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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I made this exactly like the recipe and it came out delicious! Absolutely the best Caesar dressing ever!
Perfect recipe!! I’ve made this a million times.
This was the most delicious recipe. I researched a little bit until I came across this one that said five stars. This one is a keeper. Thanks for sharing
This recipe was great. Made it without the anchovy paste and it was still good!
if you dont eat anchovies (not sure why you left them out, but totally cool) you can mince up a tablespoon of capers and it’s identical
Have made this recipe numerous times, without fail. Thanks Jenn!
This is so so good! I need look no further; this recipe is IT! Thank you so much for sharing it.
This is my go-to Caesar dressing recipe because it’s perfect!!
My favorite dressing handsdown. 3rd time making it.
I’ve been making my own Caesar Dressing for years and thought nothing would ever compare…well guess what? I was wrong. Chef Jenn makes the best Caesar Dressing. I can’t wait for the compliments from my dinner guests, and I get a lot. I’m reluctant to share the recipe, but I do. Your ears must be ringing, cause my dinner parties have at least three or four of your recipes. It’s almost embarrassing how many compliments I get……I owe it all to you! Thanks, Jenn
💗
NOT a Caesar dressing. All the assumptions are based on assuming people don’t know how to cook and are squeamish about good quality basic ingredients. avoid this sort of nonsense and just make a proper Ceasar
Or just keep your rude, negative remarks to yourself and move on.
Skippy ..
it sounds like you know nothing about Jenn Segal, and her credentials. And most definitely you know nothing about any of us.
It’s too bad you’re so threatened by a recipe. Your angry & inappropriate remarks aren’t needed here.
Lisa
Gave 5 STARS because it’s another wonderful recipe from Once Upon A Chef! I’ve been making this now for over 2 years. Consistently well received, and it’s a recipe I’m often asked to make 😊
Thanks Jenn
I agree with Skippy.
I’ve dined in Restaurante Caesar in Tijuana many times and of course eaten the table-side prepared salad.
Using mayonnaise overwhelms the subtly and delicateness of the flavors. I rate it 3 stars because it’s above edible.
And if Jenn Segal didn’t want our opinions here then she wouldn’t give us the option to voice them. So you people should shush. When there’s a contrarian, don’t ridicule them. If you gave this recipe 5-stars, it just means that you’re accustomed to overly processed American junk food. It simply fits your palate.
Jean, why so judgmental?
You’re not the only one who has traveled extensively,lived in a variety of areas of the world, and worked in the food industry.
Like Skippy you know nothing of our backgrounds & credentials, and are making uninformed assumptions.
Checkout KENNYD’s post…
Lisa
First attempt at this recipe and it was the BEST! Thank you Jenn!
Easy to make and absolutely delicious!
I will never buy Cesar dressing again! This was incredibly delicious and easy to whip up. I used roasted garlic and choose to throw everything in the blender vs whisking so that there were no clumps of cheese. Incredible!
Excellent quick Caesar Jenn.
I like to add crumbled bacon for a bit of smokiness.
It can be a bit thick but, that’s easily remedied by whisking in a little olive oil.
For the REEE REEE crowd who say “it’s not real Caesar with mayonnaise”, guess what you make when you emulsify eggs and oil…
Mayonnaise!
I have made this dressing several times and it’s divine each time! Even when I got heavy handed with the Worcestershire sauce delicious!! Thank you for this lovely dressing!
Mayonnaise in a Caesar salad dressing? No, absolutely not!!! That’s a perversion of the real thing. Use a coddled egg to be true to the original!
Hey Tim.
When you emulsify eggs and oil, what do you end up with?
Here’s a hint…
It rhymes with mayonnaise.
Almost true , but jarred mayonnaise tastes very different probably because of using soybean oil instead of olive oil and the additives .
I use my own fresh mayonnaise for this recipe. The only difference is I use white wine in the mayo. Does that make it inauthentic for Caesar Salad? I doubt it. The Caesar Gardini story is a legend that can be believed or not. The point is the flavor must please. Anchovies, Worchestershire, good parm, eggs, oil and lemon bring the boring romaine to its’ pinnacle. And croutons.
If you feel bad about Hellmann’s Real, the oil is minimal, and the kiddies will get accustomed to the unusual flavors this particular recipe provides.
And garlic plus I add some tobacco and hot keens powdered mustard. This is the best Caesar salad dressing, NONO a mayo
Delicious! I’m amazed.
I have always made caesar salad the traditional way for guests. This time, I tried your recipe. I am so glad there is an alternative that tastes as good, or better, than the old way.
I always have whole anchovies, so I crushed the anchovy in a mortal and pestal, with some salt, so I didn’t need to add salt to the rest of the recipe.
I was out of parm-regg, so I grated 1/2 parmesan and 1/2 imported italian peccorino. I believe it closely mirrors Parmesan-Reggiano.
The dressing was so good, so I decided to make sourdough croutons, lightly fried in a pan, so crispy and soft textures would add a chewy texture to the salad. Also, added beautifully sauteed diced chicken cutlets to the mix.
SO GOOD.
The ease of this dressing makes someone like me be able to jack up the salad to the next level. Thank You.
Mayonnaise ??? Not a real Caesar dressing.
So, when you emulsify oil and eggs what are you making?
Mayonnaise.
Find another nit to pick
Just made this recipe for my chicken salad. It was absolutely delicious and will definitely be making this again for any future dinner parties.
Just made for the wife, she had a craving for Caesar. Excellent recipe, spot on. Thanks for sharing it with folks.
Hi!
Is it possible to swap the worchester sauce? If so, by what?
Thanks!
Hi Rebecca, You could try soy sauce.
