Caesar Dressing
30 Comments
Updated May 23, 2024
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Meet the ultimate homemade Caesar dressing. It’s a combination of lemony, garlicky, cheesy, and umami goodness in a deliciously creamy texture. Once you’ve whipped this up, you can create the perfect bowl of Caesar salad, and so much more!
Why you’ll Love This Caesar Dressing
Caesar salad is one of the easiest salads to make. And the ingredients are always kept to a minimum because the true star of the salad is this dreamy, creamy dressing! In fact, it’s one of the most popular bottled dressings you can buy, but I personally think it tastes a million times better when you make it fresh at home. Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:
- It resembles the most classic version. Why there’s debate on whether anchovies were included in Caesar Cardini’s authentic Caesar dressing from the early 1920’s in Tijuana, Mexico, I say they’re essential. It’s what gives the dressing its distinct salty umami flavor. And no, it won’t taste fishy, trust me!
- It’s easy to make and store. Just add all of the ingredients to a food processor and quickly blend them up. You can then store the dressing for up to five days in the fridge to use throughout the week.
- It’s extremely versatile. Besides tossing this dressing into a Caesar salad, there are so many ways you can use it, from a dipping sauce to a sandwich spread. I’ve got a few more ideas below!
Caesar Dressing Ingredients
- Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice is far better than the bottled kind. It has a much brighter flavor!
- Anchovies: I strongly recommend using tinned anchovies in oil for the best umami flavor, but one teaspoon of anchovy paste works as well.
- Garlic: Opt for fresh garlic rather than powdered garlic. It will lend a deeper garlicky flavor overall.
- Sauces: A mix of Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce adds amazing flavor. And if you’re wondering which brands I love, they’re linked in the recipe card below!
- Seasonings: Onion powder, salt, and black pepper tie this dressing together.
- Mayonnaise: The authentic Caesar dressing was a mix of oil plus a raw egg yolk, to create an emulsification. But to make things easy, I’m skipping that step and going straight to mayonnaise.
- Parmesan Cheese: It’s key that you use fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano. The flavor is bold, sharp, and complex.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below
How To Make Caesar Dressing
- Blend the first set of ingredients. Add add the lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, onion powder, and pepper to a small food processor, and blend until smooth.
- Add the creamy texture. Add the mayonnaise and parmesan, then blend again until well combined.
- Serve immediately or store away for later use. It will last for up to 5 days in the fridge in a sealed container.
A Few Tips and Substitutions
- For a vegan anchovy alternative: swap in 2 tablespoons of capers for a briny flavor.
- For a gluten-free dressing: make sure to use a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce.
- If you don’t have access to anchovies: you can add another teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. This sauce is made with anchovies and can provide a similar umami kick without an overpowering anchovy flavor.
- If you only have a large food processor: blend all the ingredients in one go.
- For a mayo alternative: replace it with sour cream or Greek yogurt. But, reduce the lemon juice to 1 to 1½ tablespoons as the sour cream/yogurt will add more tang.
More Ways To Use Caesar Dressing
- Gently toss with cooked veggies: I love to pair this Caesar dressing with air fryer Brussels sprouts and air fryer carrots, but any of your favorite cooked veggies will work.
- Use as a dipping sauce. Make this the centerpiece of a vegetable platter appetizer or serve it alongside french fries or air fryer chicken wings for the ultimate dip.
- Use it as a spread. Whether you’re making a turkey burger, chicken sandwich, or cauliflower pizza, a spread of Caesar will give it some oomph!
More Salad Dressings
- Coleslaw Dressing: Just what you need to make a classic coleslaw!
- Lemon Vinaigrette: My favorite everyday vinaigrette for all salads.
- Lemon Tahini Dressing: A bright, creamy, and nutty dressing.
- Maple Mustard Tahini Dressing: If you love mustard with a sweet twist, this is a winner.
I hope you love this Caesar salad dressing recipe! If you make it, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.
Caesar Dressing
Description
The ultimate homemade Caesar dressing recipe! Its lusciously creamy with lemony, garlicky, cheesy, and umami flavors all combined into one fabulous dressing. Watch the video below on how I make this in my kitchen!
