Our Creamy Caesar Dressing is perfect over Caesar salad! Homemade Caesar salad dressing is bold, rich, and tangy! This dressing recipe has no anchovies added and is so easy to make with homemade mayonnaise! Use it on salads, wraps, Chicken Bake, or baked fish! This tastes like the traditional bottled dressings from the store only better!
Caesar dressing is one of those condiments you want to have on hand along with other staple salad dressings like Thousand Island, Creamy Ranch Dressing, and Honey Mustard Sauce! We now use Homemade Mayonnaise as the base for these sauces and when added to homemade Caesar dressing, it tastes so much better than any store-bought dressing!
What is Caesar Dressing?
Caesar dressing is a bold and creamy salad dressing to the popular Caesar salad. The ingredients to Caesar salad are so simple that it’s my standby recipe for a quick and easy salad. If you have romaine lettuce, croutons, some parmesan cheese, and this dressing, you’ll have the best Caesar salad recipe to impress guests! My sisters thought it was incredible, they wanted my homemade croutons recipe and the recipe for this Caesar Salad Dressing immediately!
This Caesar salad dressing recipe is indeed incredible! It has all the traditional flavors of bottled dressing but without soybean oil (if using my homemade mayonnaise as the base), corn syrup, or the addition of anchovies (this fish is already found in Worcestershire sauce so there’s no need to add it again for umami flavor). I will show you how to make this easy recipe for classic Caesar salad using simple ingredients (jump to the recipe card to see my step-by-step instructions)!
Caesar Salad Dressing Ingredients:
What is Caesar salad dressing made of? The main ingredient in this creamy-based salad dressing is the mayonnaise! My secret ingredient to bold and creamy sauce is the homemade mayo as the base, it’s so rich and tangy perfect for making Caesar salad! Here’s what you will need to make the best Caesar salad dressing:
- Worcestershire sauce- is made with anchovies, and you’re likely to have Worcestershire sauce on hand than anchovy paste which is not a key ingredient in my home. For a thicker Caesars dressing, you can omit the Worcestershire sauce but we found it gave great bold umami flavor! If you are vegetarian you can make this vegan Worcestershire sauce at home and use vegan mayonnaise.
- Mayonnaise- is emulsified oil with an egg. It is the base for this creamy dressing and it’s so easy to make at home with this recipe.
- Parmesan cheese- also translated as Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is best to use if freshly grated. It adds a rich cheesy flavor and thickens the dressing. I also like to use freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese from Costco. Aged cheeses add incredible flavor and I love the texture it leaves the dressing after combining! I use a fine grater to shred my hard cheese.
- Lemon juice- adds a zesty and bold flavor to this dressing. Use the juice of 1/2 a small lemon or 2 teaspoons of lemon juice to be precise.
- Oil- I use a neutral-flavored oil like sunflower oil to finish off this homemade dressing, you can use 2 tablespoons for a thinner dressing. Olive oil can be a little overpowering.
- Dijon mustard- is more sharp and complex than yellow mustard.
- Black pepper- fresh garlic and dry mustard powder enhance the flavor of this dressing. Don’t be shy to use plenty of black pepper here. Adding the fresh garlic is a must, use 2 large cloves or 3 medium cloves, it won’t be too garlicky!
- Vinegar- adds extra zest and tang like the bottled Caesar salad dressings.
How To Make Caesar Dressing:
This Caesar salad dressing comes together so fast with my immersion blender. I place all of my ingredients in the cup attachment that comes with the stick blender and it blends everything together including the fresh garlic. I love the texture of the freshly shredded parmesan cheese in this dressing after it’s blended, it looks pulpy, and tiny bits of cheese are distributed evenly throughout the dressing. You could use a bowl and whisk, but you will have to finely mince the garlic and cheese. Use any handy equipment to make it easier like a blender or food processor.
- Prep your equipment, take out the cup to your immersion blender, or set up a bowl and whisk.
- Place all of the dressing ingredients into your cup attachment.
- Blend together until just combined it should be smooth and creamy. It will also continue to thicken as it sits in the fridge.
- You can serve immediately but I think the flavors develop even more after sitting in the fridge.
Storing Homemade Caesar Dressing:
Homemade Caesar dressing can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 weeks (even when you use my homemade mayo). The acidity from the lemon juice, vinegar, and mustard all help prolong the storage life when stored correctly. Homemade Caesar salad dressing should be kept refrigerated. Temperatures above 90°F can develop separation or discoloration that will affect the flavor, taste, and overall appeal. Store the dressing in an airtight mason jar or plastic squeeze bottle in the fridge. Avoid leaving the dressing out for long periods of time.
Ways To Use Homemade Caesar Dressing:
This easy Caesar dressing can be used in salads, sandwiches, wraps, and marinades. Add some grilled chicken and turn this into a chicken Caesar salad entree! Here are some creative ideas to put this dressing into good use, not only classic Caesar salad!
- Caesar dressing is amazingly baked over fish or in this Copycat Chicken Bake from Costco. I sometimes use ranch or Caesar dressing for the fish and it works either way.
- Drizzle it over a BLT Wrap or use leftover Caesar salad to make a wrap with grilled chicken!
- Impress your guests and make Caesar Salad with homemade croutons and this dressing recipe.
- Marinate chicken meat with it and it works as a great meat tenderizer from all the acidic ingredients.
- Drizzle it over pizza or make a chicken pasta salad.
- Dip with croutons as a mid-day snack.
Q&A
Is Caesar Dressing gluten-free?
Homemade Caesar dressing is gluten-free. Make sure to use mustard without any gluten or thickeners (which Maille, Dijon Original brand does not). I would also use a fresh block of cheese and shred it myself to ensure clean ingredients.
How To Fix Runny Caesar Dressing?
The key to successful Caesar dressing is to start with a creamy and thick mayonnaise. Don’t over-mix the salad dressing, I’ve noticed the longer I blend it the thinner it seems to get, blend only until combined (and don’t fret, Caesar dressing thickens as it sits in the fridge). We’ve also had thicker results when we omitted the Worcestershire sauce. If your dressing is too runny let it sit in the fridge to thicken or add a little more parmesan cheese.
Tips for Making The Best Caesar Dressing:
- Use a block of fresh parmesan cheese and grate it yourself, the quality and flavor will be superb!
- Don’t freeze the dressing as it can split and get discolored.
- Substitute 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce with anchovy paste if you wish to use it.
- This salad dressing gets better after sitting, allow the flavors to blend for at least 30 minutes.
- Measure out all the ingredients level, a heaping measurement can change the flavor.
- Store creamy dressings in an airtight container or squeeze bottle so it doesn’t discolor easily.
Caesar Dressing Recipe
Equipment
- 1 immersion blender (with the cup attachment)
- 1 pint mason jar or squeeze bottle (for storing homemade salad dressing)
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 3 cloves garlic (peeled and cut into thirds for easy blending)
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 2 Tbsp white distilled vinegar
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tsp lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lemon)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Directions:
Measure out the mayonnaise and place into the cup attachment of an immersion blender. You could use a bowl and whisk (see notes below).- Add all the ingredients in the order given (garlic, dijon, mustard powder, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, cheese, lemon juice, oil, and black pepper).
- Blend until just combined.
- Store in an airtight mason jar or plastic squeeze bottle. Homemade Caesar dressing can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 weeks using our homemade mayonnaise.
Notes
- To make by hand, use a bowl and wire whisk. Crush the garlic and finely grate the cheese. Then whisk all the ingredients together.
