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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ABSOULTELY the BEST CAESAR dressing I have EVER made or for that matter EVER tasted. Certainly rivals ANY tableside dressings I have been served at restaurants. I have given this recipe out to so many friends. One question – once refrigerated, the dressings gets a little thick, any suggestions?
So glad you like it! You can thin it with a little water. Just be careful to add a little at a time.
Great taste! I made homemade mayonnaise for the recipe. I also used fresh cheese. And added 6 olives. Best dressing Eva!
So glad I found this recipe! I won’t go searching for a good Caesar dressing at a restaurant when I can now make such a good dressing at home!
This is the best Caesar salad dressing recipe and the last one you will ever use! Everyone asks me for the recipe! It always gets rave reviews!
I’ve been a huge fan of your recipes in the past but I’m now so disappointed that it’s nearly impossible to print a concise recipe without wasting loads of toner and paper!😔
Based on what you’re experiencing, I’m assuming that you must be using the drop-down “Print” function on your computer? Instead of doing that, when you’re viewing the full recipe (near the bottom of the page), look in the upper right-hand corner of that box – you’ll see an icon there that looks like a printer. Select that and it (and it will open a dialog box that gives you printing options/will print only the recipe and not all the other materials.) Hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
I tried making this recipe, and none of my family liked it. Every other recipe from this site has been fantastic, and I repeatedly return to it, so I was optimistic this recipe would also be delicious. Traditional Caesar dressing is easy to make and takes only 10 minutes to prepare. However, I don’t understand using mayonnaise instead of egg yolks in this recipe.
Made it many many times BECAUSE my kids love it! And the ball team. And the in-laws.
This is the best and easiest ceaser dressing, hands down. I’ve even received compliments from a chef friend who asked for the recipe. Loved it and you will too.
Shirley – Brisbane, Australia 🇦🇺 ♥️
Perfect as written. This was the first time I had ever made a Caesar salad, and it was a huge hit with all our guests our Christmas party. Thank you so much
I love this recipe and have made it many times! I don’t mean to be one of those people who talk about how they changed it because it is good just as written. Still, I do now add a large clove of garlic versus small, and a lot more anchovies, (like 5 big ones, not rinsed) 1.5 teaspoons Worcestershire, and I do not add the parm to it because I toss my salad in dressing to coat the leaves first, and then I throw in the grated parm so that it sticks to the leaves. It’s easy to tweak to reach personal preferences. I keep heading towards the big Umami flavors.
*I use Chosen avocado mayo for health purposes and make this in my mini 4-cup food processor. 🙂
Love this recipe! I made it for the first time and the whole family could not get enough Caesar salad. I made as is and will definitely make it again- not sure I can go back to off the shelf after how easy this was to make.
My husband who HATES mayonnaise — couldn’t believe how amazing this recipe was. I tinkered the baseline to get the right lemon , anchovies , Worcestershire balance and added the mayo reservedly. With the Parmesan cheese I grated a bit thicker to make it into a chewable dressing and they loved it all. My kid hates salad but she was Dip dip dip. Thank you !!