This creamy homemade caesar salad dressing comes together so quickly and easily with a handful of ingredients. Full of flavor, this homemade tangy dressing tastes way better than store-bought! Not just for a caesar salad, drizzle this over some vegetables, pizza, sandwiches, and more!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- I’ve had more than one bottle of salad dressing go to waste because I only partially used it before it was bumped to the back of the fridge. Making homemade salad dressing like this caesar dressing means I can make exactly how much I need and not have any food waste!
- I love being able to adjust how the creamy caesar dressing tastes. I love garlic and can’t get enough of it, so when I’m making it just for myself, I add a ton of extra garlic.
- This caesar dressing is versatile. Similar to being able to adjust the flavor, I like being able to adjust the thickness of the dressing. I can add some extra water or lemon juice, or even some oil to thin out the dressing so I can drizzle the dressing over roasted vegetables or grilled meat! (This is also the perfect texture for spreading over a sandwich!)
Ingredients You’ll Need
Dijon mustard — Dijon mustard adds a tangy, acidic brightness that I cannot get enough of. Add more if desired! The mustard also helps with emulsification of the dressing.
garlic — again, the more the merrier! I like to grate my garlic cloves for this dressing so it really blends into the dressing. Plus, this prevents you from having any stray chunks of garlic.
anchovy paste — don’t be worried about any fish flavor with anchovy paste! This adds that tangy flavor that you get with a classic Caesar salad. You can find anchovy paste in tubes. I often find it in the cold section where the salmon is (Farm Boy and Loblaws). While you can use oil-packed anchovy fillets like a traditional recipe would, I prefer anchovy paste, as to be totally honest, the fillets freak me out a bit lol. Plus, the paste blends seamlessly into the dressing.
salt & pepper — kosher salt and some freshly cracked pepper makes any recipe better!
lemon juice — fresh lemon juice is a must! Bottled juices sometimes have a bitter aftertaste and you don’t want to ruin your dressing with that. For extra lemony flavor, add some lemon zest to the dressing!
Worcestershire sauce — between the anchovy paste and the worcestershire sauce, you’ve got yourself an umami-packed duo.
mayonnaise — this is the base of the dressing, giving it its signature creamy texture.
parmesan — freshly grated parmesan adds a salty, nutty flavor, and creamy texture to the dressing. If you want the dressing to be smooth, make sure to fine grate the parmesan so it really melts into the dressing. If you don’t mind the texture, grate the parmesan however you want. I’ve never tried making this dressing with bottled parmesan. I’ve only ever made it with freshly grated parmesan.
How to Make Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
- Add the Dijon mustard, grated garlic, anchovy paste, salt & pepper, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce to a bowl.
- Mix until well combined and then add the mayonnaise.
- Add the parmesan and mix until the caesar dressing is well combined.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Add some lemon zest for a stronger lemon flavor.
- I like mixing the Dijon mustard, grated garlic, anchovy paste, salt & pepper, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce together first so that everything is well combined before adding the mayonnaise. I find that this helps prevent having pockets of uneven flavor.
- This caesar salad dressing is loosely inspired by Rick Martinez recipe on Bon Appetit. He uses oil-packed anchovy fillets, raw egg yolks, and oil. Instead of using raw egg yolks, as I get that not everyone is comfortable with that, I swapped it for mayonnaise (as that’s pretty much what the egg yolk + oil turns into). Store-bought mayonnaise is made from pasteurized eggs.
- If you find your dressing too thick, you can add some oil to thin it out.
- Keep in mind that anchovy paste is stronger in flavor than the fillets, so I personally find just one teaspoon to be enough. However, if you want a strong flavor, you can definitely add more. You can also add more after tasting the recipe as written if you’re unsure.
Storage Tips
- It’s best to use this homemade casesar dressing right away but if you have leftover dressing, you can store it in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: I have not tried freezing this recipe, but I do not recommend it. When frozen and thawed, the texture of the dressing will very likely change and be unpleasant.
Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 to 1½ teaspoons anchovy paste, or more
- 1½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, or more
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup grated parmesan
Instructions
- Add the Dijon mustard, grated garlic, anchovy paste, salt & pepper, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce to a bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Add the mayonnaise and parmesan and mix until well combined.
- Add more salt and pepper to taste if desired.
Notes
- This Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe makes approximately 20 tablespoons worth (approximately 1¼ cups).
Nutrition Per Serving
More Salad Dressings to Try
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