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’m trying the ceasar dressing and would like to see what else you have.
Thanks a lot,
Glenda
I tried this dressing tonight and it was a huge hit. I will never worry about coddling an egg again! Thank you so much!
Best homemade dressing I ever had! And I love the idea of the anchovy paste and mayo instead of the raw eggs and whole anchovies. Everyone loved it- I made a grilled chicken caesar for our main course. Such an easy and different dinner idea for us five who get tired of eating the same old foods.
This recipe is phenomenal! It tastes good enough to serve in some of the best restaurants anywhere around the country. I love it and am adding it to my recipe collection and never buying store bought again.
I just made this, except I didn’t have any anchovy paste, but I did have a can of anchovies, so I drained and minced them. I did have a taste before I put in the fridge for tonight. I came upon this site by doing a google on this dressing and yours was the first to come up. I didn’t go any further!! It does taste very good. This w/ a salad and salmon will be my dinner tonight. 🙂
awesome! Love it, I use canned ansjo-fillets and mush them up with a fork and a bit of oil. Thanks so much from Baarn, The Netherlands
I have made this at least four times already. I love this recipe! Thank you for making it so simple! Between this, traditional French olive oil, balsamic vin., spicy mustard and S&P, and homemade thousand island-I’ll never buy pre-packed dressing again!
Good recipe. I used Greek Yogurt instead of Mayo to be a bit more healthy.
This dressing is wonderful! I’ve never bought caesar dressing from the store because it just doesn’t taste good – but now we can have our favorite salad at home! I increase the worcestershire sauce, anchovies, dijon mustard and pepper, as we like a bigger bite to our caesar. This is fantastic with your perfect grilled chicken!
This is my first time to comment to any recipes online and I just couldn’t help but leave a comment. The caesar salad dressing recipe was amazing!! I really enjoyed it and was so easy to do. I tried a bottle once and it was ghastly! Really glad that among the recipes online, I followed yours. Thank you!