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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Delicious!
I eyeballed the proportions when making and my batch tasted great but did come out a bit thicker than desired – do I need more worcestershire to loosen it up? What would you recommend?
Hi Suzie, I’d add a little water, bit by bit, until it gets to your desired consistency. Glad you like it!
Hi Jen, it’s delicious! I too found it too thick and did add some water, but that diluted the flavor. If I cut back on the Mayo and add some olive oil, would that thin it out or would it distort the flavor?
Hi MaryLee, that should be fine.
I used a little extra grated cheese and garlic. This is THE BEST salad dressing recipe I’ve ever made.
Absolutely delicious. My go to recipe every time. Just one question it always comes out very thick, what could I use to thin it slightly?
So glad you like it! You can thin it out with water; just add it bit by bit until you get to your desired consistency.
Love love love this dressing! Use it all the time. Family loves it!
No joke, this really is the greatest Caesar salad I’ve ever had!!! I kinda screwed up my measurements the first time (now my knock off of this) but it was still incredible.
The recipe is so good as written! I wanted to try to lighten it up a little so subbed Greek yogurt for 1/2 the mayo. Definitely worth a try if you love this recipe. Just a little tangier but every bit and deliciously creamy and rich.
5 stars for a reason. Easy. Delicious. Our only Caesar recipe.
This is the best dressing ever, it is requested for every event I attend. People have said it is better than any restaurant they have been too. Excellent!!
I’ve made this twice and I love it! How long can this be stored in the fridge for? Thanks!
Hi Amber, so glad you liked it!! It keeps nicely in the fridge for about 5 days.
Perfect dressing. Absolutely delicious!
I use kewpie mayo (the original Aslan version with msg)
Could this be frozen for later usage?
Glad you liked it! Unfortunately though, I don’t think it will freeze well.
Is there any ingredient I could add that could preserve it for more than a week as a single person I can’t use it up fast enough and I hate waste. Thank you.
Hi Cheryl, not that I know of, unfortunately. While there may be some kind of preservative you could use, I’m just not sure. You may just want to cut the recipe in half.