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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LOVE this recipe. We didn’t use the anchovie paste, so I ended up nearly doubling the lemon juice and Worcestershire. We taste tested it vs. store bought with our very picky 8 year old and hands down he loved the homemade. Will never use another Caesar version again!
I like caesar dressing but I am not a fan of mustard. Will it ruin the recipe if I skip the mustard. Or is there another option.
Thank you
Totally fine to skip it, Kathleen – it will still be delicious. 🙂
Great recipe. Rich, traditional ceasar dressing
Use this all the time, except, I put 5-10 garlic cloves in. Mmmmm garlicky good. Thank you OUAC😍
I started making this dressing about two years ago and it’s a family favorite. I used anchovy’s in oil in a tin and it turned out great. I will never use any other Caesar Dressing. We have also used this dressing as a vegetable dip with artichokes.
I made this last week, to rave reviews. My husband said it was better than restaurant Caesar salads, and never wants the store bought dressing again. I did double the garlic ( watch out nearby friends!). I found the flavour to be rich and complex, and I really liked the use of the anchovy paste – much easier than mashing actual anchovies. The dressing tasted even better after a few dats I the fridge. Used it with chicken for a cheater Caesar wrap. Excellent recipe, am planning to try more of your recipes.
suddenly I became the best chef in the world after making this salad. Delicious !!!!
🙂
I loved the taste but somehow the dressing I made turned into a paste. More like a dip than dressing! Did I do anything wrong? I wonder if others had the same experience. If so how do I make it more “watery?” Thanks
Hi Beth, this dressing is quite thick — almost the consistency of a dip. Feel free to thin it out with some water; just go easy and add a little at a time until you get to the consistency you want. Hope that helps!
Hi Jenn: This Caesar dressing is so delicious that I’ve pretty much made sure that I’m never without the ingredients, it’s the most lucious dressing – ever. I think I’ve made a salad, using Romaine hearts, every day because it’s that good. Wow!
Delicious recipe! Very authentic, will use again and again.
It’s the most delicious Caesar salad dressing recipe and I love how easy/quick it is! I made it using half Greek yogurt and half Mayo this time around and it’s delicious too!