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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I followed the recipe exactly and the dressing was delicious! I received many complements when served at a party. Next time I will try the advice of another post and double the lemon and garlic. Thanks
I love thos recipe! Thank you for posting it. My only problem is please stop saying tuna fish! We all know tuna is a fish. Nobody ever says salmon fish or halibut fish, it has become a bad habit that people never think about. What if we all went around saying beef cow or pig pork. Its redundant. By the way, I make your recipe at least once a week!
This is my favorite Cesar dressing recipe. I don’t even buy Cesar dressing in the store anymore because store bought is not as good! When I make this, I actually double most of the ingredients other than the mayo (lemon juice, anchovies, seasonings, and garlic) because I like the dressing to be really flavorful.
This was the first recipe I made from your site and I was hooked after that! I was looking for a recipe that didn’t use raw egg since I had just found out I was pregnant. All I changed was that I reduced the mayo to about a half cup and with my immersion blender drizzled about a 1-4 to a 1/3 cup of olive oil otherwise the recipe was great!
Perfect and delish thank you so much!
Wonderful recipe – realized as I was serving it that I had forgotten the anchovy paste! Too late, so we had our salads with anchovy-less dressing. Know what? It was delicious. I didn’t mention it to our guests and didn’t call it Caesar salad – simply a nice romaine salad with a great creamy dressing. I do look forward to tasting the dressing as Jenn intended with anchovy paste, but this was still a very nice dressing.
just made it . WOW . easy and fantastic tast. I use a little more lemon and made fresh anchovy past using one small can of anchovies
is there a substitute for the anchovy paste?
Hi Smitha, There’s no real substitute for anchovy paste, but Worcestershire sauce would work, or you could just increase the Dijon and Parmesan a bit to add flavor.
thank you. will try it
Very easy to make, quick and flavourful
It is awesome, easy, and delicious. Way better than a lot of restaurants