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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Its good and I suppose for some this would be considered home made. This recipe is not what I consider to be home made. I would call this a short cut recipe and I am no dissing it because sometimes I do it with pre-made mayo as well (only when I am in a situation where I don’t have my gear etc. In order for it to be home made or made from scratch, you would need to make your mayo from scratch too which you can really just do all together here. It is super easy to take this recipe to the next level and make your own mayo base and really make it worthy of the the 5 stars.
In my view, if it is not in a bottle… it is homemade. Period. Thanks for the recipe!
Worthy of 5 stars? It’s worthy of 10 stars.
Quick question – I have a tin of anchovy fillets, but no anchovy paste. Do you have a
guess-timate of how many fillets I should use? Thanks!
Hi Shauna, I’d suggest starting with 2 (but if you want more anchovy flavor you can use more). Enjoy!
I don’t normally use mayonnaise in my house. I use whipped dressing instead.
What do you think it would taste like with whipped dressing as a substitute?
Hi Tania, Are you referring to something like Miracle Whip? If so, I’ve never tried Miracle Whip so it’s hard to say — sorry!
Great recipe, but better if you substitute 1/2 olive oil for 1/2 of the mayonnaise. Caesar salad should have some olive oil flavor.
Ding Dong delicious!
I made this with bottled lemon juice and regular parm and my family still raved about it, wanted the recipe. No doubt it will be better still with the right ingredients!
A delicious dressing for any salad or as a dip for crudités. Thank you Jenn 😋
So good! It’s hard to find real Caesar salad dressing without paying a ton for it. This tastes like the real thing and costs pennies!
Loved this recipe! I will never use store-bought bottled dressing again! So EASY to make! I didn’t add any additional salt though…I felt you got enough from the anchovy paste and grated cheese. It was loved by the whole family!
Another winner! I’ve been making Cooks Illustrated’s caesar salad dressing for years and this is now my favorite. Everyone loved it. I dress the salad in a metal bowl and gently stir with tongs to get the dressing to coat the romaine. Definitely try it with the grilled chicken with lemon, garlic and herbs (which is also now a go to favorite for my family!). Thanks, Jenn.
Why does it say that it only lasts one week in the fridge? All the ingredients are in the fridge for months?
Hi Shelley, It may very well last longer, but I always err on the conservative side from a food-safety standpoint.