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 is a FABULOUS recipe! I hesitated at the idea of using mayo for a Caesar dressing, and am just glad I went ahead and tried it. Tweaked it a little, using
2 med/large size garlic cloves, 3 TB Redboat Fish Sauce in place of the anchovies, and omitted the salt called for. It’s a very thick dressing, so, after mixing everything together, I added about 3/4 cup olive oil to make the dressing a bit more “liquified” which worked fine and didn’t dilute the flavor at all. What’s especially wonderful is that it comes out tasting almost like blue cheese dressing! I can’t rave enough about this Caesar Salad Dressing recipe!
Update to my comments of May 24, 2019, shown above – I decided to give the recommended anchovy paste a try (instead of fish sauce), and like it better. Also, since I like a thinner dressing, I added some almond milk to thin the consistency, and cut the olive oil I had originally used to about 1/3-1/2 cup.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Came out great but I had to put in real anchovies, I love those little guys.
Excellent Caesar dressing. It tastes as good if not better than high end steakhouses.
Absolutely perfect! I have tried several recipes looking for the perfect Caesar salad dressing recipe including Ina Garten’s but they were all missing something. Yours is perfect and saved my Caesar salad habit. Not only is it delicious but it is super fast to make using my homemade mayo.
Simply awesome!, no need to ever try another recipe
I’ve made this at least 10 times. It’s SO good. I add extra anchovy paste. DELICIOUS!
This is my family’s absolute favorite Caesar dressing – they request it for many of our holiday meals and I gladly make it because it’s so easy and yet so very, very delicious! Bravo!
This dressing is so good that after the family ate all the salad, I ransacked the fridge for more greens and they gobbled up kale, and everything else remotely green. Thank you!!
Tastes like mayonnaise, not Caesar.
This dressing is delish! And so easy. Didn’t have anchovy paste, so added a little extra Worcestershire. Might cut back a tiny bit on the mayo next time, but overall – really yummy!