Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Aug. 5, 2026
This Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing comes together in just minutes and uses simple ingredients you probably already have, and tastes so much fresher than store-bought. Once you make this, there’s no going back. It’s the only caesar dressing my family asks for.
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Amy’s Notes
I’m a big salad fan, but it can be really hard finding a good dressing that my family and I truly love. That’s why I created this homemade caesar dressing; it’s super delicious and way better than store-bought. With real lemon juice, garlic, anchovies, real mayo, and parmesan cheese, you know every ingredient that’s going into your delicious dressing. Here’s what I love:
- Super Fast: Whisk it up in under 10 minutes.
- Keeps Well: Make a bottle of the dressing to store in fridge and use on repeat.
- Simple Ingredients: I love knowing what’s in my dressing since I chose and added every ingredient myself.
- The Perfect Topping: This is all you need to make my Creamy Caesar Salad Recipe.
Key Recipe Ingredients
- Garlic: I use fresh minced garlic for the best flavor
- Real mayonnaise: Creates a super creamy base without needing raw egg yolks.
- Real anchovy paste: Don’t skip this! It gives Caesar dressing that signature savory umami flavor without tasting “fishy.”
- Grated Parmesan cheese: If you can grate fresh Parmesan cheese, you’ll notice the flavor difference right away.
- Worcestershire sauce: This contributes to the zest and tang.
- Dijon mustard: This also contributes to the zest and tang of the dressing.
- Fresh lemon juice: Fresh is best!
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some of our favorite ways to change up this simple caesar dressing recipe:
- Spice: You can add any type of spice that you want. Adding some cayenne pepper is a great way to kick up the heat.
- Lighter Swap: Swap half the mayo for full-fat Greek yogurt if you want a lighter option with extra protein.
- Cheese: Any type of hard, salty cheese that you can shave or shred would be delicious.
- Citrus: Fresh lime juice works in a pinch if you run out of lemons.
Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients, minus the salt, pepper, shaved Parmesan cheese, and lettuce, into a bowl and mix.
- Whisk to combine well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill until ready to use.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
How to Prep Ahead
- Prep your lettuce: Wash and dry your shredded lettuce so that there isn’t any water left on it. No one likes soggy lettuce!
- Make Ahead: Store the dressing in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Give it a quick whisk before serving!
- Thin It Out: If it thickens up too much in the fridge, whisk in 1 tablespoon of cold water or milk to loosen it up.
- Storage/Leftover tip: If you have some homemade dressing leftover, add it to an airtight container or a jar with a lid. You can use it again and again until it’s all gone.
A bowl of Caesar salad is a great pairing with any main entree.
Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup real mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons real anchovy paste
- 2 rounded tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, or crushed red chili pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the garlic, mayo, anchovy paste, grated parmesan, Worcestershire, mustard, and lemon juice.
- Whisk to combine well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill until ready to use.
Notes
- Because anchovy paste is briny and salty, it keeps fresh for a long time in the fridge.
- This is a thick dressing; if you prefer it a little thinner, stir 1-2 TB water into the mixture.
- Top with crispy, garlicky homemade croutons.
- Bonus Tips: freshly shredded parmesan cheese can be frozen in airtight baggies for quite a long time. Same goes for chopped garlic. That comes in super handy for everything from Parmesan Bruschetta Chicken Bake to Garlic Marinated Ribeye Steaks.
- Storage/Leftover tip: If you have some homemade dressing leftover, add it to an airtight container or a jar with a lid. It keeps well for up to 2 weeks.
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Nutrition (per serving)
What to Serve with Creamy Caesar Dressing
Meat Entrees
- This Grilled Pork Tenderloin pairs really well with the flavors from the homemade dressing.
- Cook up this Thai Basil Chicken for another super simple and delicious pairing. Talk about an easy weeknight dinner!
Salads
- This Pomegranate Salad with Pears and Blue isn’t for holidays only. It’s packed full of flavor and fun to eat all year long.
- Warm Chorizo Spinach Salad helps add a twist to the boring old salad routine.
Frequently Asked Questions
All you have to do is add 1-2 Tablespoons of water and stir. It should thin right out.
You can add in a bit more mayonnaise to thicken up the texture.
I don’t recommend it. The mayo isn’t going to freeze and thaw well, and it just won’t have the same taste and texture as before.
You can, but you’ll miss that signature Caesar depth! If you really must skip it, add an extra splash of Worcestershire sauce or a touch of soy sauce for umami.
Absolutely! It makes a fantastic dip for fresh veggies or crispy chicken tenders, and it works great as a marinade for grilled chicken breasts.
Aside from using it in a classic Caesar salad, you can use the dressing
as as dip for fresh vegetable sticks, mix it into pasta or potato salad, as you would with ranch dressing, or use it in your next sandwich or wrap, instead of mayo or mustard.
More to Cook and Eat
- Chinese Chicken Salad – Fast, crunchy, and topped with a savory sesame dressing you’ll want to put on everything.
- Caesar Pasta Salad Recipe – I make this for our family gatherings, and people always ask for the recipe!
- Chopped Greek Salad – Deliciously classic for healthy salad lovers.