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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Loved it – made it today for the first time – easy and delicious. Definite keeper
Excellent dressing. I am used to using an egg yolk in my Caesar dressing but this was very good. It’s a keeper!
Excellent! I love Caesar salads but have always chickened out b/c of the raw egg aspect…but when I saw your recipe was very excited and of course ~ did not disappoint! I am not anchovy person but have complete trust in you now Jenn & bought another tube of paste and the dressing is absolutely perfect! For all who are skeptical…try it first before eliminating it. Thank you once again 😉
Seriously? “While most authentic Caesar dressings are olive oil-based vinaigrettes thickened with raw eggs, this one has a mayonnaise base, which means no raw eggs so you don’t have to worry about giving it to your kids.”
What is mayonnaise again, if not an olive oil-based vinaigrette thickened with raw eggs? A bit sad to find this on a “food” blog.
Commercial mayonnaise is made with pasteurized eggs — the eggs are heated in a water bath to destroy all bacteria and viruses. Most eggs that we buy at the grocery store are not pasteurized.
COMPLETELY TRUE!! I’m pregnant, en searching for a recipe without raw eggs, i’m going to try this tonight! Thanks a lot!!
I tested this recipe in advance for a party I am having this weekend. Wouldn’t change a thing. Everybody loved it.
Recipe calls for 1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese. But the photo looks as though there are small slices of parmesean on the top. Do you recommend that in addition ti the grated cheese which is mixed in, some slices be added on top as well?
My husband almost always order Caesar salad when we’re out for lunch, so I’m looking forward to trying your recipe as a surprise.
Many thanks.
Hi Lynn, Yes, absolutely. Hope you enjoy!
I am pregnant and have been craving ceasar salad non stop! This recipe is amazing and has hit the spot! Since I stumbled on it I think I have made it 4 or 5 times in the past few weeks. I am not feeling anchovies these days so I just add extra Worcestershire since it has anchovy in it as well. Thank you!
This recipe turned out great. It has great flavor and is super simple to make. The only thing I added to this recipe was about a tablespoon or so of milk which helped make it more liquidy. Initially it comes out pretty thick, so I wanted to thin mine out to make it easier to pour. Other than that, this recipe was fantastic…also, I am not big on any fishy flavor and I can honestly say it does not have that taste whatsoever, so if you are hesitant to try this because the anchovies just know it is not noticeable. Thanks for sharing.
Do I need to make this ahead so the flavors meld together?
G – It’s not necessary to make ahead; will be delicious immediately 🙂
You say you make this with mayo so don’t worry, but isn’t mayo just oil and raw egg? I don’t understand your reasoning.
Hi Lisa, Commercial mayonnaise is made with pasteurized eggs — the eggs are heated in a water bath to destroy all bacteria and viruses. Most eggs that we buy at the grocery store are not pasteurized.