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 is the first time I have reviewed a recipe, this dressing is excellent! Every time I make this for a group I am asked for the recipe!
So I made this recipe without the anchovy paste, used fresh lime juice instead of lemon, liquid aminos instead of Worcestershire sauce and honey mustard instead of dijon and used parmesan cheese. I was scared it wouldn’t turn out good with so many changes (I had none of those recommended items to hand so I used what I had) it tasted awesome!! I can only imagine what the original tastes like. Thank you sooooo much!
This is the best caesar dressing! No more bottled stuff. The freshness of the lemon juice and umami from the anchovies makes it superb. I’ve made it several times now and I actually double the anchovy paste as I like it a little more pronounced.
Amazing. Absolutely amazing. Every year we get lots and lots of Kale, so I decided to made kale Caesar salad and this dressing just made it the best Caesar salad I’ve ever had. And I didn’t even include the anchovy paste or the Worcestershire. I did it all in a blender. Just pulse to blend and scrape down side as needed. Now I’ll look forward to the kale. Ps for Kale caesar, just wash the kale and cut or tear into smaller pieces. Thank you!!!!!
This dressing is the “bomb.com” and super easy to make !!!
Thanks for this great recipe :0)
Loved this and more than that my husband ate a salad (and enjoyed it) and my daughter who hates anchovies couldn’t get enough! So easy in my nutribullet too. Thanks!
Delicious! I made this one day ahead and it’s better as it sits. I usually default to Renee’s mighty Caesar at home, and this blows it out of the water. Super easy to make – I tossed everything into my KitchenAid mixer and whipped it up. Will be making this weekly!
This dressing is amazing plus quick and easy to make. I’ll never by shop bought again it’s that good.
Looking forward to trying your Buffalo Wings tonight.
Loving your website
Just perfect!! And Easy!
Decided to google a dressing recipe while at the store. Wanted something more fresh than a store bought bottle. This was so easy and absolutely delicious. Thank you for your recipes.
This is by far the best dressing EVER!! We went through so much romaine lettuce because of this dressing. Not to mention my very picky teenage daughters could not get enough of this dressing. I caught one dipping fries in the leftover jar. Fantastic job!!
I can’t believe it! I was so skeptical! I’ve never made a caesar dressing before. But I can’t get to the store so I thought I’d give it a try! Its Perfection! It’s as good as the fancy restaurant we go to on anniversaries! Thank you so much for the perfect easy Caesar dressing recipe.
This recipe is my wife and I’s go to for Caesar dressing. It is so simple and easy instead of making the Mayo from scratch, but of course sometimes we do, but in a pinch this recipe is by far the best. We buy quality ingredients and it tastes amazing. I highly recommend this dressing. If you find it a little thick you can always add it to slightly damp Romaine. Thank you for providing an easy quick and delicious recipe my family will enjoy for years to come.