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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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!!