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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My husband is a meat guy, nothing fancy. Only ate iceberg lettuce, which I despise.
ONE time, he tasted my romaine with Caesar dressing, he was hooked. This recipe is beyond good. Thank you Jenn!!!!
It is so delicious! I made the huge mistake of putting everything together and using a mixer, just because of the whole garlic, and it did curdle and the oils are sitting on top and I need to stir a lot before using. It didn’t affect the taste! It’s the best Caesar dressing and I want to eat it with everything! Please excuse my English mistakes.
Amazing! Just right.
Yummy recipe! I do make my own avocado oil mayo and keep this dressing in the fridge for about a week. It’s nice being able to pronounce all of the ingredients in your food.
I’ve made your caesar salad dressing many times and love it. My go to recipe for that salad. Especially the fact that it stores safely in a jar in my fridge.
One quick question though. I find it often when just prepared is quite thick so I must be sure to toss well rather than keep on adding more dressing.
Do have any suggestions ie. adding a tiny bit of milk to allow it to be easier to toss well.
I use the 1cup of mayo…not adding more.
Thanks
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca, Yes, a little milk or even water will do the trick – just add it bit by bit so it doesn’t get too thin.
This is the BEST recipe for Caesar salad. I always have requests to bring this dressing to any party. Sandra.
Delicious! I’ve tried lots of Caesar salad dressings and this one is very tasty. Especially without having raw egg. I’ll use it from now on.
It was delicious on grilled romaine tonight. My husband said it was perfectly spiced. I didn’t have anchovy either but added a few more drops of lemon juice.
Great! Loved it! Thanks!
I MADE THIS DRESSING FOR A PARTY AND DOUBLED THE RECIPIE IT WS TOO SALTY SO I REMADE IT . IT WAS STILL TOO SALTY. I WOULD RECOMMEND VERY LITTLE OR NO SALT AT ALL UNTIL AFTER YOU COMBINE EVERYTHING. AFTER THAT, DELICIOUS AND PERFECT AND GONE!
why are you screaming…
@Rod Lol!!! Made my day!
Interesting. I found it didn’t have enough salt. The dressing needs to taste saltier than you think, as it is the main seasoning and flavor on the salad. Once you add the romaine and crutons, the salt will balance out.
Going to try your Caesar salad dressing, I want to add chicken and pasta noodles(spirals) as well for a picnic, kind of make it more like an entre, any tips on that idea? Thank You, like your site!
Hi Jim, that sounds like a nice way to turn this into a meal! If you find it’s too thick, you could thin it out with a bit of water – just go easy. This chicken is great tossed into the salad.