Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
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My family loves this rich and creamy Caesar salad dressing. It’s not overly garlicky or fishy — it’s just right.
Though most people buy Caesar salad dressing in a bottle, homemade is incredibly easy to make and tastes so much better than store-bought. There are many variations, but this rich and creamy version is the one my whole family loves. It’s not too garlicky and not too fishy – it’s just right. Unlike authentic Caesar dressings which are made with olive oil and thickened with raw eggs, this one has a mayonnaise base, which means you don’t have to worry if you’re squeamish about raw eggs. My kids love this dressing so much that they’ve learned to make it themselves. They don’t even wait for me to make a salad; while I cook dinner, they sit at the kitchen table with a big heart of romaine and dip the leaves in.
This recipe is part of my classic salad dressing collection, which includes go-to recipes for oil and vinegar based dressings, like vinaigrette and balsamic vinaigrette, as well as creamy dressings, such as buttermilk ranch dressing and blue cheese dressing, which are typically made with mayonnaise and dairy products.
What You’ll Need To Make Caesar Salad Dressing
Instead of whole anchovies, I use anchovy paste — makes it 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!)
For the cheese, it’s important to use imported Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy; domestic Parmesan pales in comparison. You can always tell if it’s authentic 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.”
Step-by-Step Instructions
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.
The dressing will keep well in the fridge for about a week. For a main course Caesar, try pairing this with my best grilled chicken. Enjoy!
Caesar Salad Dressing Video Tutorial
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Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
My family loves this rich and creamy Caesar salad dressing. It’s not overly garlicky or fishy — it’s just right.
Ingredients
- 2 small garlic cloves, 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 Real
- 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. The dressing will keep well in the fridge for about a week.
- Note: Anchovy paste can be found near the canned tuna in the supermarket.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Serving size: About 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 184
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Sugar: 0g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Sodium: 296mg
- Cholesterol: 13mg
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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WOW, WOW, WOW!!! EXCELLENT recipe! These are all the flavors that I LONG for with caesar dressing! The only changes I made were: kraft mayo, and 1 extra tsp of everything except lemon, mayo and cheese. THIS DRESSING IS FABULOUS!! Thanks so much!
Hi Jenn,
I have some beautiful globe basil in my garden and thinking of adding it to the recipe. Thoughts?
Hi Kathleen, it will introduce a different flavor to the dressing, but it should be good. Depending on how much you add, you may need to thin the dressing out a bit with water (just go easy so you don’t thin it too much).
I can’t wait to make this recipe! I was wonder how would it taste if I were to roast the garlic?
Hi Jessica, I think it’d be good, especially if you prefer a more mellow garlic flavor.
This was the best! Creamy, garlicky…so good. You won’t be disappointed. Loved it!
Ok, This is one great dressing! Easy to make and tastes great and works well as a dressing for salads or a dip or (by the spoonful on a lettuce leaf!) Have also spread on grilled chicken. Yum!
Just made this tonight, it is my favorite thing I’ve made in awhile! It was perfect for a warm evening. Added grilled chicken and was a complete satisfying meal. I’ve been trying to do some simple yet delicious recipes for during the week lately, most are ok, but this is a keeper for sure! Loved it and so did the family!
Thank you!
Amazing! My husband was always the one to make a Caesar dressing in our family…very good, but the olive oil/egg variety. At restaurants I always enjoyed the creamier versions and stumbled on Jenn’s recipe. I used real anchovies we had on hand and it turned out fantastic. Now, my husband requests this dressing over his. We love it! Thank you, Jenn!
I’m am a huge Caesar Salad snob. I stumbled across this recipe and fell in love! I’m frequently asked to bring it to parties. I do use real anchovies and pretty much make them into a paste, also I add extra! So absolutely yummy! There is not one restaurant near me with dressing this good. Bravo
Fantastic! I now make a better caesar salad than my favorite restaurant to order it…with my homemade croutons.
If I couldn’t find anchovy paste and have a can of anchovies instead, how many anchovies would you say is the equivalent to 1/4 teaspon of paste?
Hi Jillian, I’d guesstimate it would be about 2. Hope you enjoy!
It’s a summer family favorite! Amazing!!!
Never knew how great homemade Cesar dressing could be. Will never buy again since discovering this recipe!
