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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Fantastic recipe, made it a few times now. Last night I used fish sauce instead of the anchovies and Aioli instead of Mayo and omitted the garlic, even better!!
I made this recipe, it is wonderful. Will use it from now on.
Great dressing, easy to make. I made it last night and will have it again tonight.
Best salad dressing ever! This has been my go to recipe for a Caesar for the last year or two. Thank you!
Will be making this tonight with confidence…all of Jen’s recipes impress! I noticed many folks mention only having whole anchovies. With other Caesar dressings I’ve made, I put a couple of anchovies, the salt, and the garlic in a mortar and pestle and mash it until I have the consistency needed. It’s simple and works quite well…IF you have a mortar and pestle…😉
Otherwise, just mashing the anchovy into a paste with a fork works well
While I’m sure many people will like this dressing, the fact is it isn’t Caesar. Anyone who has eaten store bought Caesar and liked it would not know the difference. I am a medical microbiologist who specializes in tropical diseases. Eggs north of the Rio Grande cause human infections in less than 1 in a million children. Let them learn what real Caesar tastes like as part of their introduction to the wonderful world of fine foods. All of my children were able to make the real thing for the family themselves before they were 12 years old and their children are learning the same. If you’re really worried about Salmonella, heat the eggs to 70 Celsius. It’ll kill bacterial pathogens and not totally coagulate/destroy the egg. I also see the logic in the mayo substitute because it shares some of the ingredients, but it “ain’t” eggs and olive oil. Philip Stuart
That is exactly what I do, too. 🙂
Wow! This was REALLY good. Served over Romaine with some red onion slices it was GREAT!
I’ve made this at least 8-10 times and it is great. A few times I had to omit the anchovies for some guests, but still great.
And I like many other recipes on your site!
Once again you have created a sensational salad dressing. I love this so much!! Thank you as always from a fellow chef!
This is an amazing dressing ever. Definitely a keeper. Thx
Even though my own personal taste had me adding a bit more anchovy and pepper, this recipe is perfect. Using tonight for chicken caesar wraps, but can think of soooo many other uses. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your recipe as it’s become one of my fav to make. It’s yummy and easy to assemble.