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 Caesar dressing is far better than the bottled, so happy I found the recipe. Thank you for sharing. Making a special dinner for my husbands birthday and this is part of the menu.
This has to be the best Cesar dressing I’ve found yet. This is the first one without egg, and I chose to omit the anchovy paste, but it was absolutely amazing. Low calorie and guilt free, I will use this on more than just salad now! Thank you!
I just made this dressing, and I love it. I’m putting into my recipe keeper app now!
Easy and delicious. Thanks! Do you have a recipe for Greek Salad?
Hi Josie, Glad you enjoyed! I don’t have a classic Greek salad on the site but try this salad with feta. You might also like this creamy feta dressing.
Omitted the anchovy paste and added extra garlic. Absolutely the best dressing we’ve ever had!
Hi Jenn, do you think this dressing will work with Greek yogurt instead of the mayo?
Hi Kim, If you want to use Greek yogurt, I’d suggest replacing only half of the mayo with it. You may also need to cut back on the lemon juice as the yogurt will add more tang to the dressing. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
This is the best Caesar dressing I ever had. Perfect perfect perfect and so easy to make. Thank you so much for sharing such a perfect recipe!
Quick, easy…..and delicious!
I am going to try the recipe, but I just wanted to make a comment. How do you think real mayonnaise is made? With eggs! I have my own hens & make all my own mayo, using this as a base for heaps of dressings & Caesar was the next one I wanted to make. I had a look at the ingredient list of the brand you use & it contains whole eggs & egg yolks, so if you’re feeding this to your kids & they’re fine, you obviously don’t have to be concerned about those nasty eggs in a dressing! (Since the site asks for it, I will rate it even though I haven’t made it, as I am confident it will be good).
I think she’s concerned because caesar dressing is typically made with raw eggs and most people don’t have the time to pasteurize their own eggs. By using packaged mayo, she’s able to rest easy that her kids aren’t just eating raw eggs from which they can contract salmonella. Because, while you are right there are eggs in packaged mayo, it’s made with pasteurized eggs. But if you have your own hens and you are able to pasteurize your eggs to make your own mayo, more power to you! I’m sure it’s delicious! I’m hoping to be able to do that one day.
Made it without the anchovy paste and I thought it was the best. I cut the recipe in half since I’m the only one who eats it. I can’t say if I would like it with the anchovy.
I thought the same thing about anchovy paste but did buy some and used it in the recipe,happy I did it turned out well. Delicious 😋
This is THE BEST Caesar Salad dressing I have ever had. Every time I make it, I am asked to share the recipe. I have made it multiple times and it never fails to impress. I will never make a different recipe, it is that good. Thank you for sharing.