I thought I had the corner on the best caesar dressing BUT this is spectacular and easy to adjust to taste. Like the fact I do not need that raw or tempered egg. I am a retired chef and I wish I had found this before I retired. I grill my romaine first and with this dressing it seriously is a wee slice of heaven. Thank you Jenn Segal for sharing this one.
What would you use to replace the anchovy paste for vegetarians?
Hi Suzanne, I don’t know a perfect substitute for anchovy paste – I’m sorry!. I’d probably just increase the Dijon and Parmesan a bit to add flavor. Hope you enjoy!
I have discovered an amazing Caesar dressing from Bayley and Sage in London. They use gherkins in place of the anchovies and it is the best dressing I have ever tasted
Capers could work, as it has a saltiness to it.
I’m a caterer and have been making a version of this dressing for more than 25 years-everyone loves it. To keep it from being too creamy, I reduce the mayo to 2/3c and add 1/3c. Olive oil (I use regular not extra virgin, so it doesn’t emulsify) I have had people tell me this is the standard by which they measure all other Caesar salads
This is an amazing dressing! So easy to put together. I pair it with the grilled chicken with lemon that is suggested and it is a wonderful main course meal. My whole family loves it. It is one of those dishes that you crave and look forward to having again.
Wow!
We absolutely love this dressing.
I sometimes make it exactly as the recipe is written.
But our favorite is to use 1/2 cup mayo, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, and 1/4 cup buttermilk. This makes a dressing that isn’t so heavy on mayo, plus is a little thinner than when made with all mayo.
Sometimes I add 1 teaspoon fish sauce in addition to the anchovy paste. (I always omit the salt, but it is especially important to leave salt out if you use any fish sauce!)
I like to add a few drops of garlic olive oil and a few drops of lemon olive oil. They really ramp up the flavor!
But – – the recipe really is delicious to make it exactly as written.
Thank you for sharing it with us!
I’m happy I found this when I was without our usual bottled dressing. I had to substitute white vinegar for lemon juice and have never bought anchovies, but it was still great. I can’t wait to try it with the two missing ingredients included. And like others, no more bottled Caesar dressing for me. Thanks!
This is one of the best Caesar dressings I’ve had whether at home or a restaurant. We add just a little extra dijon but otherwise use the exact ingredients.
Wonderful flavor! However, I would prefer it to be thinner. How can I thin the dressing without altering the taste?
Hi Sarah, Feel free to thin it out with some water; just go easy and add a little at a time until you get to the consistency you want. Hope that helps!
I made a kale caesar with grapes and walnuts. Amazing dressing.
Thanks Jenn.
Thanks for this tasty easy dressing recipe. I made it (again) tonight and added some leftover chicken and polenta croutons from scratch. Great recipe!
Can you use olive oil as a sub for mayo? For a healthy alternative!
Hi Sarah, I wouldn’t recommend it for this dressing. If you want to use olive oil, I’d suggest a caesar dressing that’s intended for that – sorry!
This is delicious. I followed the recipe exactly using quality ingredients and I will never use store bought dressing again. Thank You
This Caesar dressing is awesome! So yummy and easy to make!
Love this recipe !! I did add some milk to thin out this dressing but other than that I will make my own Cesar dressing.
My family and I enjoyed it! Delicious!
Love this recipe from Once upon a chef and make it all of the time it is excellent. Have doubled the garlic and use Asiago cheese.
First recipe I made from this website and now make it regularly. So good!
I love this dressing Thankyou
I make your Caesar dressing often, it’s a big hit with my family and friends. And so easy to make !
This is the first time I have reviewed a recipe, this dressing is excellent! Every time I make this for a group I am asked for the recipe!
So I made this recipe without the anchovy paste, used fresh lime juice instead of lemon, liquid aminos instead of Worcestershire sauce and honey mustard instead of dijon and used parmesan cheese. I was scared it wouldn’t turn out good with so many changes (I had none of those recommended items to hand so I used what I had) it tasted awesome!! I can only imagine what the original tastes like. Thank you sooooo much!
This is the best caesar dressing! No more bottled stuff. The freshness of the lemon juice and umami from the anchovies makes it superb. I’ve made it several times now and I actually double the anchovy paste as I like it a little more pronounced.
Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Every year we get lots and lots of Kale, so I decided to made kale Caesar salad and this dressing just made it the best Caesar salad I’ve ever had. And I didn’t even include the anchovy paste or the Worcestershire. I did it all in a blender. Just pulse to blend and scrape down side as needed. Now I’ll look forward to the kale. Ps for Kale caesar, just wash the kale and cut or tear into smaller pieces. Thank you!!!!!
