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Whip up a tasty caesar salad dressing recipe in minutes with just a few ingredients. It will become your new go-to for salads!
Sometimes, you can’t beat homemade—and this easy caesar salad dressing recipe will be perfect for your next salad. It’s just as good as our homemade Ranch Dressing Recipe and is sure to become a family favorite.
Homemade Dressing for the Win
Who here loves salad? We do, and we especially love the dressings that come with it!
I especially crave yummy salads in the spring, and one of my all-time favorites is Chicken Caesar Salad. Today we are sharing a homemade dressing that you can use to drizzle on top of the delicious dish.
This homemade Caesar salad dressing is simple and so good. It seriously tastes like it’s from a restaurant, and it’s unbelievably easy to make.
If you are craving salads right now just like I am, then you’ll definitely want to try out this homemade dressing with Homemade Croutons.
How to Make Caesar Dressing
I already told you this homemade Caesar dressing is beyond easy to make! Most of the ingredients are ones you probably already have sitting around in your kitchen, minus the anchovy paste.
I know anchovy paste sounds unappetizing, but trust me, when you mix it all together, it helps give the dressing that distinct flavor you know and love.
I suggest you freshly squeeze the lemon juice, but if you have the bottled kind, that works too.
JUST MIX! To make the dressing, whisk together minced garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce in a medium bowl.
Add mayo, olive oil, cheese, salt, and black pepper and whisk until combined.
STORE. Store in the fridge until you’re ready to toss with your salad.
Make it Into a Salad!
The dressing and croutons are really the star of a Caesar salad. Am I right?!
For a basic Caesar salad recipe, use a bed of Romaine lettuce add parmesan cheese, then top with your homemade dressing and some croutons.
This is the best Caesar dressing and pairs so perfectly with homemade croutons! And both are 100% better than store-bought versions! It’s worth the extra bit of effort in my opinion to just make them homemade.
Recipe Tips + SToring Info
There are some variations that you can implement when making this easy Caesar dressing. However, note that the end result will have a different taste and texture from the original recipe.
- Anchovy paste can be substituted with miso paste.
- Mayonnaise can be substituted with Greek yogurt.
- Add some Dijon mustard.
- One medium lemon will produce 2-3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. You can also use a store-bought bottle.
- To really get all the ingredients to combine into a smooth texture use an immersion blender or food processor.
STORE. Because of the mayo, the dressing must be stored in the refrigerator. It will keep well for up to 1 week.
The dressing can be frozen but it probably won’t thaw well. If you do risk it, then be sure to blend the thawed dressing together again before using.
Recipe FAQ
Many Caesar dressings use raw eggs in the recipe which certain individuals, like pregnant women, should avoid. But good news, this homemade recipe does not use raw egg so go ahead and whip up a batch and savor every bite.
Truth be told, most restaurants use actual anchovies in the dressing and most of the time we don’t even notice it. However, if you just don’t like them or are looking for a vegetarian option you can omit the paste or substitute it with miso-paste.
Though this salad is often served as an Italian dish, it did not originate in Italy. Italian chef, Caesar Cardini, owned a restaurant in Mexico during the 1920s and it was there that he used his favorite Italian flavors to create this well-known dish.
For More Great Salad Recipes, Try:
- Chicken Caesar Salad
- Favorite Easy Pasta Salad with Italian Dressing
- Chinese Pasta Salad
- Arugula Salad
- Waldorf Salad
- Easy Tortellini Salad
Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon anchovy paste
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- To make the dressing, in a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice, Worcestershire, garlic, and anchovy paste. Add mayo, olive oil, cheese, salt, and pepper and whisk until combined. Store in the refrigerator until ready to toss with your salad.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank you for another well loved salad recipe!
Just WONDERING…YOUR RECIPE DOESN’T HAVE LETTUCE IN THE INGREDIENTS?
The recipe is just for the dressing & homemade croutons. You can add to your lettuce of choice 🙂
I am confused about the 2 tsp of garlic. Straight garlic? Garlic powder?
What happened to the dressing?? It used to be here?
I just updated it so it’s in there. Not sure what happened, but thanks for the heads up. 😉
I’m going to make this for dinner tonight! I’m 34 weeks prego and craving salad all day every day 🙂
How did it go?? Hope you loved it as much as we did!!
This looks absolutely PERFECT!!! The best salad ever.
Boy do I miss Oreganos! I’ll never forget when I ate a Pizzookie right before a pregnancy dr. appt and my sugar was all high they got worried until I told them where I had lunch, ha!
Wait a second – did you use to live in Arizona?? Or is Oregano’s somewhere else too??? Isn’t it the best??
Yummy! Wish I had some right now!
xoxo
Looks amazing!
This looks amazing and makes me want salad so bad now! I was just at the store like two hours ago otherwise I would go pick everything up! Well I know what I am having next time I go to the store 🙂
Let me know if you give it a try. 🙂