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
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. The dressing will keep well in the fridge for about a week.
Notes
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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I’ve made this multiple times. Instead if anchovies, I use Asian fish sauce. Simple and soooo amaZingly good! Thank you for the recipe.
I was just going on to see if anyone had substituted fish sauce for anchovies. Thanks for your comment.
Perfection. This was very delicious and spot on.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! It is is my go-to for caesar dressing and I’ve used it countless times now. It’s simple to make and tastes fantastic. I use an immersion blender to get it to the consistency I like.
Really good, quick and easy!
I have made this recipe 100s and 100s of times and given the recipe out so often. It’s one of the few recipes I’ve made that I don’t change a single thing. It’s perfect as is. I did just make a batch with Duke’s Lite Mayo and I honestly couldn’t tell the difference, so for health reasons I may switch to that as my go to mayo in this recipe.
Lov this! I don’t know how many times I’ve made it, probably 100+! So good!
I made this dressing and love it. I cannot eat garlic so had to omit that, also omitted Worcestershire sauce as that has garlic too. Even without those the dressing is extremely flavorful and satisfying, thank you
You can use soy instead of Worcestershire
This is incredible. I eat a lot of Caesar salads and this is literally the best I’ve EVER had! I didn’t have anchovie paste or want to make it so I threw two in the food processor- I used a little extra lemon juice. 10/10 make this!
Hello Jenn, If I omit the anchovy paste, do I need to add anything to the recipe? Thanks for loads & loads of wonderful recipes!
Hi Frannie, so glad you liked the recipes! If you admit the anchovy paste, I’d increase the Dijon and Parmesan a bit to add flavor. Enjoy!
I still think this is hands-down the best Caesar Salad Dressing. So much better than store bought. Have used it so many times, I’ve lost count!