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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This is the best Caesar salad dressing ever. I make it all the time and everyone loves it. Love this site and have made many recipes, all excellent. Thanks😀
Love it!
Another awesome recipe! I could only get a tin of anchovies from an online site, not the paste. I followed Jenn’s recommendation in the comments and completely mashed two anchovies with a fork. It worked perfectly. The dressing was amazing–a hit with all family members–creamy, tasty, but not overwhelming with garlic or anchovies. This will be our go-to from now on! This will be great with the pan-seared salmon, too.
I love this dressing. Better than most restaurants and not hard to make. Have not had bottle dressing for many months since I tried this.
couldn’t agree more☺️👍👍
How much fish sauce would you use for this recipe if you don’t have anchovy paste?
I’d guess you’d need 1 to 2 tsp. I’d start with 1 tsp. and then add more to taste if needed.
I only have tinned anchovies in my pantry. How many filets would you use in lieu of anchovy paste?
PS: I am not squeamish- in fact, I love anchovies!
Hi Amy, I suggest starting out with 2 (but if you want more anchovy flavor, feel free to add more)!
Very simple to make & it was excellent! Thank you
Tastes delicious!
My grandmother’s caesar salad dressing was the best recipe. However, it required raw eggs. This is the closest recipe I have found to hers without the raw eggs and it is delicious while safe to eat! Thank you!
After reading the reviews, I really thought I could make this work without it tasting too much of mayo. I used excellent mayo, and reduced the amount to 1/2 cup to start. It was inedible. I tried adding more lemon, pepper, and garlic to cut through the mayo with no luck. Glad this works for so many, but I’ll be sticking with the previous caesar dressing recipe I had been using.
What recipe you using. Email me plz alex.greybear.becerra@gmail.com
I have tried several different Caesar dressing recipes and this is the best! I like the mayo base which makes the dressing creamy and not oily. I don’t need to try another Caesar dressing ever again!
Exactly! Too much mayo. Not enough anchovies. Too thick. Who are all these 5 star reviews??? Blech
I loved this recipe. I had to tweak it to cut down on the thickness of the dressing. Added a tad more anchovy, less mayo, and replaced it with olive oil. She clearly states to season it to taste. I was pleased that it didn’t call for raw eggs. This recipe will be in my repertoire from here on out! Thank you for the road map to make it to our personnel preference.
This dressing is so delicious, my entire family loved it! Thank you for another amazingly simple and scrumptious recipe!
Hi Jenn
I have made so many of your recipes (no subs) and they have ALL been delicious….most recently the pecan shortbread cookies. I want to try this Caesar Dressing but I have an aversion to mayonnaise. Can I sub evoo? My Caesar recipe I’ve been using calls for evoo and a raw egg yolk, so also wondering if I would need to use a raw egg with the evoo. No problem with the raw egg. I have told so many people about you! And just made a another bottle of your zesty Italian. So darn tasty! Thank you!
Noreen
Hi Noreen, So glad you like the recipes! There’s no great alternative to the mayo in this without making several other adjustments to the recipe. For the most predictable results, I would suggest looking for a more traditional Caesar recipe. Sorry!
The best caesar sauce ever. Everyone absolutely loved it and we have had a lot of Caesar salads over the years Thank you.