Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
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This homemade Caesar salad dressing is rich, creamy, and so much better than store-bought. Toss it with crisp romaine, crunchy croutons, and plenty of Parmesan for a classic Caesar salad everyone loves.
There are countless Caesar dressing recipes out there, but this is the version my whole family loves. It’s rich and creamy, and not too garlicky or too fishy—it’s just right.
Unlike traditional Caesar dressing, which is made with olive oil and thickened with raw egg, this version has a mayonnaise base, making it perfect for anyone who’d rather not eat raw eggs. My kids love it so much that they’ve learned to make it themselves. They don’t even wait for me to make a salad; while I’m cooking dinner, they’ll sit at the kitchen table with a big heart of romaine and dip the leaves right into the dressing.
“Without a doubt, this is the best Caesar salad recipe I have found and I’m 73 years old!”
What You’ll Need To Make Caesar Salad Dressing
- Anchovy paste: Instead of whole anchovies, paste makes the recipe 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!)
- Mayonnaise: Used in place of the raw egg and oil found in traditional Caesar dressing; gives this version a rich, creamy texture. Use Hellmann’s or Duke’s.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano: You can always tell if it’s authentic from Italy 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.”
- Fresh lemon juice: This brightens the rich dressing and balances the Parmesan and mayonnaise. Freshly squeezed makes a noticeable difference.
- Garlic: Caesar dressing needs garlic, but it can easily take over. This recipe uses just enough to give the dressing a little bite without overpowering the other flavors.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Caesar 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 refrigerator for about a week. Keep in mind that it will thicken as it chills; if it’s too thick, simply whisk in a teaspoon or two of water until it reaches your desired consistency.
How to Make Caesar Salad
Place chopped romaine in a large bowl and add just enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves. Toss well, then add homemade croutons and freshly grated or shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve it as is, or turn it into a main course by topping it with grilled chicken, salmon, steak, or shrimp.
Video Tutorial
More Salad Dressings You’ll Love
Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 small cloves garlic, 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 or Duke's
- 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, then serve or refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
- Anchovy paste can be found near the canned tuna in the supermarket.
- Storage: The dressing will keep well in the refrigerator for about a week and will thicken as it chills. If needed, whisk in a teaspoon or two of water to thin it to your desired consistency.
- To make a Caesar salad: Toss chopped romaine with enough dressing to generously coat the leaves. Add homemade croutons and freshly grated or shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, and toss again. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
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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Addicted to this dressing!!
Best Caesar dressing EVER. Super easy and insanely delicious!
Super easy and super good. I make my own salad dressings but never felt comfortable making Caesar dressing because of the raw eggs. Loved the no egg recipe. Will definitely be on repeat. Thanks for sharing
Utterly delicious!! I live in Ireland and can’t find the anchovy paste (or romaine lettuce for that matter), so I double up the recipe and make it with a whole can of anchovies.. not a huge deal since the anchovy can is tiny. the substitute green is baby gem lettuce.
This is such an amazing dressing and hugely popular with family and friends, so it’s become a standard weekly event to make it. I forget about the salt and pepper all the time but since the anchovies, parmesan and mayo all have salt, it’s OK. Note hellmans low-fat mayo somehow makes a much thicker dressing, so definitely add 1/4 cup+ water to make it more of a dressing and less of a paste.
Delicious! We enjoyed this with Chicken Caesar Salad tonight. Kiddos and adults alike loved this!!! We added a drizzle of olive oil to thin it out a bit – it was superb!
Instant classic for our household. Hubby couldn’t get enough! Omitted anchovies and didn’t miss em!
The very best Ceasar dressing I have ever made!
There was only one Caesar dressing I could buy that was truly gluten-free (my husband is celiac), so when I couldn’t find it on the shelf at the supermarket I thought I’d have a crack at making it myself. My 19 yo nearly had a fit when I asked him to pick up anchovies at the shop for me and swore I was going to ruin the only salad he enjoys. Happy to say that he gave it a tick of approval! This recipe was so quick and easy – I beefed up the garlic a bit, and next time might thin it down to make it easier to toss through, but the taste was perfect, and won’t be buying it anymore (sorry Beerenberg!). 5 Stars from me – YUM.
Excellent dressing! Never buy Caesar dressing anymore.
Okay. I will have to say I am famous for my Caesar salad dressing. In fact everyone wants my recipe. I tried this tonight because one of my guests had an allergy to poultry which includes eggs (as my recipe calls for). Your dressing is amazing, so much so, I am deleting my old recipe to now include yours. Thank you for sharing.
Doesn’t real mayo have eggs in it?
This recipe is great! I never liked the store bought dressings. This tastes much better and is easy to make. I sometimes go with a little less Mayo and 2 Tbsp of olive oil. I so appreciate that you gave measurements for salt and pepper. They are just right!