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
My family loves this rich and creamy Caesar salad dressing. It’s not overly garlicky or fishy — it’s just right.
Ingredients
- 2 small garlic cloves, 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 Real
- 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.
- Note: Anchovy paste can be found near the canned tuna in the supermarket.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Serving size: About 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 184
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Sugar: 0g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Sodium: 296mg
- Cholesterol: 13mg
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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This recipe is fantastic, creative and stupid easy! What I especially love about it is that you are using mayonnaise (which we always have on hand) as the base, and that you can add garlic and especially anchovy paste to taste. The anchovy paste is a classic taste that you will never find in a store bought salad dressing, and adds that classic zip to the salad.
I use this not only as a salad dressing, but as a dip for fresh cut veggies. The super creaminess of the mayonnaise sticks wonderfully to celery sticks etc., so no surprises when you are noshing in your good clothes before dinner!
I’ve not bought a prepared Caesar dressing since finding this recipe. Thanks so much for this fun, easy and delicious alternative to ho-hum store bought dressing.
Only ceasar dressing I will EVER use…..
This is the way it’s supposed to taste…
Thank you..thank you
This is the most delicious dressing and the sole reason my house is never without anchovy paste. I follow the directions exactly and am never disappointed with my Caesar Salad
I have been searching for the perfect, creamy caesar and now I have found it! This is so easy and I love that it makes enough to have extra in the fridge for a week.
This Caesar Salad Dressing is by far the best I have ever tasted. Not only is it delicious, it is so quick to make. I have made several difference Caesar Dressings and this is just perfect!!! No food processor required!! Thank you Jenn!!
I had been wanting a recipe for Caesar dressing that didn’t use a raw egg. This was perfect! We like our Caesar with more of an anchovy flavor ,so I added some whole ones that I crushed with a mortar and pestle.
I loved this easy to make dressing. I added leftover chicken and made it meal
This is absolutely the BEST Caesar dressing ever! I’ve made it for several years and have given jars for gifts to friends. Everyone has loved it!
I absolutely love your Ceasar salad dressing. It is so easy to make and hands down the best Ceasar salad dressing I have ever tasted. I love garlic and when I make it for myself I can add as much as I like. YUM YUM
Lucy M
Niagara on the Lake, Ontario
Love love love this dressing! So quick and easy to make and the whole family loves it! For the last year and a half I’ve made this weekly for my daughter’s boyfriend to take with him to his college apartment. This dressing is how you get a college student to eat salad every day!
Make this now! It is amazing. I keep some in the refrigerator at all times. You will never buy pre-made again.
I’ve been making Jenn’s Caesar Salad dressing for three years now. The flavor profile is rich and fresh. The parmesean (you really do have to use a good Parmesean/Reggiano as Jenn says), wostershire and brightness of lemon juice come through the wonderful creaminess. Take time to make this dressing TODAY. The best.
Love this dressing! We make a double batch to jar up and my whole family enjoys it all week. Don’t skip the anchovies and definately treat yourself to the nice parm if you can.
This recipe is now the only one I use whenever I make Caesar salad. Creamy and delicious. I don’t use anchovy paste, but use 2 to 3 pieces of anchovies and half a teaspoon more dijon mustard, which you don’t actually have to but I just love dijon mustard and always put extra in everything. Family and friends have commented favourably whenever I make my Caesar salad.
Since finding this recipe last year, I have probably made it 15 times, I could eat it all the time, it’s everything you want Caesar dressing to be, delicious!
This is my go-to Cesar dressing and is requested by family all the time. I give it as birthday and holiday treats to my foodie buddies. It has a rich and tangy deliciousness that you’ll remember and crave.
Caesar is always the salad of choice for my family, and this dressing comes together in a snap. The anchovy paste lends that authentic Caesar flavor without overpowering the final result. Like your photo, we use a vegetable peeler to garnish each salad plate with ribbons of real parmesan. Add homemade croutons and you’ve got yourself a Caesar salad worthy of the very best steak house! A+
I’ve made this recipe multiple times now. Simple and really good. It’s my go to for Caesar dressing.
I thought this was delicious–my partner also loved it! I probably will cut back on the mayo a bit as that was a dominant flavor, but it still tasted great; I’ll make it again!
Love this easy caesar dressing. I’ve made it many times, especially when I have friends over. Definitely a crowd pleaser with crispy croutons!
This was the first recipe I ever made from this website. It. Is. Perfect. I have tried soooo many other Caesar dressing recipes before that weee either too garlicky, too oily, or just didn’t have the flavor profile I wanted. In my opinion, if you are looking for a perfect (and easy!) Caesar dressing, your search can end right here. This recipe is universally loved in my house. I even gave some to my neighbors and they raved about it. Try it!
I stumbled on this recipe after searching online for “best store-bought Caesar salad dressing,” and I’m so glad I did! First, I was amazed to find that I had all of the ingredients on hand. Second, it’s absolutely delicious (I’ve made it, and shared the recipe with friends, countless times). Third, I discovered how reliably wonderful Jenn’s recipes are! Thanks for all you do, Jenn!!
This is the best caesar dressing ever! Love using anchovy paste instead of anchovies (gives it that extra something that identifies this as caesar dressing)–don’t omit it even if you think you don’t like anchovies. It needs it!
I make a kale caesar and it softens the kale beautifully without getting soggy. We add tomatoes because we like tomatoes and they do well with this dressing. My 16-year-old son said “Mom, I love this kale caesar salad!” Thanks
Really great taste. I won’t be buying dressing anymore. Everyone in my family loved it. Highly recommend!
