How to Make Creamy Caesar Dressing (GF)
- By Amy Dong
- Published Jan. 20, 2021
- Updated Aug. 17, 2022
Once you’ve made your own creamy Caesar Dressing, none other will satisfy. Homemade Caesar Dressing is immensely fresh and flavorful. One taste and your family will be asking for more salad.
Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing is the Best
If you’re hard pressed to find a bottle of caesar salad dressing your family actually loves, you’re not alone. We’ve put to the test nearly every single brand of caesar dressing available to us, in the hopes of finding the one.
After too many store-bought bottles of caesar dressing nobody loved, we’ve come to accept that in the world of creamy caesar dressing, homemade is unquestionably the best. If you want a sure thing, this caesar dressing recipe is it.
Fair warning: if you’ve got a hungry family, you may want to double the recipe. This dressing has a habit of transforming even the most reluctant salad eaters into salad enthusiasts.
How to Make Creamy Caesar Dressing
This irresistible creamy caesar dressing requires only 6 ingredients, not counting salt and pepper. Nothing artificial, just a handful of real, whole ingredients that merge together for stunning flavor.
- Real mayonnaise provides the creamy richness of the caesar dressing and serves as the base.
- Dijon mustard and Worcestershire both contribute to the zest and tang.
- Plenty of minced garlic lends that aromatic deliciousness the way only garlic can.
- Parmesan cheese is, of course, the crowning umami flavor. Be sure to use finely grated parmesan (better yet, grate your favorite block of cheese yourself.)
- Anchovy paste is essential in providing a powerful blast of umami flavor characteristic to classic caesar salad dressing.
About that Anchovy?
Really awesome caesar salad dressing needs that anchovy punch in order to taste…well, awesome. If you’re uncertain about diving into anchovies, never fear — you won’t be chopping anchovy fillets. Instead, you can grab a tube of anchovy paste that provides all the same flavors without the mess. Blessings on whoever invented the squeeze tube.
Because anchovy paste is briny and salty, it keeps fresh for a long time. That translates into several batches of creamy caesar dressing.
Can Caesar Dressing be made ahead of time? Does it Keep well?
Yes and yes. This creamy caesar salad dressing can be made well in advance, as it keeps very well when covered and chilled in fridge. A jar of homemade caesar dressing can easily last a week in your fridge. In all honesty, it will likely get devoured much quicker than that, as it tends to be the first salad dressing everyone reaches for.
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.
Because this caesar dressing is wonderfully rich and creamy, it’s also naturally thicker than store-bought bottled dressings. Thus, you may find it best to keep your caesar dressing in a wide-mouth jar that accommodates a spoon easily (old jam/jelly jars with lids are perfect.)
Delicious Ways to use Caesar Dressing
- Obviously, you’ll joyfully toss it with romaine lettuce for the ultimate caesar salad experience.
- Use it as as dip for fresh vegetable sticks
- Use it in pasta or potato salad, as you would with ranch dressing
- Use it in your next sandwich or wrap, instead of mayo or mustard
- Spread it on top of grilled chicken or use it as a marinade prior to grilling
- Dip Crispy Baked Chicken Tenders into your creamy caesar dressing.
Try this 3-Ingredient Honey Mustard Sauce, Too:
Did you make this?
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Creamy Caesar Dressing
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup real mayonnaise
- 2 tsp real anchovy paste
- 2 rounded TB finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 TB 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.
