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 dressing is absolutely delicious! I read one comment that it was too thick. At first I was thinking the same thing. But, if you coat your bowl with dressing before you add the lettuce, cheese and croutons then toss them with tongs it coats the lettuce perfectly! Definitely a restaurant quality salad dressing! Thank you!
Ive been so happy with the recipes I have made from your collection. Today was the first disappointment. This dressing, unless I did something very wrong, is so thick I’m not sure how I will “dress” the salad this evening.
Thoughts?
Hi Karen, I’m sorry that you found this to be too thick. You can thin it out with a bit of water – just go easy and add a little at a time until it gets to the thickness you want.
This is truly yummy but too thick for me so I thinned it with heavy cream (lol), added a little more lemon and more anchovy paste – and more pepper. Nothing like messing with perfection! Thanks for the recipe……..and all with ingredients I have on hand!
We made this dressing exactly as written and it was outstanding! We had no idea homemade could be this good, it’s truly Five Star restaurant quality. No way can we ever return to bottled Caesar’s after this. Thank you so much!
I have made this recipe a dozen times. Everyone loves it, and it’s so easy! I add just a little more lemon to my taste. Thank you for sharing! Definitely 5 ⭐️!
Just wanted to leave a comment to say this recipe is fantastic! It’s the best caesar dressing I have tried. Highly recommend!
I have now made this Caesar dressing several times. It tastes just like the classic Caesar dressing albeit without the danger of the raw egg. I used Duke’s mayonnaise and more lemon juice than the recipe required. I also added extra anchovy paste and red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper for heat. I love a good Caesar salad and often make a full meal out of just a salad. This dressing is fast and easy to pull together and delicious to eat. Thank you!
The best recipe ever. I have made this now over 6 times
Absolutely delicious recipe!
I omitted the salt and used 1/2 tsp of fish sauce (often used in Asian recipes, also made from anchovies which is a great substitute if you don’t have anchovy paste). I doubled the recipe for a big crowd and used 1 tsp.
Dear Jenn,
Thanks to you my family now demands this dressing for every salad. Doesn’t matter what the salad is, they want “that good dressing with the sardine powder stuff”. I have told them repeatedly it is anchovy paste. They don’t care. They just want the goods. Same with your Peruvian chicken, but I’ll leave that review on the recipe.