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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Tweaked it a little to make it my own, but marvelous recipe on it’s own. Great Stuff..
Dressing came out absolutely delicious! I’ve been addicted to Dean & Deluca’s Chicken Cesar Salad for years and they closed the store near me two years ago. I normally make my dressing with egg yolks but this version with mayo came out perfect and tastes just like D&D. Thanks for the recipe!
Yes wonderful recipe. loved it
This Caesar salad dressing is amazing. I’ve made it probably four or five times and I’ve only found you this year. My whole family loves it and I even made it before driving across the country so that my parents could have some too. Thanks for the tip about the anchovy paste, eventually I found it at Walmart of all places! Such a great recipe.
I use a couple of whole anchovies instead of paste, and pecorino cheese instead of PR because we prefer the sharper flavour, and I don’t need to add any salt. Usually make a chicken version with baked cheesy ciabatta croutons and it’s a firm favourite with all the family. The purists can do one! 😆
This was SO good–“restaurant quality,” according to my husband! Definitely one of the best Caesar dressings I’ve had.
I love this dressing but is there a good way to thin it? It’s a bit thick for my liking.
Hi Denise, you can thin it by adding water, bit by bit, until it gets to the consistency you want. And glad you like it! 🙂
I’ve been making this dressing for a couple of years now and always get compliments from friends and family on how good it is. Super easy to make. I don’t always include the cheese in the recipe, since I use shredded parmesan when I’m tossing the salad. Initially I had a hard time finding the anchovy paste. I needed to go to high end grocer to find that. I keep the toothpaste like tube of the anchovy paste in my refrigerator and it lasts for months. I would recommend using the Maille Dijon Mustard as shown in ingredient photo – it is superb and definitely worth the extra $$.
Anchovy paste is often found near the fish counter! 🐟
First time making a Caesar at home and loved this so much I made it two days in a row! I will say to get it to five stars I think it can use an extra tablespoon at least of lemon juice and maybe half a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Very delicious recipe, hubby loved it too!
OK, so this is not Caesar dressing. What I find hilarious is all the purists who disrespect the recipe because of that. Why are they reading Caesar salad recipes in the first place if they already have the recipe created in Tijuana in 1924? And lets face it, if you are not making it exactly as Caesar Cardini did originally and tossing it at the table-side for your guests…you are a fraud!
Oh, and its reported that it did not originally have anchovies in it! That’s right, all those other recipes we have been making for decades…are a fraud! It was reportedly also intended to be served with whole lettuce leave and eaten by hand…so, if you dare use a knife and fork…you are a fraud!
Of course thats all ridiculous. Unless you are claiming a copyrighted product or name you can call anything…anything you want. I put tomatoes in my Gumbo…that could cause a fight with a purist!
This dressing is very good. I wanted something different from the ranch and Italian I usually make, and this did that. I did go the low road and use the green shaker can grated parm, but it is still good. All the people wincing at the thought of jarred mayo, please note, the recipe calls for top shelf mayo…there’s a difference. Kraft is NOT a top shelf mayo, but Dukes and Hellman’s is. Granted, the oil they use is not as good, but this is a shortcut recipe. The only mistake the chef made was calling it Homemade Caesar Salad dressing. Nothing wrong with this tasty recipe, and no one is wrestling you to the ground forcing you to make this. The purists can always do the right thing…exactly, perfectly, and show us the right way…when THEY are doing the cooking!
KENNYD,
I’m sending you a HUGE “THANK YOU” for your post!
I’m baffled by the judgmental remarks regarding this salad dressing….so not necessary. The recipe is very,very good.I’m a former chef with the Ritz Carlton, and we used a similar recipe (although I actually like Jenn’s recipe a lot more !).
Also, I wanted to say “thank you” for providing the history behind this recipe…..interesting “stuff” and I learned something new. I truly enjoy discovering history of recipes-I think they enhance enjoying it all the more!
Thanks again!
Lisa