My go to Caesar salad dressing recipe. People are always impressed when I make
my own salad dressings but it is so easy and tastes so much better homemade. I like to blend all the ingredients in my mini blender for a smooth texture. Thanks again for an amazing recipe!
This is the only Caesar salad dressing I ever make and everyone who tries it, loves it!
This is my go-to dressing when I’m making salad for a crowd. I always get asked for the recipe when people try this dressing for the first time!
Simply “the best”! I love the simplicity of it and no raw or coddled eggs to be concerned about. No need to search anywhere else for the perfect Caesar Salad dressing.
Absolutely the best Caesar dressing recipe out there. Followed the recipe exactly and it is comes out delicious every time. This is a huge hit with my family including my kids!
This dressing is in steady rotation in our household and requested often. Perfect balance of flavours, quick to make and it tastes so fresh. For ease, the use of mayonnaise instead of the egg and oil makes all the difference for me. Freshly squeezed lemon juice, freshly grated Parmesan and fresh garlic ensures that the flavours are bright and clean. I’ll never buy jarred dressing again.
Amazing! I don’t eat processed sugar so I replaced the worcestershire sauce with Primal Kitchen Steak Sauce and I use any high quality sugar free mayonnaise and it’s delicious! I also add cashews and /or pine nuts and avocado to the salad. A real find! Thank you Once Upon A Chef!
I am not a fan of bottled dressings. I found this recipe about a year ago. I always have it in my fridge. It is super savory and can be used as a veggie dip too.
I like the ease of using mayo instead of oil and egg yokes. Much easier and safer. It literally take 5 minutes to make. It stores well in fridge.
I have made a lot of homeade dressings and this ranks at the top.
This is my family’s favorite homemade salad dressing. It’s good as written, but I make it with a little more pepper and a little more cheese (a happy accident) and it’s absolutely delicious.
Classic. Easy. Eggless. This is the only salad my two year old will eat and she takes more directly off my plate! Enough said. 🙂
I made this once and never went back to store bought. It’s just so easy and delicious. Everyone who has it, loves it!
This is the most perfect Caesar dressing. It is also simple to make. My problem in this world today is finding Romaine lettuce that won’t make you sick. I would love to trust the California lettuce but I can’t. I guess I need to buy local in the summertime. I use hothouse lettuces now when I get the craving.
This Caesar Dressing is so good! Very easy to make and the best Caesar Dressing I have ever had! Love that there is no egg! Creamy, yummy goodness!
My family’s new favorite salad dressing! What a brilliant way to substitute raw egg (and oil) by using Mayo. Instead of anchovy paste, i minced a tin of anchovies and was able to easily double the recipe. Thank you!
Hands down the BEST Cesar salad dressing! With two young boys, I need something quick and tasty to dress up a salad! My husband also loves it, too, and he is a big Cesar salad guy!
*Caesar…auto correct 🤪
Just made this last night for the 3rd time….insanely delicious! We also love dipping bagel chips & veggies in it. I used anchovie paste in a tube and it makes a difference but not fishy at all. YUM!
This Caesar dressing is sooooo good. Way better than any bottled dressing for sale in the super market. It is very fresh and tasty. So worth it!!!
I made this salad dressing last night for a dinner of chicken Cesar salad. This is the third time I have made this dressing. Very delicious! My whole family enjoys this dressing!
I love this caesar dressing. Use it all the time and is always a hit. You can also play around with the ingredients if you like more or less of certain flavors. I make this with a blackened salmon served on top.
I’ve never made Caesar dressing before and thought I’d give this recipe a try. I’m now obsessed! I would not change a thing regarding the ingredients. The garlic and parmesan cheese, in combination with the other ingredients are just perfect. I’ve made this 3 times now since this past Thanksgiving. This recipe will be a staple in my household. 👌
I love this recipe! I toss kale with some of this dressing and add chicken and croutons and it makes the perfect meal – my husband had previously refused to eat kale, but this recipe has made him love it!
This is my go to recipe for an easy delicious Caesar dressing. In fact, I have gotten into the habit of making my own dressings all the time because the flavor is so much bolder and fresher. I am happy to add this Caesar dressing to my dressing collection!
This is the best! After I first made it, I threw out my tried and true recipe and replaced it with this! Better taste, and easier to make lower calorie than traditional oil based dressing, as I subbed in lower fat mayonnaise! I always have a batch on hand for salad or to use as dip for veggies. Try it, you won’t be sorry!
I made the Caesar dressing last night. It was phenomenal! The best I have ever had. Fresh is best. I used good quality ingredients like you suggested. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Better caesar dressing than any restaurant! I make this exactly as written and it is perfect. I love making kale caesar salad with this dressing, adding shaved parmesan and homemade croutons.
I also add grape tomatoes because we love tomatoes and the dressing really complements them. It softens the kale, yet keeps it crispy and salad-like. Make this nearly once a week. My 16-year-old son just yesterday said “Mom, this kale salad is REALLY good!”
I love this Caesar salad dressing. It is the best ever. I don’t like vinegar and this ingredient is not in the recipe. I make a batch of it and add chicken or shrimp for some protein.
This recipe is GOLDEN!! I was blown away. I’m Canadian but have been living in the UK for 2 years now and one thing that is hard to find is bottled caesar dressing. Even when you do find it, it’s sort of like a flavorless, creamy sauce…. Not the same, at all. I’ve used this recipe so many times, I’ve made it for friends and family and they are all hooked. Definitely a favorite.