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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This recipe is delicious. I have been using it for several years. Very easy, too!
This is the best caesar dressing recipe I have ever come across. I put it on a mix of romaine and radicchio with rosemary croutons and extra parmesan.
Okay. I stumbled upon this recipe because I was tired of wasting money on vegan recipes that don’t really translate to the normal version. So I veganized this recipe in hopes it would turn out good and boy oh boy, it did! Here’s what I did, used Hellman’s Vegan Mayo, capers instead of anchovies, vegan Worcestershire sauce, nutritional yeast, a little salt and garlic powder (in addition to the fresh garlic) and about a tablespoon of unsweetened original almond milk to thin it out.
I have missed Panera’s Caesar salad since going vegan and this salad dressing help me hit a spot. It was so delicious with my substitutions, I know the original HAS to be delicious. I am keeping some of this in the fridge moving forward. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
BRAVA!
I absolutely LOVE this.
Everyone that has tasted it has asked me for the recipe. 😊
This is a great dressing recipe! I hate Worcestershire sauce so I was hesitant but I am so pleased with this recipe!
Cannot believe I’ve never made Caesar dressing – anchovy intimidation I guess. This was so easy and so delicious. Thank you for sharing.
I love cesar dressing and like other reviewers I don’t have to look any further. Thank you for such a incredible recipe.
Thank you for this simple & delicious recipe! I made it 2 separate occasions, the first time following your recipe exactly, even using the brand Dijon mustard you recommend, and it is AMAZING!!! The second time, I followed it exactly, only halving the recipe because I’m the only one eating it, and I also cut the mayo in half, substituting the other half with 2% fat Fage Greek yogurt. It tastes almost identical to the full mayo recipe, but cuts the calories to 93 per 2 tbps serving, and only 9.1 grams of total fat. It tastes SUPER decadent without any guilt! Just sharing my tweak in case anyone else is interested, but the original recipe is fantastic!
this is the best dressing EVER! I always get requests for the recipe when I make it, and I refer them to your website. I am making a Caesar Salad for 30 this Saturday, for my Husband’s “Cousins Reunion” . Thanks so much. Cheers, Patti Gaetan
This is the most incredible caesar dressing! I have been making it at the cottage and we put it on everything! Thank you!!