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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I halved this recipe and it was delicious. The perfect ratio between the spiciness of the anchovy paste and the dijon. Grilled 2 thin-cut chicken breasts for the top. I did leave out the parmesan cheese in the dressing, but I add it in shavings for the top of my salad to save on my WW points. I also used light mayo. I mixed the dressing in the salad mix to make sure it was all coated.
Even at half the recipe, I have dressing left, as it’s just my husband and me.
Served with Trader Joe’s Red Pepper Soup. OMG, that stuff is restaurant quality.
Are you serious?!! I make “real” dressing all of the time. Tonight I had guests and was in a rush. Found this recipe and let me tell you. AMAZING!! My guests could not believe I took the time to make such great homemade Caesar dressing. Will NEVER go back. Thank you for making life so much easier and making me look like the star!
I’ll never buy the bottled stuff anymore! I’m currently on a weight loss plan so I made a couple of changes. I substituted the mayo for 1/2 cup light mayo and 1/2 cup 0% Greek yoghurt. I wasn’t sure how this would alter the taste or texture of the recipe but it is absolutely amazing, I can finally enjoy caesar salad again!
I just made your “homemade caesar salad dressing”, and I am just amazed at how wonderful this tastes. I will not be buying any caesar dressing from the store again, this is the absolute best I have ever tasted. We are having cedar plank grilled salmon on top of the caesar salad for dinner tonight. I cant wait, Thank you so much for such!!!!
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I’ve never made Caesar dressing before and this version is foolproof. It was quick, easy and yielded delicious results.
Can I use real anchovies and mash them up? How many? Thank you. I will be doubling this recipe.
Hi Annette, Yes, that’s fine. Not sure how many you’ll need; you’ll have to mash them up and measure the same amount as called for in the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Made this for diner to be paired with Salmon Croquette. Turned out so good that the salad outshone the main dish.
this is a terrific recipe, It is beating my favorite R…’s dressing.
Loved it quick and easy.
Hey presto and its done.
Best ceasar dressing and so easy!