Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
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My family loves this rich and creamy Caesar salad dressing. It’s not overly garlicky or fishy — it’s just right.
Though most people buy Caesar salad dressing in a bottle, homemade is incredibly easy to make and tastes so much better than store-bought. There are many variations, but this rich and creamy version is the one my whole family loves. It’s not too garlicky and not too fishy – it’s just right. Unlike authentic Caesar dressings which are made with olive oil and thickened with raw eggs, this one has a mayonnaise base, which means you don’t have to worry if you’re squeamish about raw eggs. My kids love this dressing so much that they’ve learned to make it themselves. They don’t even wait for me to make a salad; while I cook dinner, they sit at the kitchen table with a big heart of romaine and dip the leaves in.
This recipe is part of my classic salad dressing collection, which includes go-to recipes for oil and vinegar based dressings, like vinaigrette and balsamic vinaigrette, as well as creamy dressings, such as buttermilk ranch dressing and blue cheese dressing, which are typically made with mayonnaise and dairy products.
What You’ll Need To Make Caesar Salad Dressing
Instead of whole anchovies, I use anchovy paste — makes it 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!)
For the cheese, it’s important to use imported Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy; domestic Parmesan pales in comparison. You can always tell if it’s authentic 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.”
Step-by-Step Instructions
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.
The dressing will keep well in the fridge for about a week. For a main course Caesar, try pairing this with my best grilled chicken. Enjoy!
Caesar Salad Dressing 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. The dressing will keep well in the fridge for about a week.
Notes
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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Waste of money. It is really Gross. Mine as well of just ate some mayo.
Seriously the best Caesar dressing ever!!!
Jenn,
I owe you great thanks for this great recipe, which I have been making for a number of years – having found you on the internet. My wife is very grateful, and tonight we will do a filet mignon steak caesar salad, where the dressing will be the star.
Best,
Kevin
I’m not a huge fan of Caesar salad, but my wife wanted it for the Valentine’s Day dinner. I figured if I had to make a salad, I wasn’t going to use store-bought. This was a really good dressing!! Just the right balance of flavors. I will definitely make this recipe again.
Oh my goodness! Same here except my husband wanted a salad and I usually make fattoush only because I am never satisfied with any of the store bought Caesar dressings. I thought I’d look one up this time and I am so glad I stumbled upon this one. It was delicious!
I’ve used this as my baseline for Caesar dressing multiple times and it’s always well received. Grating the Parmesan fresh makes a very notable difference! I tend to up the lemon juice, cracked pepper & anchovy and cut the amount of mayonnaise by 1/3 (personal preference- makes the dressing more flavorful which means I can put a little less on my salad to spare a few calories). I’ve been able to keep it in the fridge up to a week and it’s still fresh. Good stuff!
Same here! Upped the lemon, anchovy paste and Worcestershire. Next time will half the mayo! :0)
I absolutely love this ceasar dressing. Tried so many over the years and this is the 100% winner!! Tonight I tried half mayo, half Greek plain yoghurt…just to make it a little healthier. Just as yummy! thanks!
Dang is all I can say! That is the easiest most delicious recipe for salad dressing I have ever made. I followed the directions implicitly except for substituting to anchovy fillets for the anchovy paste. I had the tin of fillets on hand. I put the garlic, lemon juice, wish to shire, and a tiny bit of mayo with the anchovies in my mini. Whipped until smooth and then added the rest of the mayo. Absolutely phenomenal! Thank you so much for this great recipe!
My go to caesar dressing recipe! I use half the mayo. Yum!
I just made this dressing & followed your advice using half the mayo. It is delicious! Thank you.
Lol you ever read the ingredients on a jar of mayonnaise? There’s still raw egg in there…this recipe is revolting. Don’t be lazy and find a real recipe for Caesar dressing, you can even use a food processor or immersion blender to make the process easier
So rude!
All of her recipes are fabulous! Why even bother writing that?!
You are very judgmental considering you are not a “real” caesar dressing lover based on your comments. While this recipe is definitely not a classic caesar dressing, you obviously do not know what goes into one. A real caesar has eggs in it and is never emulsified. Hellmans contains eggs, but they are pastuerized. Hellmans contains very similar ingredients that are used in a “real” caesar dressing, so, using mayo is a short cut. I am not a fan of using mayo preferring the classic dressing with oil and eggs used separately. I have, in a pinch when too lazy to coddle eggs, used a wee bit of mayo, but otherwise mostly oil and lemon juice. So, you may as well give this recipe a chance since you are apparently not making real caesar dressing anyway. You might like it!
That was mean and uncalled for. Sigh. It’s not even safe reading reviews for salad dressing recipes these days.
Seriously
So it’s lazy to use mayo instead? Which has the RAW EGGS necessary for the recipe??? Y’all will find anything to complain about
What is it about the internet that encourages some people to post needless unflatteringly written criticism? When I was raising two daughters I told them on a regular basis to leave a trail of kindness in their dealings with other people. You could easily have worded your comments to allow that trail of kindness to flow.
The best Caesar salad dressing ever!! I’ve made this dressing many times to rave reviews. Our personal preference is to up the anchovy paste, lemon juice and garlic slightly. I’ll never use another recipe. Thanks Jen. 😁
This is a winner!! I think the cheese made the difference. I took it to a party and everyone went crazy over it.
Excellent! Didn’t have anchovy sauce, added 2 tbsp of tahini. Excellent!!!
Awful. The mustard, too much garlic, too salty and the Worcestershire sauce do not give this mess an authentic Caesar taste.