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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Thank you so much for your recipe, it was delicious.
I’ve just whipped this up for a dinner party I’m hosting tomorrow, and I’m afraid I’ll need to make another batch by then because this one isn’t going to last. So easy, and so delicious. Thank you, Jenn!
Mayonnaise? What kind of a chef are you? Nothing is easier to make then a classic Caesar dressing, which has NO MAYO!
Yuck.
Rudeness? What kind of reader are you? Nothing is easier to do than a leave a constructive review, WITHOUT RUDENESS! Ew.
PS. Did you even make the recipe?
Hey Jayebe, I agree with Robin, post some constructive feedback as to why you didn’t like it. I’ll be making this tonight.
Jon
US Navy Retired
Mayo is just egg, oil, lemon, and mustard so it def works here. Seems like a great sub when you don’t want to use raw egg.
Your Caesar dressing recipe was a huge success at a family get together. I make a great coleslaw but was asked by my sister if I could bring a Caesar salad too. Thanks, you enhanced my salad making reputation two fold with my family.
Robert Etzler
This is my go to recipe. Better than most restaurants. I had to substitute lime for lemon one day and I was nervous but it was still delicious. If you want more refreshing tart add a bit more lemon or if you like it more or less garlicky you can adjust the amount. My husband loves to add a red pepper sauce to his salad for a kick.
It’s the one salad dressing the whole family eats!
Hands down the best caesar dressing there is. No need to search any longer. We all love this. I use garlic powder instead of the fresh since I don’t love the bite and lasting garlic breath, but that is the only change I make.
How long does this dressing last when stored in the fridge?
Hi Chloe, It keeps nicely in the fridge for about 5 days.
This is the best Caesar dressing recipe that I have found. I use an avocado based mayo. Looking forward to trying the others!
I have lost track of how many times I have made this since I first saw this recipe. I do add 4 cloves of garlic and a little more salt to taste. I chop the garlic alone in my Cuisineart Mini Prep but from there throw everything else in together before running machine on “chop” til I get the desired consistency! Hands down the best Caesar dressing and will never buy bottled again with all its preservatives. At Sunday dinner last week we gave a little dressed salad to my 14 month old grand daughter and she demanded more, more more! So another generation has been introduced to Once Upon a Chef!
❣️
I was not able to find anchovy paste at any of my local grocery stores, but was able to order it through Amazon without any difficulty. I used slightly less of it. The dressing was perfect and simple to make. I will never serve store bought Caesar dressing again!