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 recipe is really good and simple and I’ve made it a few times. My question is that it is very thick. Is there a way to make it just a tad thinner?
Thank you
Deborah
PS – I love several of your recipes and each one has been wonderful!
Hi Deborah, You can thin it with a bit of water – just add it very slowly so you don’t make it too thin. It will also be much thinner at room temperature; it thickens up in the fridge.
Absolutely delicious! I have passed this recipe on to friends as they loved it so much!!!
I love this recipe so much that I make it when I run huge church dinners that serve Caesar Salad. This weekend I am making enough to serve 300 people. Everyone asks for the recipe. It is a big hit.
Thank you!
Hello,I am not really familiar with Worcestershire sauce and dont really know how it tastes so I was wondering if soy sauce is similar?(I’m sorry if I sound ridiculous because they taste nothing alike)If not,what would you recommend replacing the sauce with?
Hi Layla, Worcestershire and soy sauce do have similar flavors and you can definitely swap in the soy sauce. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for replying I appreciate it so much!
I really appreciate you replying so quickly as well!I just didnt see it ❤
I really appreciate you replying so quickly as well!I just didnt see it sooner ❤
This was the best Caesar dressing I have ever had. Everyone raved about it. The secret is using imported Parmesan/Reggiano- not just the cheap store bought stuff. Amazing!
O. M. G. Truly amazing. I usually use Cardinis dressing but never again. So easy and quick to make and the flavor is amazing. Made fresh croutons too. Followed the recipe exactly!
i LOVE this recipe; have passed it on to a number of friends. You’ll never by Caesar dressing in the store again!
That said, I personally prefer a bit less fishy anchovy essence than what this recipe recommends; I’ve found a half tsp of anchovy paste just perfect.
Additionally I’ve stored this in my fridge for easily 2-3 weeks (or more) with no discernable change in taste or freshness.
Made this tonight – it was SO. DAMN. GOOD. I will never use store-bought caesar dressing again.
For people who can’t find anchovy paste: 1 anchovy fillet = 1/2 tsp. 🙂
Ty!!
exactly what I was looking for, thank you!
Thank you for this conversion. I have lots of anchovy fillets and no paste so I was wondering how to substitute.
I don’t know if anybody’s going to read this or not but I’ve made probably 25 to 30 Caesar dressings in my life this is by far the best I have ever made and I followed the recipe to the t. Whoever come up with this wonderful job.
Best ever!
This the only Caesar dressing I’ll use, delicious.