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.

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.”

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!

I'd love to know how it turned out! Please let me know by leaving a review below. Or snap a photo and share it on Instagram; be sure to tag me @onceuponachef.

My family loves this rich and creamy Caesar salad dressing. It’s not overly garlicky or fishy — it’s just right.

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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.

This recipe is AWESOME!! The best I’ve ever made. I used canned anchovies instead of the paste. This will be my go to homemade dressing!

OMG this recipe is PERFETTO!!! The best Caesar dressing I have ever made. I did add fish sauce instead of anchovy paste since I had it on hand, but otherwise made it exactly as stated. You know what I’m having for dinner :o)

This is absolutely the BEST Caesar salad dressing that I have ever had! And so easy to make! I never liked Caesar salad before I had this dressing! Now I can’t have it often enough!! I had my neighbors over for dinner and they loved it, too! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe with us!!!

I made this to go with grilled romaine. I followed the recipe exactly and it was very good and flavorful. I don’t like a lot of anchovy flavor but this recipe has a nice balance.

This recipe is perfect! No changes needed, though I like the suggestion below from the user who added a few drops of Tabasco for a kick!! Totally going to try that.

This is my FAVORITE Caesar dressing recipe!!!! Been making it for years. Only thing I do different is add more lemon juice.. I love lemons. Which gives it a thinner consistency (makes it easier to pour)! Thanks for a wonderful recipe!!

This recipe is a GODSEND! Thank you so so much! My husband does all our shopping and always buys me fat free ranch ….everytime. He means well but man have I been itching for some Ceasar! We are vegetarian so I substituted the mayo with hellmans vegan mayo, the Worcestershire sauce with liquid smoke and the anchovy paste with soy sauce. It worked perfectly! Oh my goodness was the best salaf in my life! Haha ! There’s plenty for more salads. Thank you so much! I’m sharing this with my cooking group on fb!

Sorry for saying this….

It should be noted that Mayonnaise is made from a raw egg (or raw egg yoke) and seed oils. So like 3 cups of seed oils. New evidence is being presented that shows long duration consumption of seed oils are more dangerous for human health, such as significantly increasing cardio vascular disease, diabetes or metabolic syndrome risks. Even mental acuity is compromised over the long term. The oil in store bought mayonnaise typically uses cotton seed oil, (crisco) which has health ramifications, (decades of abuse is usually required to create the scenario of your body breaking down and laden with disease), and it would be highly recommended not to use it. These dangerous seed oils are produced through subsidies by the US government, so financially incentivized.

No one plans on living off of caesar dressing, Dan. Did you even try the recipe before giving your two cents and submitting a rating?

Oh Dan. My Hellman-loving grandparents all lived into their 90’s. So another dollop for me please!

Ditto- I’m from the South- Dukes mayo all my life! Yummmm

So good!!! We add tobasco sauce to give it a little kick. We have it at least once a month. 🤩

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