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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Possibly the best Caesar dressing I have ever made. Followed the recipe exactly and it was perfection….I’ve made it twice now in less than a month…..with this recipe I’d prefer to make my own dressing instead of buying pre-made…
This is the best caesar salad dressing recipe that I have come across! I’ve been using it for quite a while now and it is my go to recipe for sure!! I have also shared it with many others. It is just the perfect blend of ingredients! Thanks for sharing it here!
I thought this recipe was very good. I like the creamy cesar, not the egg and oil based ones. I added a bit more parmesean reggiano, thinned it with red wine vinegar and olive oil, bit more garlic and dijon mustard. I put the dijon mustard, garlic, W sauce, anchovies and all other liquids into the food processor and blended it. Whipped it into the mayo and thinned it with the above stated oil and red wine vinegar and a bit more lemon .
Easy to make and delicious. I used Fish Sauce (contains fermented anchovy extract) instead of the anchovy paste and salt.
How much fish sauce did you use?
This is the first time I’ve made a Caesar Salad that was not from scratch. I chose this dressing due to the raves. I made it and left it in the fridge for several hours so the flavors could blend. Have to tell you i am VERY unimpressed. I would not make this again. guess I’m back to scratch
Same. I found it had a lot of mayo and had a strong taste of garlic. I would never use this recipe again.
So easy and delicious. The first ceasar dressing I made from scratch, but no need to look further. I left out the anchovy paste. Thinned it, as others suggested, with olive oil and lemon juice. So tasty!
Thanks for the heads up, my concern is she said it doesn’t use raw eggs so you don’t have to worry, really? What does she think mayonnaise is made from?
I honestly can’t rate it because I haven’t made or tasted it, I just responded about the raw egg issue
I made this tonight and it was delicious! Perfect! Exactly what I was looking for in a Caesar Dressing! I followed the directions to a “T” and now it goes in my “favorites” Recipe Pile. Thank you!!!!
Totally wonderful. I used two flat anchovies in place of the paste, and it was perfect. Thanks so much!
I’ve been trying a couple recipes for Ceasars and this one was was definitely the best. Purchasing the anchovy paste made making it WAY easier because I just hated opening the smelly canned ones and mincing them; it almost grossed me out to the point of not wanting to put them in! It really scared me to see how mayonaise goes in there so I decided to go for 3/4 instead and it was still so delicious. I also added a bit of olive oil and extra lemons juice to make it less thick! I’m excited to serve this one next time we have friends over
This recipe is awesome. It’s easy to make and tastes great. Love it.