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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Used the recipe pretty much as stated. Used our homemade Dijon and capers instead of the anchovy’s.
I made this recipe exactly as Called out and it’s the best Caesar I’ve ever had. I had a luncheon party and everyone flipped out and said it tasted like a 5 star restaurant salad. I have none left because guests wanted to take home the extras. 🙂 thank You so much for the recipe. I cooked a roasted chicken to compliment it. Perfect combination.
Homemade using processed mayo. Ya ok.
Why be a jerk about it? Go make your own then.
really? it is soooooooooooooooooooo good
Love the dressing, but do you think you could mash capers in place of anchovy paste? If so, what amount of capers should I use?
Hi Anne, I haven’t tried this with capers, but a number of readers have so I think it’s worth a try. Either puree or smoosh them with a spoon and start by using the same amount of anchovy paste that’s called for (1 tsp). Please LMK what you think!
This worked really well. I’ve made the traditional version with eggs, but this is a nice shortcut and it keeps well in the fridge, as you mentioned.
This last time I ran out of mayo, but subbed in cottage cheese. I use a blender/Nutribullet anyway, so it was still smooth as silk, no lumps.
A high quality cheese makes this recipe. My family prefers Locatelli Pecorino Romano.
We too love Locatelli Pecorano Romano over Parm Reggiano!!
Thank you for this easy and delicious recipe! This Caesar dressing is the best I’ve used and I come back to it again and again!
This is fabulous! Didn’t change anything except chopped up a few anchovy filets to equal a tsp. Buzzed everything together in Ninja. Just perfect!
What a fantastic base recipe. I prefer less mayo and more lemon juice so I add those items to taste. Best Caesar dressing I’ve made.
I do half a cup Mayo and have a cup of greek yogurt with only half a fresh squeezed lemon and it’s perfect! This is a fantastic recipe I’ve been making at least once a week now. I do either a chicken or shrimp kale Caesar salad bc this dressing is simple and perfect!
Thank you!!! I was hoping to find a comment relating to Greek yoghert!
Wow, this is an awesome recipe find! Couldn’t find achovy paste, so just chopped up some anchovy filets to equal the amount specified. Dumped everything into Ninja blender and poured into Mason jar. So delicious!
My family’s very favourite dressing,,,never make another!
I usually dislike Caesar Dressing but love this one, added a little more garlic and grilled chicken, omg!