic dehydration treatment was observed for phenols. In fact, the osmotic dehydration pretreatment produced losses in total phenol contents (~70–80%) and then amounts of phenols remain constant (~0.32±0.087g CAE/100g DM) during air drying at 40 and 60°C.