A caesar salad is my favorite type of salad to buy as a salad kit and order at a restaurant. But when I perfected this homemade caesar dressing recipe, I knew I’d never purchase a caesar salad kit again. It is just so darn delicious.
I chose not to call for anchovies, which are in a traditional caesar dressing recipe. It’s not that I don’t like anchovies, but they’re also not something that I keep on hand in my pantry. This dressing is something that anyone can make with common ingredients found in most kitchens.
Recipe Highlights
- Just 6 ingredients, no anchovies: Traditional caesar salad is made with quite a few ingredients, but I’ve paired it down to just six ingredients that, when stirred together, make a delicious tasting caesar dressing that’s low in saturated fat. I’ve opted not to call for anchovy filets – even though they are common to a classic caesar – because it’s not something that many people keep on hand. If you do have them, feel free to add 3-4 chopped anchovy fillets and blend everything in a food processor.
- No need to emulsify: A classic homemade caesar salad dressing requires you to blend raw egg yolks and extra-virgin olive oil until emulsified, which can be tedious to do and the ingredients sometimes “break” or start to separate. By calling for mayonnaise as the base – which is made from a mix of eggs and oil – this recipe is a simple stir-together method that’s easy to do at home without special equipment.
- Ready in 5 minutes: Grab six ingredients, stir them together in a medium bowl, and you’ve got a delicious caesar salad dressing in just a few minutes. It’s faster and tastes more fresh than store-bought dressing.
- Delicious, authentic flavor: Even though this new recipe is simplified, it still provides creamy, delicious, cheesy, and tangy flavor that Italian caesar dressing is known for. Also, I’ve provided some optional mix-ins that can be used to build in an anchovy-tasting layer, if desired.
Ingredient Spotlight: Mayo
Mayonnaise is an ingredient I always keep on hand. It’s a go-to condiment for making creamy dressings like this one, chicken salads, and adding as a binder for coatings (such as in this crispy baked cod) and adding to sandwiches. Many people are surprised to learn that mayonnaise is made from just a few real-food ingredients: eggs, oil, mustard, and fresh lemon juice.
Personally, I choose mayo made with avocado oil for the good-for-you fats it provides. By using mayo as the base of this dressing recipe, it introduces monounsaturated fats and doesn’t require the step to emulsify eggs and oil, like other caesar dressing recipes do.
Add Extra Flavor
This best caesar dressing recipe is perfect even without these flavor additions. However, if you like the fishy anchovy flavor of a classic caesar salad, but you don’t have anchovies on hand, you can still achieve that extra layer of umami flavor with one of these additions. Stir in either 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (most brands of Worcestershire sauce actually contain anchovies), ½ teaspoon of anchovy paste, ½ teaspoon of fish sauce, an additional 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, or mince up about 1 teaspoon of capers and stir those in.
Serve And Store
I make this caesar dressing to serve on my favorite kale caesar salad, which my kids all say is their favorite salad of all time. It’s also great drizzled over these salmon caesar salad bowls and this sheet pan caesar chicken.
And it’s a delicious dressing for any simple romaine lettuce salad or pasta salad, and for dipping fresh veggies and homemade croutons. This recipe can be made several days in advance as part of a meal prep session. Store the dressing or leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
More Dressing Recipes To Try
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Homemade Caesar Dressing Recipe
Get ready to make the best caesar salad you’ve ever made, and it all starts with this simple six-ingredient caesar salad dressing recipe. Enjoy it as a salad dressing, a creamy dip for veggies, or a flavorful sauce to drizzle over chicken or seafood.
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Zest and juice of 1 large lemon (1 teaspoon zest and 3 tablespoons juice)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground or cracked black pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, grated Parmesan, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, Dijon, and black pepper. If desired (but not necessary), add Worcestershire sauce, anchovy paste, or fish sauce. See notes for amounts. Whisk until well blended.
- Serve over caesar salad or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
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Notes
If you’d like, you could stir in any one of these as a flavor boost, but the recipe is really good without any of these added, so it’s completely optional. If you do want to add one of these, choose only one: 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon anchovy paste, ½ teaspoon fish sauce.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 130
- Fat: 13 g
- (Sat Fat: 2 g)
- Sodium: 240 mg
- Carbohydrate: 2 g
- (Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 0 g)
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg
Dietary
The photos in this post were taken by Megan McKeehan.
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