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 glop is nothing like a real Caesar salad dressing. Caesar salad is made with zero mayonnaise. It is made with olive oil, egg yolk, lemons anchovies garlic and croutons. Look it up.
It’s funny, because mayonnaise is made of egg yolk, oil, lemon. Maybe just leave your sad thoughts to yourself.
-NOT BERT…Yes totally agree with you
Aaaaamazing!!! I am SO SO HAPPY I have found this recipe. Thank you!
With or without anchovies, this 5-minute dressing tastes just like the stuff you buy in every container labeled “Caesar Dressing,” ever. I love that you can make it fresh every time instead of stretching the same jar of ceasar dressing in the fridge for months. So delicious and really breaks up the monotony of the usual salad seasonings. Thank you.
Dude! You know what mayonnaise is made from right???? And tomatoes, salt, sugar, and vinegar go on French fries, not ketchup!
This recipe is a keeper! I used 3 anchovies as we have them in the fridge.
Perfect.
can you use anchovies instead of paste?
Sure – enjoy!
This recipe has become a staple in my house! Do you think it would freeze well? I have been making it every week, and would love to make a giant batch all at once.
Unfortunately, I don’t think it will freeze well (but so glad you like it)!
Amazing. So simple and tastes great. I’ll never buy ceasar dressing again. Thank you so much.
Everyone raves about this recipe! Honestly it works even if you don’t use the anchovie paste! It become a tradition to make it for all family gatherings.
Perfect!!!!!
Tastes great! Much better than store bought
I’ve made this dressing for several family and friend get togethers and I always get asked for this recipe. I am a self-proclaimed salad connoisseur, I order them out about half the time. And this caesar dressing is one of the best, if not THE best. I’m also Italian. The only thing I do is use yellow mustard instead of dijon because I don’t love it, but I’ve made it both ways and it’s delicious. And I heavily pepper. Thank you for sharing!
Delicious, easy to make, and I already had all the ingredients in my pantry and refrigerator. I’m never buying store bought Caesar dressing again.
Make this all the time and my family and friends love it ! My granddaughter is 13 and enjoys making this dressing !
Delicious! Added about 2 T of 1/2 & 1/2 to thin it a bit. So good!