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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This will be your go to Caesar salad dressing! It’s so easy to make and the flavor is far better than any bottle could pack in. Don’t let the anchovy paste be optional if you can help it, because it helps provide that classic Caesar taste. Just like one other reader mentioned, if it turns out too thick then add a little milk.
Hi,
I made this without anchovies, a good thing, not sure quite how to season to taste otherwise? Not a big fan of ranch. I went to ‘pantry’ (kitchen cabinet) and found that I was fresh out of 1000’s of islands, so I made this, ’cause I could. Headed out for more 1000’s of islands. I also thinned it down with oat milk. 🙂
This is without a doubt THE BEST Caesar salad dressing I’ve tasted!
Quick, easy and tasty. Every time I serve it, I get recipe requests. Our new family favourite.
Thank you Jenn for your fabulous recipes! I’ve tried SO many of them and every one is 5 stars!!!
🙂
Hands down the best caesar dressing that doesn’t use eggs. I’ve tried many, even pioneer woman, and this one blows them out of the water. My 4 yo twins gobbled it up and wanted to dip anything and everything in it. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Thank you! This dressing is delish!
At long last, a delicious (and easy) caeser. Excellent consistency, excellent flavor! Into the bookmarks it goes!
This is literally the best recipe I have ever gotten off-line. Ever. It is my go to recipe for hosting dinners/attending dinners it is my go to recipe for hosting dinners/attending dinners. , And it’s so quick and easy to whip up and lasts for at least a week so we eat it on a regular basis in our home as well. Literally every single person who has ever eaten a salad that I’ve made with this dressing has asked for the recipe and then has added it to their regular rotation as well.
I love Once Upon a Chef recipes! They’re all delicious! This caesar dressing is my new favorite dressing. My husband requests it weekly! I am serving this Caesar salad and Once Upon a Chef’s grilled chicken to guests tomorrow night!
Perfect perfect perfect! I’ve been craving Caesar salads a lot lately and decided it was time to try making a from-scratch dressing.. so glad I did! Wow! Also made some homemade croutons for the salad and couldn’t stop dunking them in the Caesar dressing : ) I topped our dinner salad with your Perfectly Grilled Chicken Breasts, which were also phenomenal. Thank you!
In our high school hospitality class, we have a monthly luncheon in partnership with the health centre for the elders in our community. This month, our contribution to the luncheon was Caesar Salad. To make it extra special, we decided to do homemade dressing, and based on all the great reviews, we picked this recipe to make. It was very easy for our students to make, and we got great feedback from everyone who tried our salad. The only substitution we did was to use pre-grated parmesan cheese, as we were on a budget, but we did buy 1 brick of real parmesan to sprinkle on top of our salad as garnish. Thank you for this great recipe! I plan to make this for my family, and we will definitely use it again at school!
Hi Chelsy, what a nice thing that your class does! Glad to hear the dressing was well received at the luncheon and that you have a new recipe to use at home with your family! 🙂