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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Thank you. I’ve tinkered around with a few different recipes but this one…WOW! Amazing. This will be my new go to over store bought anytime. Thank you again. Cheers!
Loved this dressing, I didn’t have lemon & substituted with cuties, plus added 1 extra garlic clove, didn’t have the cheese unfortunately but used parmesean powder, next time I’ll use free cheese as you recommended. Was a tad thick & added a bit of good quality extra virgin olive oil. It still tastes great, can only imagine if I had ALL the right ingredients it would be fantastic…love, love all your recipes, totally satisfies my taste buds & I’m picky…lol
OMG I am freaking out this has been my family’s go to caesar dressing recipe for years. It is a hit every time. We have it printed in our Favorites recipe box and pull it out over and over again. Just can’t say enough good things about this dressing recipe! Ok my dream is to have this recipe printed on the inside of a large beautiful salad bowl where my family will cherish and pass down to future generations! Anyway, I made your fresh strawberry cake today and that was soooooo delicious, I was printing that recipe to add to our Favorites box. I thought to myself, “where have I seen once upon a chef…?” THE CAESAR DRESSING RECIPE!! Oh my gosh my mind and heart exploded. I can’t believe you’re the same person!!! You are so talented!!! I’m getting your cookbook. I can’t wait to read that! I can’t wait cause these two recipes I’ve tried so far are 100% amazing food. Thank you for all that you do Jenn!!! <3<3<3
💕
All Jenn Segal’s recipes I’ve tried have been amazing & the flavors are incredible!
Thanks Jenn for sharing, I’ve got to order your book 📖😀!
Damn, Girl—
You did it again! (Starry-eyed emoji )
i’m sure you were trying to save us time by using anchovy paste as an ingredient, and I appreciate your suggestion where to find it in the store, but I have been to multiple stores and can’t find it. Getting frustrated. Is there a way to incorporate anchovies instead of the paste? Thank you so much!
Sorry to hear you’ve had a problem finding anchovy paste! You can use whole anchovies – just mash them into a paste before incorporating (and I’d start with 2 anchovies). Hope you enjoy!
I enjoyed this. I added more garlic, pepper and used capers instead of anchovies.
Jen: Excellent recipe for a quick and easy Caesar dressing! Picked up ingredients on way home from work, whipped it up for dinner to go with crock pot roast pork, slather in onions and new potatoes——YUMMY!
James C.
This is my go-to recipe. To be fair I don’t really measure anymore but go by the taste of it. I usually add more garlic and anchovy as well as lemon juice. I don’t add salt as the added anchovy does the trick. Sometimes I will even sauté up some additional garlic and add it in with the raw. I find that crushing up the garlic with the anchovy helps add that kick I’m looking for out of a caesar. Well done.
Yes, I use this recipe 😉 — and triple the anchovies (6), double the garlic and the rest pretty much the same, sometimes more. I just made a sandwich out of it, with sourdough toast, and a little bit of butter—So sick, but delicious! If the recipe wasn’t good, couldn’t do these things to it. I’m going to add a broiled chicken breast, next time. A favorite restaurant I used to go to would add a crispy onion ring to all that—and sun dried tomatoes. Don’t like the tomatoes though.
Sorry, I got carried away. The original is delicious, though—I just love >>> more! Thanks for this recipe.
This recipe is so good the family loves it. I have never had the anchovy paste I just use whatever canned fish I have on hand and it’s always delicious.
Ok. I’ve made this three times in the last couple of months and when I tell you people LITERALLY leave asking to take some home with them, I am telling you the truth. This stuff is amazing! I do not alter the recipe at all. I’ve served it on hot and cold sandwiches, as a veggie and chip dip, and as a salad dressing. I add a little water to thin it out as a salad dressing. It’s graced my bougie tea party and my backyard BBQ. Thanks for this easy recipe that is now a staple.
I’ve made this recipe many times and it’s turned out great, this time I used a low quality mayonnaise and it was awful. Definitely only use a good quality mayonnaise!
This is an amazing recipe! Thanks so much for sharing, my family loves this!