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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Without a doubt, this is the best Caesar salad recipe I have found and I’m 73 years old! I seriously question whether I will ever try another. It’s easy to make, keeps for about a week and has a great flavor. The only changes I made are using salted anchovies (because I had so many) which I skinned, deboned and mashed against the bowl with a few capers. Old school style .
Delicious! I ended up using a couple anchiove fillets since I didn’t have the paste. I also did half greek yogurt/half mayo to try to make it slightly more calorie friendly. Turned out great!
We love it!
It’s so DAMN good! All I had was the Kraft Parmesan cheese, and it was still good. So I believe if I had freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, it would be over the top. Better than store-bought, absolutely! To make it simple for me, I just added all the ingredients in my immersion blender cup and whirled it until creamy. This is the only creamy Caesar Salad Dressing I use. Thank you for sharing.
This recipe was given to me from a friend who said it was really good and she always used it when she had company. She was spot on! I followed the recipe as directed and it was very simple and delicious. I needed it for a client who asked for simple–good–recipes that he could make at home. I’ll be forwarding it to him. 🙂
I’m making this for the third time, the freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano is a little expensive, but makes it sooo good.
With fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese you are getting just that….no fillers, by-products or mystery ingredients. Yes, it does make a better dressing, I agree. Also, you can grate all of it and freeze it. It freezes well.
This is hubby’s favorite. So delicious.
Is there a way to make it a little thinner?
Sure, you can thin it out with a little water. Just go a little at a time until you get to your desired thickness.
This is my go to Caesar salad dressing now. I was skeptical at first since I worked in the kitchens of Italian restaurants in my late teens and 20’s. Mayo Really?! I love it and so do most of my Caesar dressing purist friends. The only change I do is to thin it with a little good water. Yumo!
Yes, Laura, I agree. However, the mayo is what makes it a “creamy Caesar Salad Dressing,” a little different from the traditional Caesar salad dressing. 🙂
Delicious! Couldn’t stop tasting.
I just made this dressing for company. It’s delicious and so easy to prepare.