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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Making it tonight for a family dinner can’t wait
Can’t wait to try this recipe. My mouth is already watering!!
How many is a Cup in grams of ml
Hi Ellen, It really depends on what you have in the cup (a cup is a measure of volume, while a gram is a measure of mass). Sorry I can’t be more helpful.
A cup is 237 milliliters
How can you say that “This one, on the other hand, has a mayonnaise base, which means no raw eggs”
Mayonnaise is made with raw eggs.
Tony, Commercial mayonnaise is always made with pasteurized eggs, which means they are cooked briefly at a high temperature and then cooled. Pasteurized eggs still have the consistency of raw eggs but they are safe to eat.
So many great comments, I have to try this! Would you think Helmans mayo light would work? Just trying to lighten things up a bit. This sounds like A great recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Linda, I’ve never tried Hellmann’s light so I can’t say for sure, but I think this recipe would be best with regular mayo.
Love this recipe… A smash hit every time.. Living in AK We smoke a lot of salmon which is what I add.. Yummy
Also to cut down on calories I use Hellmans light mayo.. Never noticed a difference….
Literally standing here with the ingredients on the counter. This is the most amazing recipe I have made. I will never go back to store bought. Amazing
I make my own vinaigrette dressing, so I told myself “why not try the ceasar salad dressing?!”… anyway, this one is very tasty, so glad that I tried your recipe!:)
I tried this recipe and it’s very good! I’ll definitely make it again, I did add more lemon juice but that ‘s only because my family and I seem to like our Caesar salad more tangy. However, I did want to mention that when I went to purchase the ingredients the anchovy paste was not kept near the canned tuna fish. It has to be refrigerated so I was told to find it in the same aisle as chip dips. There’s a sticker on the box of my anchovy paste that says “keep refrigerated”.
Anchovy paste need not be refrigerated before cracking the seal. IT IS BEST TO DO SO AFTER, HOWEVER.
I found this recipe by searching in Google…when I stumbled across this site. I have since then, been so faithful!! This dressing is so wonderful, the best I have ever had. Everyone I have made this for has absolutely loved it!!