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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Kind of a silly question but I buy a block of parmesan which I then grate. The large hole side seems too big, and the other side seems too powdery. How do you get it to be the size you have in the photo?
Hi Ann, I have a lot of graters and I’m not sure which one I used for those pics, but I’d recommend the smallest holes—you want the cheese to be pretty fine.
In case this helps, I also buy block parmesan and grate it using the large holes on my grater which would be too big to just just whisk in. I use an immersion blender to blend it all to the right consistency and it works really well!
This was delicious and is definitely a keeper. No more store bought for me.
In case this helps, I also buy block parmesan and grate it using the large holes on my grater which would be too big to just just whisk in. I use an immersion blender to blend it all to the right consistency and it works really well!
I will NEVER buy premade again. This is better than restaurant dressing! Thanks for sharing!
While out on vacation we went to the nicest restaurant in the area for a date night. My husband ordered a Caesar salad. After the first bite he looked at me and said “the dressing you make is better.”
I smiled and said I’ll have to let once upon a chef know that you appreciate it. Thanks for always providing quality recipes.
I’m so flattered – thanks for taking the time to share!
PHENOMENAL recipe, I made salad enough for 3 people for two days and it was gone in one meal solely because of the dressing. Will definitely make again
Excellent! This dressing had so much flavor and everyone loved it, including the kids. Thank you!
I will never, NEVER use store bought Caesar dressing again. What would I change? Absolutely nothing. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made enough for the week. I will make more again when this runs out.
I have never tasted a better caesar dressing, plus with the ease of making it, a true winner!
OMG, this is so good! Better than any I’ve had at a restaurant. My daughter thought it was too because she thought it didn’t include anchovies, lol. I told her it actually did, but it was a contrtrolled amount.
I made your recipe for my daughter, her hubby, mine & granddaughter. Me too. Wow!
Everyone just loved that Ceasar salad. Served with grilled asian chicken thighs, grilled corn, &
roasted oven potatoes. Not a drop of leftovers. Planning to use more of your recipes.