Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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.
See more recipes:
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
This is the best Caesar dressing I’ve ever had! Zippy, creamy just FLAT OUT delicious! Husband and kids said it was awesome!
My best friends husband asked me to make a Caesar salad for her 50th Surprise Bday party. I usually use Briannes bottled dressing when I make it. Not this time! Everyone absolutely LOVED it! I also made a chicken Caesar wrap YUM-O! Thanks for sharing, I’m never buying bottled again!!
Very good, but I would recommend not adding the 1/4 tsp salt without tasting it first. I think between the anchovy paste, Worcestershire sauce and parm it was plenty salty without adding more. That’s just my taste. I loved the tang from the lemon juice, but there again I might start with 1 tbs first, then add more to your liking. I have tried a lot of recipes for Caesar Dressing and so far this has been the best, and my husband agrees.
I forgot add in my comment that I did add a little olive oil, probably 1/4 cup or less as recommended in another comment.
How do you make home made croutons?
Hi Cary, I have a recipe for homemade croutons here. Hope you enjoy!
Easy and perfect for a home made salad. I did not have the anchovie paste on hand, and the dressing was just wonderful. Fast too!
Cheers and thanks!
This is the best Caesar dressing that I have ever tasted. Every bite is eaten by my guests when I make it. I have made this a least 6 times and it has become my favorite recipe bar none. Spectacular!
A heart felt Thank You!
I have been wanting to make a good homemade caesar dressing for a while, but doubted it would ever taste good..
But then I found this recipe!! It is super simple and tastes AMAZING! I will be using this recipe for years to come! Thank you!
I made this and everyone at the dinner table commented on how good it was. Now that I know how easy it is to make, I will never purchase store bought dressing again.
I should keep making this; it would save me a fortune in Cardini’s.
This is waaay to mayonnaisey!
Predominant taste and not enough anchovy paste. Not good!
Mix in a bit of olive oil to the mayo, Marylynn. That works well. And, put a tad bit more anchovy paste (or, some true anchovies when serving!) You’re being a tad bit harsh here, dear lady. Not sure why. This recipe is definitely a good starting point for many who wish to create a good Caesar dressing.
Marylynn,
As with most recipes you might need to adjust to your taste so I’d love to see what you say if you use less mayo and more anchovy paste. Like other say too you can add a little Olive oil too. Try it again with some adjustments I bet you will love it!
This Caesar dressing is the bomb. It is probably the best homemade Caesar I have ever made. 5 Stars definitely.