Lemon essential oil (LEO) has antimicrobial efficiency and other biological activities, but its exposure to deterioration from environmental circumstances restricts its application in the food industry. In this work, LEO nanoliposomes were formulated to enhance LEO characteristics, using the modified heating method (Mozafari method). Four different concentrations of LEO were synthesized and characterized. For the first day of preparation, the size ranged from 124.4 to 215.7nm and zeta potential ranged from -69.35 to -80.0 mV, depending on LEO content, and PDI (< 0.6). After 60 days of storage at 4 °C, the results indicated high stability. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis confirmed the spherical structure of the nanoliposomes. Encapsulation efficiency (EE) was determined by GC–MS. LEO was successfully encapsulated in nanoliposomes with EE (> 96 %). Free LEO and encapsulated LEO were tested as antimicrobial agents in a commercial chicken soup as a food system. The antimicrobial effect was investigated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as food-borne pathogens for 4 days at 20 °C. The results revealed that LEO nanoliposomes have higher activity than free LEO, especially against E. coli. From the previous findings, encapsulated LEO is a promising approach that could be applied in the food industry.