Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
See more recipes:
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Can I make this Caesar dressing a couple days ahead? What about leftovers?
Hi Andrea, Yes, that’s fine; it keeps well for about a week.
Caeser salad is never my favorite, but my son loves it. I’d like to try your recipe, but I have never used anchovy paste. Is there a substitute for it?
Hi Frieda, There really is no substitute for it here; I recommend trying it 🙂
Thanks! I made it and we all loved it! It’s always possible to learn to use a new ingredient.
In your picture the dressing looks thin, my dressing tastes good but is very thick. I followed it exactly and it’s thick like a heavy yogurt. It certainly won’t pour. Any suggestions?
Hi Rita, It is a thick dressing — you don’t want it too thin or it won’t coat the greens — but you can thin it with a little water if necessary. You might also try leaving out at room temperature for a bit; the colder it is, the thicker it is.
I’ve made this recipe twice. The first time I followed the recipe exactly, except I used a low-fat olive oil mayonnaise (Kraft). I found the result a little bland with too much cheese flavor, and slightly too sour.
The second time I used 1/2 the parmesan and lemon juice and doubled all the rest of the ingredients except the mayo and salt. The result the second time was great – tasty and savory without any excess tartness. – plus lower fat! Grate more parmesan on the salad if desired.
I loved this dressing , i love salads but ceasar salad is my favorite , i just finished a bowl of salad with this dressing and LOVED IT , i even added a little bit of bacon and its was great , my sis hates salad but as soon as she tasted this dressing with the salad she wanted me to make her one ,
This is the first caesar salad I ever made… It was fantastic. No reason to ever try another!
Each year we pick a country and plan a menu from that place. I have printed your (Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing) can you tell me what is in the actual salad apart from the dressing. Want to get it exactly as you have it.
I read the reviews this should be great.
Thank you, Yolanda
Hi Yolanda, The only ingredients in the salad are romaine lettuce and croutons. You can use store bought croutons or make your own; I like the fresh ones from Whole Foods.
Excellent dressing. I had always made an olive oil/egg dressing with mixed results. This is my new go to Caesar dressing. Thank you!
Whenever I want to make a salad your website is the first site I check for a recipe. My husband loved this recipe. Would not change anything!
I agree with you Jenn about the amount I would need to make. My calculations also come to 5 times your recipe to cover enough dressing over the romaine. Now I may have to experiment with the romaine to see if I have enough for my crowd. I’m not even sure of the difference between a head of Romaine vs. a heart! Thanks so much, Jenn…