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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3 minutes to make, awesome taste, will never buy ceasar dressing again!
This dressing was delicious. I didn’t have anchovy paste so I put a few drops of fish sauce in it. And I used half mayo and half greek yogurt which probably changed the taste a lot but it was still really good.
Stuart-Long Island
One of my favorite recipes. Its perfect!!!!
When you are looking to make something special, to impress.
I toss it with romaine hearts, red onions, crumbled thick cut bacon, and homemade croutons.
Recipe was excellent.
I used low fat Hellmann’s.
Everyone had seconds.
All I can say is thank you for the yummy dressing! Can’t wait to have dinner !
This recipe is perfect! It’s delicious exactly as written. Every single recipe I’ve tried of yours is wonderful, and receive rave reviews! Thank you!
Awesome
Delicious and so quick. Thank you!!
It was amazing! Loved this recipe. Thank you!
(I didn’t have anchovy paste so I subbed 1/2 tsp fish sauce (I know?!) and I used miracle whip light and light Parmesan to keep the calories down.) It worked and was awesome!(Now I have a way to use up that bottle of fish sauce!)
This is so thick, what have I done wrong?
Hi Brooke, the dressing is naturally a little thick, but did you make any changes or adjustments to the recipe? Regardless, you can thin it out by adding some water. Just add it very slowly so you don’t make it too thin. It will also be much thinner at room temperature; it thickens up in the fridge.
Also, you can sub 2 tabl of mayo for sour cream. It seems to make it less thick.
Sure – Because sour cream is more tangy than mayo, feel free to add another few squeezes of lemon juice to the finished dressing if you feel like it needs it.
Brooke,
My dressing came out a little thick as well (but still delicious! Just thinned it a bit to my preference). The only difference I could find when I watched Jenn’s video… is that I had grated my Parmigiano-Reggiano a little thicker.
Thanks J, for mentioning the thickness of the cheese shred. I’ve been making this delicious dressing for more than a year with thicker than desired results. Changing to a finer shred made all the difference. I love reading review comments for tips like yours.