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
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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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Best Caesar dressing I’ve ever had! So full of exactly all the right flavors. My search is over!
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but I love anchovies. Could you tell me how I can make the recipe using real anchovies instead of anchovy paste?
Hi Amy, I just peeked online and it looks like 1 anchovy fillet = 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste, so you’d need 2 anchovies here. Hope you enjoy!
This is a forever after recipe 🙂 just love the dressing, it’s perfect. Thanks 🙂
Wow! Delicious, thank you for the recipe!!! I don’t think I’ll ever buy store bought Caesar again!!!
Great dressing! I always add a bit more lemon and also lemon zest. If you don’t have anchovies on hand, a good couple dashes of Worcestershire will also work.
This is the one! I don’t have to try any other recipes for ceasar dressing, this is simply the best! And the whole family agrees. My daughter could eat it as is if I would let her. Thank you!
I love this recipe! Simple and easy to make. It is a huge hit when I make it for family and friends.
We love this dressing!! Now.. here’s the question… it is fairly thick, so how can I make it thinner without ruining the flavor? Maybe this has been answered somewhere in the 539 reviews, but I didn’t find it. thank you
Wendy
Hi Wendy, Glad you like it! You could thin it out with a bit of olive oil and/or a touch more lemon juice.
Just add a little water to the dressing until it is the consistency you want. Doesn’t change the flavor at all.
I just made this recipe and used everything as instructed, except I used real anchovies because I didn’t have paste. The taste is pretty good but like another reviewer said, the taste of mayo is very pronounced (and I only used 3/4 of a cup because I ran out). I added a little more lemon juice and Worcestershire. Did anyone else think it’s too thick? I will continue to fiddle with it and try it again but next time with less mayonnaise.
How would some buttermilk taste in it to thin it down??
Hi Joanne, I’ve never tried buttermilk here but I think it would work. You could also trt a touch of water, lemon juice or olive oil.
This is amazingly delicious. My wife hates anything “mayonaisey”…she loved this so much she had to have me print the recipe so she could make more! Very important to use real Reggiano Parmesan. You can taste it and the anchovy character that make it so authentic. Thanks!