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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My first attempt at home made dressing and it turned out Fantastic! Even my hubby, who NEVER likes my home made attempts, Loved it. Thanks!
Thank you I love it! But you have to excuse me for not using Hellmanns “real’ mayonnaise. I’m from Europe and I have to say: this does not deserve the name mayonnaise. Neither does the Kraft stuff. Brrrrr. That’s even worse. You make Mayonnaise fresh. or if you have to buy Belgian like Calvé. Big difference. Now I understand why John Travolta in the movie Pulp Fiction was so surprised that we put mayo on our fries. I wouldn’t touch it if it was American either. It’s really not what it should taste like at all. Great recipe thank you.
Spoken like a true pretentious European.
I made this dressing exactly as the recipe says, did not change any measurements or ingredients.
My family and I all loved it. Thanks for this fantastic recipe.
Mmm.. This is a really good recipe!!! Just made it yesterday for me and my friends. It was delicious. Made the salad with Romain lettuce, fresh grilled chicken, avocado, fresh croutons, boiled eggs, Parmezan and this dressing. Yummie. Definitely gonna use this recipe again!!!
I just finished making it- it’s so flippin’ good! Just finishing up the chicken for chicken ceasar wraps tonight- cheers!!
Hmmm…drown anything in mayonnaise and it is bound to taste delcious…I would leave out the cup of mayo and do one raw egg and 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil instead. That would be an authentic Caesar Salad dressing and healthier to boot!
This dressing is perfect! I replaced part of the mayo with yoghurt which worked out fine. Used a little too much garlic so I’ll be more careful with that next time, but there definitely is going to be a next time 🙂 Thanks heaps!
I’m eating this right now and I must say its very good. However, my batch came out tasting almost spicy! Not sure if it’s the insane amount of garlic I added (two large cloves) or my Worcestershire substitute (some concoction of red wine, soy and steak sauce), but it’s still quite tasty.
Must be more careful about what I’m adding next time. 😉
Yes, it’s the garlic! If the garlic is strong, it can be very spicy.
This dressing is amazing! My whole family loved it… Including my 2 year old! I will never by the bottled stuff again!!
Just made this for all of the CSA lettuce that is coming in. It was so easy to make, and tastes fantastic. My 5 year old ate an entire plate of salad! This recipe will carry us through the summer.