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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Delicious! To reduce calories and fat, I used 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise with the reminder Fage 2% yogurt. Rich and creamy. Also serves as a great dip for crudités.
It was delicious. I added a little more garlic because I love garlic. this will be my go to recipe from now on.
I made the mistake of trusting the ratings blindly and starting the recipe before I saw how much mayo is in this. 1 cup?! I kept going and feel dumb/wasteful for following through. It tastes like mayo, because of course it does.
If that’s your jam, then go for it. Apparently the internet really enjoys slathering mildly seasoned mayo on its salads and calling it a Ceasar.
Hi Jason, I also wasn’t a fan of the mayo taste, which is what I found by following the recipe exactly. But recipes are really just a guide (or starting point if you will) and I found with a few adjustments for my taste preference, it really made a fantastic and easy caesar dressing.
I only had whole anchovies, so I used two and used a pestle to break it up with the garlic. I added extra lemon juice because I like it tangy. I added about an extra tsp of Dijon, and a dash more worcestershire, plus more salt and pepper. Give it a good mix and you cant even tell a store bought mayo was used.
Fantastic recipe! Never again buying store Caesar dressing!
Fantastic!
Love it! Used already so many times. Thank you
You do realize mayo is oil and raw eggs?
My kids and husband love caesar salad so I was looking for a recipe to make home. I don’t like buying pre-made ones from the store. What makes it harder is that my husband doesn’t like anything and he has crazy pallet, he can tell every ingredient no matter how much is in. He loves this dressing! He said it’s the best dressing he has ever tasted. Thank you for the recipe!
YAY! I will never make (or buy) a different Ceaser dressing again. This is a big hit with the whole family too. I discovered your soup croutons (done in the oven with butter) and they are amazing but a bit too crunchy for this (though perfect for soup). Do you have a recipe or modification to get perfect croutons for Ceaser salad?
Hi Sandy, Glad you liked the dressing! You could stick with the croutons you’re using, but just remove them from the oven a bit earlier so they don’t get quite as crunchy.
Delicious! I used the anchovy paste which I usually dislike, but absolutely appreciate what it does for the dressing. Even my 8 year old son who was upset that I “Made him” eat salad, told me he loved it and asked for 2nd helpings. Thanks for a great recipe!!
This recipe has ruined all other Caesar dressings fo us. It is, by far, the best dressing & super simple to make. We make this exactly as the recipe reads except for adding a bit more anchovy paste. Highly recommend!