Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
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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 you don’t have to worry if you’re squeamish about raw eggs. My kids 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 heart of romaine and dip the leaves in.
This recipe is part of my classic salad dressing collection, which includes go-to recipes for oil and vinegar based dressings, like vinaigrette and balsamic vinaigrette, as well as creamy dressings, such as buttermilk ranch dressing and blue cheese dressing, which are typically made with mayonnaise and dairy products.
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.”
Step-by-Step Instructions
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.
The dressing will keep well in the fridge for about a week. For a main course Caesar, try pairing this with my best grilled chicken. Enjoy!
Caesar Salad Dressing Video Tutorial
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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.
Ingredients
- 2 small garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (see note)
- 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
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ 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.
- Note: Anchovy paste can be found near the canned tuna in the supermarket.
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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Comments
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I’m trying the ceasar dressing and would like to see what else you have.
Thanks a lot,
Glenda
I tried this dressing tonight and it was a huge hit. I will never worry about coddling an egg again! Thank you so much!
Best homemade dressing I ever had! And I love the idea of the anchovy paste and mayo instead of the raw eggs and whole anchovies. Everyone loved it- I made a grilled chicken caesar for our main course. Such an easy and different dinner idea for us five who get tired of eating the same old foods.
This recipe is phenomenal! It tastes good enough to serve in some of the best restaurants anywhere around the country. I love it and am adding it to my recipe collection and never buying store bought again.
I just made this, except I didn’t have any anchovy paste, but I did have a can of anchovies, so I drained and minced them. I did have a taste before I put in the fridge for tonight. I came upon this site by doing a google on this dressing and yours was the first to come up. I didn’t go any further!! It does taste very good. This w/ a salad and salmon will be my dinner tonight. 🙂
awesome! Love it, I use canned ansjo-fillets and mush them up with a fork and a bit of oil. Thanks so much from Baarn, The Netherlands
I have made this at least four times already. I love this recipe! Thank you for making it so simple! Between this, traditional French olive oil, balsamic vin., spicy mustard and S&P, and homemade thousand island-I’ll never buy pre-packed dressing again!
Good recipe. I used Greek Yogurt instead of Mayo to be a bit more healthy.
This dressing is wonderful! I’ve never bought caesar dressing from the store because it just doesn’t taste good – but now we can have our favorite salad at home! I increase the worcestershire sauce, anchovies, dijon mustard and pepper, as we like a bigger bite to our caesar. This is fantastic with your perfect grilled chicken!
This is my first time to comment to any recipes online and I just couldn’t help but leave a comment. The caesar salad dressing recipe was amazing!! I really enjoyed it and was so easy to do. I tried a bottle once and it was ghastly! Really glad that among the recipes online, I followed yours. Thank you!
If you like caesar salad, you will love this dressing! I have made it several times (it is very quick and easy) and it is always a huge hit with my husband and friends. They like using it as a dip for fresh veggies also.
I’ve made it twice this month. It’ so good. The lemon gives it such a fresh zesty taste. The anchovy paste makes it a little tangy. SOOO good!
I made this for last evening’s salad and it is delicious!!! My husband couldn’t eat enough of it and has already requested it again….surely a good sign! Thanks for the wonderful recipe
Have made the caesar salad dressing as per your recipe. Shall let you know what is the verdict tonight. Thanks for an easy and wonderful recipe.
I loved the idea that the mayo takes place of araw egg and oil.Thanks great recipe
Love this recipe, I am always looking for great homeade ideas using fresh ingredients including fresh grown hebs and spices.
Oh and subd real cloves for dehydrated, worked great 🙂
I felt it was a bit bland at first butI increased the garlic to 3 cloves,added a bit more mustard and included 3 anchovy fillets and it was very good.
Would it ruin the recipe to leave out the cheese? My daughter has a dairy allergy and the only think that looks to be a problem is the cheese.
Hi Selina, It certainly won’t ruin the recipe, it just won’t taste so much like Caesar salad. Hope that helps 🙂
Thanks.
Loved this!! Added some chopped capers and it was perfect.
Absolutely the best Cesar salad dressing recipe I have every made!! 1st time I made this I was giving it away to family friends that were in need of pre-made meals. Was a little nervous about it, as you never know how something is going to turn out and then to serve it to friends – could have been a make or break the meal situation. Well, I did a double batch and keep one for home and it turned out amazing! My friend’s family couldn’t stop raving out the dressing – it even won out to my homemade chocolate cake and I make a mean chocolate cake! Kudos to you for another excellent posting!!
Just wanted you to know I appreciate your beautiful pictures, and the wonderful recipees. I’ll never buy it in the store again. Love your site!
Lori
Thank you, Lori!
LOVE IT! Made mine with olive oil mayo and it tasted great! Thanks!
This was AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What an inventive way to make Caesar dressing. It is so much better than any bottled Caesar.
