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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Comments
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Great recipe and thank you. I had all ingredients on hand and did not have to go back to the store Saved the page on my phone for future reference.
Whoops – I just wrote a review about the Caesar dressing and said I made 1/2 recipe. I didn’t, that was something else! I made the whole recipe. How long will it keep in the refrigerator?
Hi Lynn, It will keep about a week.
I made the Caesar dressing last night and it was perfect. (1/2 recipe) I did use 1 anchovy fillet in the dressing instead of the anchovy paste since my husband also wanted them on his salad. I also added a couple of teaspoons of red wine vinegar. It was fast, easy and delicious. My husband loves a good Caesar salad and he pronounced this version “Perfect”. Thank you!
I am looking forward to trying this recipe. The classic recipe is homemade mayonaise though. Oil and egg equal mayonaise. I have never used regular mayonnaise, so i thought i would try this recipe.
I’m not a huge mayonnaise fan, but I loved this dressing. I used the Hellman’s olive oil mayo, and it was great!
Absolutely LOVED this version of a Caesar Dressing! I love making homemade dressing and my hubby said it was the best so far!..and OIL FREE! Love!
Just a FYI – Mayo is the emulsification of oil and eggs, so this is not oil free.
Turned out perfect the first time I made it. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I love it.
Heaven! Absolutely the right balance of garlic, parmesan and sweetness! My son who orders Ceasar salad everywhere thought this was “THE BOMB”!
Best ever!
a total waste of otherwise good ingredients. I can’t fathom why people seem to like this recipe so much. It tastes exactly like what you’d expect it to, like you dumped a bunch of mayonnaise on your salad. There is no avoiding the distinctive mayonnaise flavor, and this is from someone who really likes mayonnaise. Only in the Midwest would a dressing like this be anything other then a joke. If you want Caesar dressing, that actually tastes like Caesar dressing, make anything other than this recipe.
You must be quite the miserable person to be so angry about a recipe. If you don’t like it, then move on and find another one. Find a hobby while you’re at it.
There must be something wrong with your taste buds fella. If you followed the recjpe, the mayo disappears in the background. The anchovy and dijon shines through.
Tim, Tim, Tim:
I take you for an internet troll. As such, you are miserable. You failed to misspell “caesar,” although it was a nice touch to fail to capitalize the first word of the first sentence in your post.
I have made this salad at least ten times this spring and it is by far the best caesar’s salad recipe out there. We use about six to eight minced anchovies preserved in oil instead of the anchovie paste. It is heaven. Jenn, you’re the best!
Wow, Tim…you’re just a plain mean troll … Penny spotted you a mile away… Buy your bottled stuff & keep it moving…(P.S. hope you read these) I’m going to enjoy this tonite! 🙂
After years of making egg and olive oil Caesar, my wife happened to ask for a creamier dressing. Used your recipe, but added 2 TBS red wine vinegar and used a full tin of anchovies. Put all the ingredients in a 4 cup chopper blender. Just got a big thumbs up from the Mrs. !