Its good and I suppose for some this would be considered home made. This recipe is not what I consider to be home made. I would call this a short cut recipe and I am no dissing it because sometimes I do it with pre-made mayo as well (only when I am in a situation where I don’t have my gear etc. In order for it to be home made or made from scratch, you would need to make your mayo from scratch too which you can really just do all together here. It is super easy to take this recipe to the next level and make your own mayo base and really make it worthy of the the 5 stars.
In my view, if it is not in a bottle… it is homemade. Period. Thanks for the recipe!
Worthy of 5 stars? It’s worthy of 10 stars.
Quick question – I have a tin of anchovy fillets, but no anchovy paste. Do you have a
guess-timate of how many fillets I should use? Thanks!
Hi Shauna, I’d suggest starting with 2 (but if you want more anchovy flavor you can use more). Enjoy!
I don’t normally use mayonnaise in my house. I use whipped dressing instead.
What do you think it would taste like with whipped dressing as a substitute?
Hi Tania, Are you referring to something like Miracle Whip? If so, I’ve never tried Miracle Whip so it’s hard to say — sorry!
Great recipe, but better if you substitute 1/2 olive oil for 1/2 of the mayonnaise. Caesar salad should have some olive oil flavor.
Ding Dong delicious!
I made this with bottled lemon juice and regular parm and my family still raved about it, wanted the recipe. No doubt it will be better still with the right ingredients!
A delicious dressing for any salad or as a dip for crudités. Thank you Jenn 😋
So good! It’s hard to find real Caesar salad dressing without paying a ton for it. This tastes like the real thing and costs pennies!
Loved this recipe! I will never use store-bought bottled dressing again! So EASY to make! I didn’t add any additional salt though…I felt you got enough from the anchovy paste and grated cheese. It was loved by the whole family!
Another winner! I’ve been making Cooks Illustrated’s caesar salad dressing for years and this is now my favorite. Everyone loved it. I dress the salad in a metal bowl and gently stir with tongs to get the dressing to coat the romaine. Definitely try it with the grilled chicken with lemon, garlic and herbs (which is also now a go to favorite for my family!). Thanks, Jenn.
Why does it say that it only lasts one week in the fridge? All the ingredients are in the fridge for months?
Hi Shelley, It may very well last longer, but I always err on the conservative side from a food-safety standpoint.
This dressing is absolutely delicious! I read one comment that it was too thick. At first I was thinking the same thing. But, if you coat your bowl with dressing before you add the lettuce, cheese and croutons then toss them with tongs it coats the lettuce perfectly! Definitely a restaurant quality salad dressing! Thank you!
Ive been so happy with the recipes I have made from your collection. Today was the first disappointment. This dressing, unless I did something very wrong, is so thick I’m not sure how I will “dress” the salad this evening.
Thoughts?
Hi Karen, I’m sorry that you found this to be too thick. You can thin it out with a bit of water – just go easy and add a little at a time until it gets to the thickness you want.
This is truly yummy but too thick for me so I thinned it with heavy cream (lol), added a little more lemon and more anchovy paste – and more pepper. Nothing like messing with perfection! Thanks for the recipe……..and all with ingredients I have on hand!
We made this dressing exactly as written and it was outstanding! We had no idea homemade could be this good, it’s truly Five Star restaurant quality. No way can we ever return to bottled Caesar’s after this. Thank you so much!
I have made this recipe a dozen times. Everyone loves it, and it’s so easy! I add just a little more lemon to my taste. Thank you for sharing! Definitely 5 ⭐️!
Just wanted to leave a comment to say this recipe is fantastic! It’s the best caesar dressing I have tried. Highly recommend!
I have now made this Caesar dressing several times. It tastes just like the classic Caesar dressing albeit without the danger of the raw egg. I used Duke’s mayonnaise and more lemon juice than the recipe required. I also added extra anchovy paste and red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper for heat. I love a good Caesar salad and often make a full meal out of just a salad. This dressing is fast and easy to pull together and delicious to eat. Thank you!
The best recipe ever. I have made this now over 6 times
Absolutely delicious recipe!
I omitted the salt and used 1/2 tsp of fish sauce (often used in Asian recipes, also made from anchovies which is a great substitute if you don’t have anchovy paste). I doubled the recipe for a big crowd and used 1 tsp.
Dear Jenn,
Thanks to you my family now demands this dressing for every salad. Doesn’t matter what the salad is, they want “that good dressing with the sardine powder stuff”. I have told them repeatedly it is anchovy paste. They don’t care. They just want the goods. Same with your Peruvian chicken, but I’ll leave that review on the recipe.
Amazing
This is a great recipe. The dressing is so easy to make and it tastes wonderful.
This dressing is HEAVENLY!!
I just made it in under ten minutes and I am hooked. Thank You!
I am NEVER EVER buying store bought Cesar dressing again. Amazing.
I make it like once a week now it’s really good and simple
I have made alot of different Caesar dressings and this one is my favorite! Im picky!
This is excellent and easy. Perfect flavor and great texture. I can honestly say that we now make a better Caesar salad at home than any of the restaurants in town, and at a fraction of the cost. Huge bonus that I can keep it in the fridge for several days! Thank you ❤️👍🏼
We would usually purchase Renee’s mighty Caesar.. this is so close to it we no longer buy it. This is actually better tasting..thanks for the recipe
Literally the best Caesar dressing I’ve ever tasted👏👏👏
Hands down, the best homemade recipe that tastes just like Renee’s Mighty Caesar but without the added sugar or gum. Soooo good, the lettuce is really just so I can have this dressing. Another great recipe Jenn, every recipe I have tried so far from your site is 5* all the way!