Video
Equipment
- Mini Food Processor Perfect for homemade dressings!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 anchovies in oil, see note below
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Blend the first set of ingredients. Add add the lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, onion powder, and pepper to a small food processor, and blend until smooth.
- Blend again. Add the mayonnaise and parmesan, then blend again until well combined.
- Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator.
Lisa’s Tips
- For the anchovies: I personally prefer the flavor of the fresh anchovies. And it’s easy to buy a tin at the market! They quite literally just melt into the other ingredients as soon as you blend. No fishy chunks or fishy flavor! But you could also swap in 1 teaspoon of anchovy paste.
- To store in the fridge: This dressing can be stored for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 404mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 69IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 0.2mg
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Your recipes look amazing ! Cannot wait to start trying
I hope you enjoy them, Jackie!
Delicious and easy to make, I’ll never buy store bought dressing again. I made this tonight and my husband said our caesar salad tasted like a restaurant salad.
Hi Hannah – Thrilled to hear you both enjoyed this Caesar salad dressing!
I was hesitant to make a recipe with anchovies, but the recipe turned out perfectly. I probably added about 3/4 cup of mayo (vs the suggested 1 cup) as I use a mayo that has a more distinct taste, and I was happy that I did. I’ll definitely be making this again! Thank you for sharing such fabulous recipes!
Hi Dawn – The anchovies is what makes this classic Caesar dressing so good!
Hi Lisa
I love all your recipes and your website is very good and easy to find what i am looking for.
I am so grateful to find your downshiftology fab site.
I am enjoying cooking again.
Thank you so much
Marilyn
Hi Marilyn – Happy to hear you’re loving all the recipes so far!
Can you share a recipe without mayo or a substitute for those of us who don’t like mayo? Thanks soo much!
I almost always substitute mayo for sour cream or split it half and half in sauce and dressing recipes, so the mayo flavor doesn’t overpower everything! Works great and always tastes fresher and lighter to me.
This is our go to caesar dressing recipe, and we always use Lisa’s mayo recipe as the base. My kiddo loves helping make this super easy recipe.
Hi Kelly – Glad you love this Caesar dressing!
I followed the recipe and it is so good. The best caesar dressing! You are so professional in your work. Thank you!
Hi Carole – Happy to hear your Caesar dressing turned out perfectly!
I don’t like anchovies. Can I substitute it with something else? Thank you
Hi Vesi – If you don’t use anchovies, you can add another teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. This sauce is made with anchovies and can provide a similar umami kick without an overpowering anchovy flavor.
You can use capers. Use about 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons. they are perfect as a replacement for anchovies.
Can’t wat to try this recipe as I live on salads and love the crunch that comes with using these chickpeas instead of croutons. Yum! Judy
Hi Judy – Can’t wait for you to try this!
Absolutely perfect. I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you so much for your work and effort on your recipes. This is what Caesar dressing should taste like. It coated my romaine lettuce beautifully. Taste and texture are spot on. Delicious!
Hi Rae – Thrilled to hear you love this caesar dressing!
Thank you for sharing this delicious dressing!
I don’t like mayo, but I love the dressing made with yoghurt.
Regards from Germany,
Mathilda Moos
Hi Melanie – Glad you were able to tweak this dressing to your liking :)
Hi! Do you think we can omit the parmesan, if we are doing dairy-free, or would that change the taste too much? Thanks!
Hi Chelsea – For a dairy-free option, you can try subbing it with nutritional yeast. But, it will alter the taste from a true Caesar dressing.
I use Hellmans Vegan mayo for diary free,.
While I realize it will taste different (and not as rich/tasty), if you wanted a healthier version of this, could you do like half and half Greek yogurt & mayo? Or even more than half Greek yogurt?
If yes, would you change any proportions of the other things? Thank you!
Hi Sonia – yes, you could swap in some Greek yogurt if you’d like. Enjoy!
Great site. Love your ideas. Recipes are very well developed. Keep it coming.
Thank you!
Thanks for your feedback! Hope you continue to enjoy Downshiftology recipes to come.