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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This is the best caesar I have ever had/made! I use it all the time. It is my go-to caesar recipe. So good!!!
This is okay but sanitized. Commercial mayo instead of eggs?? seriously? “not to fishy or to garlicky?? How polite.
It seems that the sole purpose of your comment was to be sarcastic and rude. Jenn Segal is a classically trained chef and she EXPLAINED CLEARLY why it is made with mayo and NOT raw egg yolks. There are some people who cannot or should not consume raw yolks, raw shellfish, etc. You sir, should grow up!
Jen is the successful chef, and you’re not. Enough said. Your comment is very bitter and lacks value.
Absolutely fabulous recipe. I do add more lemon juice just because we love the tang, but the ratio of the other ingredients is just right. Don’t skip the anchovy paste, it adds to the flavor and doesn’t taste fishy in the overall product. Thanks for the recipe!!
It is truly amazing I don’t add salt it’s tasty without salt 😘
Yes !! Definitely a winner in my book
Love Love LOVE this Caesar Salad dressing !!!! It is simply the BEST !!!
My boys are crazy about it. NO more store bought. Thank you !!!
This is the best Caesar dressing I’ve ever had. Ever. I only made two edits, otherwise prepared exactly to recipe:
-I don’t do fish and the anchovies is typically why I can’t find a good pre-made Caesar dressing, so I subbed it out for a tablespoon of white vinegar
-Cutting back on the salt intake so left that out completely
I am SO glad I finally have a Caesar salad dressing that not only I know exactly what the ingredients are, but that I absolutely love also!
Thanks!
The best! My ‘go-to’ Caesar Dressing! Quick, easy and delicious ! Thanks!
This is the best ceasar dressing! My husband loves it. We use it in salads, wraps and burgers. I don’t use the anchovy paste and, since we love it extra garlicky, I use 6 garlic cloves.
What an amazing Caesar Dressing recipe! I originally discovered this recipe a couple years ago but it was so much easier to grab a jar of Marie’s. So glad I re-discovered it today. I’m the type of cook who thinks – this is a great recipe but I’m going to try it this way. With this recipe, I mostly follow the recipe. I did add extra anchovy paste and extra Parmesan-Reggiano. It was delicious and I look forward to making it more often. Thank you for a great recipe.