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Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
My family loves this rich and creamy Caesar salad dressing. It’s not overly garlicky or fishy — it’s just right.
Though most people buy Caesar salad dressing in a bottle, homemade is incredibly easy to make and tastes so much better than store-bought. There are many variations but this rich and creamy version is the one my whole family loves. It’s not too garlicky and not too fishy — it’s just right.
Unlike authentic Caesar dressings which are made with olive oil and thickened with raw eggs, this one has a mayonnaise base, which means no raw eggs so you don’t have to worry about giving it to your kids. And speaking of kids, mine love this dressing so much that they’ve learned to make it themselves. They don’t even wait for me to make a salad; while I cook dinner, they sit at the kitchen table with a big head of romaine and dip the leaves in.
What You’ll Need To Make Caesar Salad Dressing
Instead of whole anchovies, I use anchovy paste — makes it easy, especially if you’re squeamish about anchovies (just hold your nose and add it in; the dressing needs every last bit to taste like the real deal!)
For the cheese, it’s important to use imported Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy; domestic Parmesan pales in comparison. You can always tell if it’s authentic by looking at the rind, which is embossed with the name over and over. If the cheese is already grated, it should be labeled “Parmigiano-Reggiano,” not “Parmesan.”
How To Make Caesar Salad Dressing
Begin by whisking together the garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Next, whisk in the mayonnaise, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and pepper. That’s all there is to it.
The dressing will keep well in the fridge for about a week. For a main course Caesar, try pairing this with my Grilled Chicken with Lemon, Garlic & Herbs. Enjoy!
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- Big Italian Salad
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- Balsamic Vinaigrette
Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
My family loves this rich and creamy Caesar salad dressing. It’s not overly garlicky or fishy — it’s just right.
Ingredients
- 2 small garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (found near the canned tuna in the supermarket)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I like the brand Maille)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's Real
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Add the mayonnaise, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust to your liking. The dressing will keep well in the fridge for about a week.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Serving size: About 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 184
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Sugar: 0g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Sodium: 296mg
- Cholesterol: 13mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Reviews & Comments
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I’ve tried so many Caesar recipes and this one is truly the BEST!! I’ve made dozens of times. So glad you shared this. I add a little Tabasco to mine. Thank you!!!
I always refer to this dressing recipe when I make a caesar salad. It is delicious!!
Delish!! I had to add more lemon juice to get the right dressing texture. Tastes wonderful. Will never buy bottled dressing again.
I agree with you that Maille is the very best Dijon, but Trader Joe’s Dijon is a close second and at $1.69 for 13 oz I can buy about six jars of TJ’s Dijon for every one of Maille. For what it is worth, TJ’s Dijon is made in Dijon, France, and Maille’s in Canada.
This dressing is excellent.
Really, really good Caesar dressing!! A little goes a long way. This recipe is a keeper.
Made it without the anchovy added some old bay seasoning. Very good.
This is a delicious, easy recipe! I don’t care for bottled dressings, so when I go for a creamy one, this is it. Even my husband who isn’t a fan of mayo or dijon mustard loves it. Friends are always impressed when they see me whip it up before dinner. Thank you Jenn!
My friends and family agree that this is the best Caesar dressing they have ever had! Everyone raved about it so much that I now make it on a regular basis and keep it in the refrigerator in a mason jar/bottle. The only thing that I added was 1/2 cup of sour cream. I think this made it even better. I always thought Marie’s store-bought Caesar was pretty good, but I will probably never buy it again after making this recipe!
Awesome, I will never buy Ceasar Dressing again!!
It had never occurred to me to use prepared mayo when making Caesar dressing. I am so thankful that I found your recipe because it’s so much easier than what I was doing before and so delicious! I am never whipping out my blender for Caesar dressing again!
What is the best store bought Caesar dressing?
Honestly, I don’t know because I always make it whenever I need it — sorry!
Only recipe I use since I discovered it. And I have made a lot of Caesar dressings over the years.
Love this recipe! It is my “go-to” for family gatherings or making dinner for friends. It goes with everything! I am frequently asked for the recipe.
This is soooo good!! No more store brought dressing!
This is also my go-to dressing. Made it do often, it’s memorized😀. Love
I have a can of anchovies on hand, could I sub some for the paste? If so how many little guys should I use?
Definitely. And 2 of them should do the trick. Hope you enjoy!
THIS is the BEST Caesar dressing recipe on the planet! Use the EXACT measurements and brands that she used and you won’t be sorry!! It is out of this world!!
How can I thin out this dressing, without compromising the flavor?
Hi Stacy, I’d add some water just a bit at a time until you get to your desired consistency. Hope that helps!
I added 1/2 cup sour cream, and I think that makes the recipe perfect!