This looks SUPER simple and yummy! I can’t wait to try it! :o)
LOVE LOVE LOVE your Caesar salad dressing method- I have searched for years for an easier way to make it and this is perfect every time- GENIUS using mayo (which DUH is made of oil and eggs!) instead of raw eggs- Thank you!!
Hi Jennifer, I’m new to your site, love your Caesar Dressing, made on the weekend, today I’m making your Stew its cooking now and smells great, next I’m trying your Granola. Keep up the good work.
Hi Jennifer, I found your website last night when I did a google search for “homemade caesar dressing”. I’m so happy I found you! My family and I loved your dressing and my husband asked me to make it for a dinner party we’re having Friday night, too. I quickly skimmed through some of your other recipes posted here and look forward to trying them out. I’ll let you know what i think. Thanks again.
Cheers!
Thank you, Amber! So glad the dressing was a hit. Hope you enjoy the recipes and look forward to hearing from you again!
Very easy and delicious . I enjoyed it with a grilled / seared romaine heart. My kids (6 and under) gobbled it up and wanted more “delicious salad.”
The raw egg thing isn’t as cut and dry as it seems. First, the risk that the egg has mesurable amounts of salmonella is about 1:20,000. If the egg is mixed at room temp with an acid and left to sit at room temp, the salmonella is greatly reduced. Pasteurized eggs are completely safe, and available at the grocery store right next to the normal eggs, and except for a cloudy white they are exactly the same as raw eggs. Either way, I find it strange that we pump our bodies full of terrible processed food and hydrogenated oils, but worry about raw eggs.
Paul,
My response to your comment is that obviously you have never contracted salmonella from eating some type of food. My 14 year old daughter had it once and was hospitalized and I got it many years later and was hospitalized for 4 days. Positive culture for months. Mine was a wide spread outbreak and they eventually identified the culprit–alfalfa sprouts. You just have to be this sick once to have a life long fear of eating possibly dangerous food.
Ginny
I would also like to know how long this will last in the fridge please
Hi Cheryl, Thanks so much for your comment. So glad you enjoyed the dressing! I’m reluctant to say exactly how long the dressing will keep b/c I’m not a food safety expert but I usually keep mine around for 4-5 days. Hope that helps!
Jennifer
Wow easy and amazingly good! Just wish I knew how long it keeps in fridge?
Most recipes I’ve found online use raw eggs which basically make the dressing last a couple of days on the fridge and therefore making storebought more convenient (though full of preservatives). How long will this dressing last in the fridge? Id love to make a big batch and have it on hand for a quick salad. Thanks!
How long is the dressing good for in the fridge please?
Absolutely fantastic recipe! I’m a big lover of Cesar salad anyways but making the dressing the traditional way is too time consuming and I don’t like feeding raw eggs to the kids. This is spot on for taste and really quick to make. The only thing I did was add a touch more Worcestershire because I like the “meatiness” it imparts. Thanks so much for a new standard in my kitchen.
I tried this recipe and it was great. My husband totally liked it. I am not a fan of anchovies but you can’t even taste them.
This was an AMAZING Caesar Dressing. I don’t buy store bought dressings anymore b/c of the hidden MSG and/or HFCS. So if I can’t make the dressing we don’t eat it! That’s been the case with Caesar Dressing…we haven’t had it in many, many months. I’m sooo happy that I stumbled onto this website with these normal/elegant recipes that anybody can really make. I also couldn’t find Anchovy Paste, so just used 1 whole real Anchovy. I just chopped it up with my PC food chopper and no smell. I used this dressing for a Shrimp Caesar Salad….Yum! I’d serve this to my dinner guest proudly.
I would be more worried about the pasteurize eggs, I feel comfortable giving my kids raw eggs as long as they are organic cage free eggs, there shouldn’t be a problem…. Mayo=yucky
Jessica…you can make your own mayo with your own choice of ingredients…it is easy.
Pete, I use store bought mayonnaise for this recipe, which contains pasteurized eggs that are safe to eat.
I found this on google when i ran out of bottled dressing…i skipped the paste because i didnt have it on hand, added half cup of real bacon bits and we have an instant hit!! Thanks 🙂 its going in the recipe box right now 😉
No raw eggs but using a mayonnaise based dressing?
I made this last night and it was delicious and easy. Thanks so much for the recipe!
I’ve made this a bunch of times now and it’s become a family favorite. So easy to make!
Amazing with the perfectly grilled chicken breasts. Love, love, love your recipes!
I just mixed some together and it’s great. Thanks for the easy recipe.
I made this tonight and it was so delicious! Definitely a keeper and my husband loved it! Thanks for sharing
I love homemade dressings, yours looks perfect!
I love ceasar salad. Just haven’t gotten up the nerve to buy anchovies! This is enticing!
I heartily agree about making your own dressings! I like your recipe, with no eggs. Will try to find the anchovy paste.