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
My family loves this rich and creamy Caesar salad dressing. It’s not overly garlicky or fishy — it’s just right.
Ingredients
- 2 small garlic cloves, 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 Real
- 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.
- Note: Anchovy paste can be found near the canned tuna in the supermarket.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (10 servings)
- Serving size: About 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 184
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Sugar: 0g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 2g
- Sodium: 296mg
- Cholesterol: 13mg
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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Amazing!!! I’ve made this a couple times now and it is great! No store bought dressing can compare… I’ve tried many before I tried this homemade recipe.
We love this dressing, but have amped up the flavors a bit ie doubled the lemon, anchovy paste, and Worcestershire sauce. I agree with others who say they won’t buy Caesar dressing again.
How long does this last in your fridge?
Hi Elle, it keeps nicely in the fridge for about 5 days. 🙂
I will be making this soon, but will be leaving out the anchovy paste. Should I substitute it with something else or simply leave that ingredient out.
Hi Linda, There’s no perfect substitute for anchovy paste, but Worcestershire sauce would work, or you could just increase the Dijon and Parmesan a bit to add flavor. Hope that helps!
The addition of more Worcestershire sauce and a bit more pepper worked perfectly. Thank you.
Thank you for this recipe. When I realized at the last minute that my favourite store bought Caesar was expired it saved me a run to the store. I will never buy Caesar dressing again. Did not have any Worcestershire sauce and it turned out fantastic regardless of the missing ingredient.
P.S. It was actually so simple to make that my 9 yr old whipped it together for me after chopping the garlic for her of course ;). Thank you again!
Loved this recipe. I used Duke’s Mayonnaise.
Absolutely delicious!!! I have made this recipe twice in one month. I can eat it on many things.
I agree with you that Maille Dijon is THE best, but Trader Joe’s Dijon is an extremely close second, and at $1.69 for 13 oz beats the heck out of Maille at $4.49 for 7.5 oz.
I did make this recipe with a couple changes. I used Trader Joe’s mayo. which has a cleaner, fresher flavor, a shot of hot sauce and added 2 T of Extra Virgin Olive oil. Really good recipe. Also if you have Meyer lemons they are the best and add a lot of flavor.
TCB
This has become a family favorite. My nieces are allergic to seafood and I’ll make some without fish separate for them- even leaving out anchovy paste and Worcestershire it’s a yummy lemon garlic Parmesan creamy dressing.