Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
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This homemade Caesar salad dressing is rich, creamy, and so much better than store-bought. Toss it with crisp romaine, crunchy croutons, and plenty of Parmesan for a classic Caesar salad everyone loves.
There are countless Caesar dressing recipes out there, but this is the version my whole family loves. It’s rich and creamy, and not too garlicky or too fishy—it’s just right.
Unlike traditional Caesar dressing, which is made with olive oil and thickened with raw egg, this version has a mayonnaise base, making it perfect for anyone who’d rather not eat raw eggs. My kids love it so much that they’ve learned to make it themselves. They don’t even wait for me to make a salad; while I’m cooking dinner, they’ll sit at the kitchen table with a big heart of romaine and dip the leaves right into the dressing.
“Without a doubt, this is the best Caesar salad recipe I have found and I’m 73 years old!”
What You’ll Need To Make Caesar Salad Dressing
- Anchovy paste: Instead of whole anchovies, paste makes the recipe 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!)
- Mayonnaise: Used in place of the raw egg and oil found in traditional Caesar dressing; gives this version a rich, creamy texture. Use Hellmann’s or Duke’s.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano: You can always tell if it’s authentic from Italy 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.”
- Fresh lemon juice: This brightens the rich dressing and balances the Parmesan and mayonnaise. Freshly squeezed makes a noticeable difference.
- Garlic: Caesar dressing needs garlic, but it can easily take over. This recipe uses just enough to give the dressing a little bite without overpowering the other flavors.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Caesar Dressing
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. That’s all there is to it! The dressing will keep well in the refrigerator for about a week. Keep in mind that it will thicken as it chills; if it’s too thick, simply whisk in a teaspoon or two of water until it reaches your desired consistency.
How to Make Caesar Salad
Place chopped romaine in a large bowl and add just enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves. Toss well, then add homemade croutons and freshly grated or shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serve it as is, or turn it into a main course by topping it with grilled chicken, salmon, steak, or shrimp.
Video Tutorial
More Salad Dressings You’ll Love
Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 small cloves garlic, 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 or Duke's
- 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, then serve or refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
- Anchovy paste can be found near the canned tuna in the supermarket.
- Storage: The dressing will keep well in the refrigerator for about a week and will thicken as it chills. If needed, whisk in a teaspoon or two of water to thin it to your desired consistency.
- To make a Caesar salad: Toss chopped romaine with enough dressing to generously coat the leaves. Add homemade croutons and freshly grated or shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano, and toss again. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Information
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 THE recipe I use for my Caesar salad & everyone always asks me about the brand of dressing I buy. It is fast & easy to make & is the tastiest dressing. Friends are always wanting the recipe.
I love this recipe and have made numerous times.
I use Dukes mayo, real cheese and the last 2 batches separated.
It comes out curdled, yellowish tan and a separated mess. I throw out, just too bad looking.
What may I be doing wrong.
I have always used a blender and have always turned out creamy, as your pictures in the website, and most importantly tastes yummy!!
I’d really like feedback with what I maybe doing wrong. I used the same ingredient brands.
Has this happened to anyone else?
Thanks a bunch!
Hi Debra, that sounds frustrating after you’ve had success with it on a number of occasions! What you’re describing sometimes can be a result of overblending. Has changed with your equipment—are you using a newer or more powerful blender, or blending longer than usual? Also, were the ingredients, especially the mayonnaise, very cold when you made the dressing? Sometimes temperature differences can affect how well the dressing emulsifies.
Excellent recipe – tastes just like it would at any great restaurant! It’s a family favorite!
Recipe was great! Not too fishy. It involved no store dressing which we love. i would very much recommend it. jennifer segal is a great recipe maker.
I was at the grocery store googling the best store bought caesar dressing. After being underwhelmed with the “winners” I looked up Jenn’s recipe. The only ingredient that was not in my pantry was the anchovy paste. Bought the paste, went home, made the dressing, family raved! It is delicious and simple to make.
Thank you Jenn, I can always count on your recipes.
I substitute mayo for plain greek yogurt and, oh, WOW! Best salad dressing I’ve ever made, never mind the best I’ve ever had. I’ll be making this weekly for, like, ever!
It’s the best! I like to make food from scratch. No prepared dressing sold at stores could ever replace this easy. It’s easy to put together.
I didn’t have anchovy paste and I eliminated the salt and it was still amazing!
really wonderful dressing, and I had all the ingredients in my pantry save the anchovy paste, which I now have for my next batch! It’s a winner!!
Delicious! I had to use garlic powder due to my husband’s sensitive stomach but it still tasted absolutely delicious!
It’s a keeper! So simple and tastes so fresh unlike bottled dressings. My family loves it. Sometimes I reduce the amount of garlic and it’s still delicious. I’ve also used pecorino Romano cheese and eliminated the salt since this cheese is a bit salty on its own.
Equally important is your choice of mayonnaise. A discount brand will likely ruin your dressing, at least as much as using bargain basement cheese. It won’t taste bad—it just won’t taste “right”. And yes, Reggiano really is the key. And if you let it sit a spell, anything from an hour or so up to overnight in the frig, the garlic will mellow a bit and all of the flavors will marry. You can stretch it a bit as well with olive oil and a bit of lemon juice..yum.