This dressing is the “bomb.com” and super easy to make !!!
Thanks for this great recipe :0)
Loved this and more than that my husband ate a salad (and enjoyed it) and my daughter who hates anchovies couldn’t get enough! So easy in my nutribullet too. Thanks!
Delicious! I made this one day ahead and it’s better as it sits. I usually default to Renee’s mighty Caesar at home, and this blows it out of the water. Super easy to make – I tossed everything into my KitchenAid mixer and whipped it up. Will be making this weekly!
This dressing is amazing plus quick and easy to make. I’ll never by shop bought again it’s that good.
Looking forward to trying your Buffalo Wings tonight.
Loving your website
Just perfect!! And Easy!
Decided to google a dressing recipe while at the store. Wanted something more fresh than a store bought bottle. This was so easy and absolutely delicious. Thank you for your recipes.
This is by far the best dressing EVER!! We went through so much romaine lettuce because of this dressing. Not to mention my very picky teenage daughters could not get enough of this dressing. I caught one dipping fries in the leftover jar. Fantastic job!!
I can’t believe it! I was so skeptical! I’ve never made a caesar dressing before. But I can’t get to the store so I thought I’d give it a try! Its Perfection! It’s as good as the fancy restaurant we go to on anniversaries! Thank you so much for the perfect easy Caesar dressing recipe.
This recipe is my wife and I’s go to for Caesar dressing. It is so simple and easy instead of making the Mayo from scratch, but of course sometimes we do, but in a pinch this recipe is by far the best. We buy quality ingredients and it tastes amazing. I highly recommend this dressing. If you find it a little thick you can always add it to slightly damp Romaine. Thank you for providing an easy quick and delicious recipe my family will enjoy for years to come.
This is the most awesome cesar salad dressing ever! Totally delish!! Thank you!
This was DELICIOUS! I’ll never buy Caesar dressing again!
Will never buy Caesar dressing again. This was so easy and flavorful. Had everything we needed already. Left the anchovies out and it was still full of flavor. Will try them soon though.
Best dressing ever. Made for Mothers Day and my niece said better than any restaurant. She is a connoisseur of Ceasar Salad. Keeping a jar in the frig for whenever I need a good salad. Good with left over chicken. Thanks
Can you use Greek yogurt or sour cream instead of mayo?
Yes, CM, You can get away with using Greek yogurt or sour cream but I would suggest reducing the lemon juice a bit because either of those will add some tartness to the dressing. Please LMK how it turns out!
This salad dressing was very easy to make and absolutely delicious. I could not get out to shop and had had no romaine lettuce. This “Caesar Salad” was with iceberg and tasted wonderful!
Loved it! You can use a little less mayo if you want. I never fill the whole 1 cup but I do a little more than 1/2 too. I just don’t know how I long I can store it for I’m assuming 1 week?
So glad you like it! Yes, it refrigerates nicely for about a week.
I love Caesar salad but it is such a pain to get out my blender to go through the whole process. This was delicious and so, so easy! Thank you!
This is my favorite Caesar dressing of all time. Better than any restaurant. It’s on frequent rotation in our house.
Seriously, better than any caesar salad dressing I’ve ever had. My Fiance and I love caesar dressing and we are so pumped to have discovered this recipe!!
This is also excellent with 2 anchovies if you don’t have paste, and Romano cheese instead if Parm (which is what I had around) and I don’t miss dealing w a raw egg whatsoever! 🙂
I don’t like store bought, too much lemon or something, bitter and sour! my daughter-in-law’s sister-in-law makes it great but would not give her recipe to us. this one is so much better and now we won’t have to wait for her to give us some!!!!! we really like garlic so I used 6 cloves for a double batch! yum!!!!! thanks so much!
OMG… I made this yesterday and it was probably the best salad I have ever tasted. I was skeptical without the addition of the egg yolks, but the mayonnaise was an excellent substitute. This is now my go-to Caesar salad for life.
I have whole anchovies. How many do think equals one teaspoon of paste? Two?
Yes, I think 2 sounds about right. Hope you enjoy!
This was the first recipe I made of yours, Jenn. I had tried a couple of others, but wasn’t satisfied. Then, I made this one. It turned out great, and is our favorite recipe for Caesar salad dressing now!