I make most of my own dressings, so I have no idea why it never occurred to me to make Caesar dressing; however, when they changed the the formula of the bottled Caesar I used, I went searching for a recipe. I am so happy that I tried your recipe first — it is absolutely fantastic, and I will NEVER buy bottled Caesar dressing again! This recipe is truly the perfect balance of ingredients. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Such an easy recipe, and it tastes so good too. Not fishy at all. Wanted a “restaurant style” Caesar dressing that didn’t have preservatives and taste like it was from a bottle and this exceeded my expectations! I cannot eat egg, so I subbed the reg mayo for vegan mayo and it was still really good.
I still think this is one of the very best homemade versions of a Caesar dressing! Use your version all the time.
I made this dressing and is absolutely delicious 😋 and will make part of my dressings rotation. Your recipes are amazing
Superb! The stores around me stopped selling “real” ceasar dressing and so I decided to search for a recipe. I was led by the Spirit of God to this recipe, and I am SO THANKFUL! This recipe is EXACTLY the taste I was looking for! My husband now enjoys arugula salads because of this dressing! Glory to God and thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
Every time I make this the result is most don’t believe it was home made.
Yes, I’ve made it and it’s delicious. Making it, again, tonight for Salmon Caesar salad.
OUTSTANDING!!! Definitely a party favorite.
Quick, easy and delicious! My new go-to!
Incredible as a dressing and thick enough to be a dip! Made it exactly as written (which I do with most of Jenn’s recipes since they’re perfect) except we only had whole anchovies. Minced 2 fillets as she recommended below and wow.. people practically licked their bowls clean. For those worried about buying something they won’t use enough like Worcestershire or anchovies, don’t worry! You’ll love this dressing so much they will be used up in no time.
I agree!! I’ve used up an entire tube of anchovy paste over time with this recipe!! It is fabulous!!
I love this delicious easy to make Caesar dressing. Have had numerous compliments from friends wondering if it is an old family recipe.
I made this recipe today for a Caesar Salad I plan to have tonight. I also made croutons using some of a homemade baguette and a crouton recipe from another site. The croutons came out great, but the real surprise was the Caesar Salad dressing. I spooned it out into a Mason jar when it was done, so I got to have a taste. It is THE classic taste and texture of what this dressing is supposed to be like. I will have chicken with my Caesar salad – I often marinate chicken breasts in Gazebo Room Greek Dressing and grill the chicken. It’s going to be a feast!
This is my new go to salad dressing. It’s very hard to make it badly, it tastes great, and it gets me eating more salad!
This is delicious!!! I made this because my local store didn’t have the Caesar dressing I wanted. I’ll never buy bottled dressing again!! I used dairy free parm and omitted the anchovies and it was so delicious!!! Next time I will thin it out with a little water or coconut milk.
This is delicious!! Love having a recipe that doesn’t use raw eggs.
I’ve made this several times. I’ve used fish sauce instead of anchovy paste and it’s a keeper recipe!
Recipe is amazing!
There is no reason for me to ever look at another caesar dressing recipe…ever. This is the one! It’s just amazing. And it puts every bottled dressing to shame. My family requests this all the time.
Hi chef, I only have whole anchovies, how much do I need to sub for the paste, thank you!
Hi Maya, I’d suggest starting with 2 (but if you want more anchovy flavor you can use more). Hope you enjoy!
Thank you! This recipe was amazing!!
I am so happy to eat this!! Restaurants are closed and I always order Caesar salad and so extremely pleased to have made such a good one at home. No need to go out, even when we finally can!
I added a splash of balsamic vinegar and garlic croutons, this is the Caesar of Caesar salad dressings.
This is an awesome recipe…….will be my go to from here on out.
Very easy and can be tweaked to your individual taste. I didn’t change a thing and it was delicious.
I just made this, although I only used half the amount of the anchovy paste for fear it would taste a bit fishy, and it was perfect! I even passed the recipe onto a few friends and raved to them that it’s delicious. I’ll definitely be making this one repeatedly.
This is spot on and my new favorite! I did add a touch of olive oil to thin it slightly. I was totally dipping my pizza crust into it and it was sooo good!
Great recipe and comes together in a snap in the food processor. Thanks!
This was great in a pinch. I’m used to Caesar that has an egg yolk in it and totally did not feel like making that and I didnt have anchovies either. I made the recipe as written and added a splash of fish sauce and some rinsed and toasted capers instead. tossed with shaved Brussel sprouts and crispy roasted chickpeas. I’m pretty sure my tastebuds stood up and said “Woo Hoo!”
Followed recipe exactly and it is AMAZING! Not only delicious on a salad, I also tossed a couple tablespoons on my fries and topped with more of the cheese for some garlic fries that were even better than I remembered them in San Francisco. Today I did the same to some mini ravioli and my son can’t get enough. This dressing will be a new staple in our house.
First time making this dressing. It tastes delicious! It’s a keeper! 😉
Super delicious dressing recipe and so easy to make! Thank you!