This homemade Caesar Dressing recipe is so easy to make. With just a handful of ingredients, you’ll create a creamy Caesar dressing that is better than storebought or restaurant versions. And guess what? The anchovies are optional.
It’s surprisingly easy to make your own dressings like Homemade Ranch Dressing or Italian Dressing from scratch and creamy Caesar dressing is no exception.
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Use this creamy dressing to make a Classic Caesar Salad, tossed with crisp romaine lettuce, and Homemade Croutons. Sure, you could buy a storebought dressing, but why would you when you can effortlessly make your own umami-packed, lemony, garlicky, parmesan-cheesy, and creamy dressing that tastes so much better?
Our Caesar dressing is kid-friendly – it tastes like the creamy restaurant-style Caesar dressing that my kids love, yet it’s made with the best ingredients right at home. My kids get excited when I make Caesar salad because of this dressing.
Easy Caesar Dressing Recipe Video
Watch Natasha make this homemade Caesar dressing. Don’t blink, because it’s so simple to make and comes together quickly. You’ll make this Caesar dressing again and again once you see how easy it is.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One-Bowl – Instead of hauling out a blender, food processor, or immersion blender, (which always creates issues for people, plus it’s messy), I’m so excited to finally have a Caesar dressing that’s easy to whip up in one bowl with just a whisk.
- Easy – I find myself making this dressing way more often for my kids (who love it!) because it’s so easy (measure, pour, stir) and mess-free.
- Keeps Well – The creamy texture remains intact, allowing you to enjoy it straight from the fridge.
Ingredients
- Mayonnaise – Use real mayo for the best flavor. The eggs in the mayo thicken this dressing so you don’t have to worry about the mixture separating. A Homemade Mayonnaise will make your dressing taste even better!
- Dijon mustard – We like to use the Grey Poupon brand, but any dijon will work
- Worcestershire sauce – Adds a rich umami flavor. If you are a vegetarian, see the pro tip below for more information.
- Oil – use a neutral oil like extra light olive oil and avoid using extra virgin olive oil which will give it a different flavor profile.
- Garlic – use fresh, not canned. It will give you more punch and flavor.
- Lemon juice – Opt for freshly squeezed lemon juice and not from concentrate.
- Parmesan cheese – We use freshly grated cheese, but finely shredded will work as well. You can also use pre-grated parmesan and add it according to taste since it’s more finely grated.
Pro Tip:
Did you know anchovies are an ingredient in Worcestershire sauce? So you can skip anchovies or anchovy paste since they’re technically already in there! If you are vegetarian or have a fish allergy, choose a Worcestershire sauce that does not have anchovies listed in the ingredients.
How to Make Homemade Caesar Dressing
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper until combined.
- While whisking vigorously, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Once all of the olive oil is in, continue whisking until it’s well incorporated. Add parmesan cheese and whisk together to combine.
- Transfer to a mason jar, cover with a lid, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Pro Tip:
The key to a thicker dressing is to slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking vigorously. This keeps the dressing emulsified and also helps incorporate more air into the dressing to help it thicken up. It will get even thicker in the refrigerator as the oil cools.
Storage
Transfer to a mason jar or airtight container and store homemade dressing in the refrigerator for up to a week. Add a label to track how old the dressing is and refrigerate promptly after use to maintain its freshness. You will love that it doesn’t separate when chilled and you can use it directly out of the refrigerator without re-whisking.
How to Serve Caesar Dressing
This dressing is so tasty you’ll be tempted to use it on everything, not just salads. Here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy this homemade Caesar dressing:
- Caesar Salad: add baked chicken breast to make it a complete meal, or make a chicken Caesar wrap for a healthy lunch option.
- As a dip for raw vegetables such as cut carrots, sliced cucumbers, or cauliflower florets – perfect for snacking!
- Pasta Salad Dressing – try it in Caesar Pasta Salad, Tortellini Salad with diced broccoli and tomato, tossed with parmesan cheese, or Macaroni Salad.
- As a grilling marinade for meat or chicken to tenderize the meat and add flavor.
- Potato Salad dressing – try this as the creamy base for a Classic Potato Salad.
More Homemade Dressings and Sauces
If you enjoy this homemade Caesar salad dressing recipe, you’ll love our other dressings and sauces made from scratch. They’re so fresh and easy to make and, in my opinion, taste better than anything store-bought.
- Chimichurri Recipe
- Classic Pesto
- Tartar Sauce
- Easy Marinara Sauce
- Tzatziki Sauce
- Barbecue Sauce
- Creamy Horseradish Sauce
Easy Caesar Dressing Recipe (VIDEO)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, *
- 2 garlic cloves, grated or pressed
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra light olive oil, not extra virgin*
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, grated garlic, 3 Tbs lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and whisk to combine.
- While whisking vigorously*, slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup olive oil. Once all of the olive oil is in, continue whisking until it’s well incorporated. Add parmesan and whisk together to combine.
- Transfer to a mason jar, cover with a lid, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
I’ve made this recipe so many times I think a review is long overdue! This is my go to Caesar and I make it at least once a month. People always ask me where I bought the dressing, it’s so good. Follow the recipe exactly for the perfect Caesar!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! I’m so glad you found a favorite recipe on my blog!
I made this today and it is sOoO good. I used EVOO 😐, and it turned out a bit thick, but still delicious. why do you say not to use EVOO? Thanks Natasha for a wonderful recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Judy! Personally, I don’t recommend using EVOO as the taste is too overpowering.
Thank you Natasha. I is hard to find olive oil here other than the EVOO.😐 But I liked the recipe enough to make it a second time.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi, can I use a hand blender for this recipe ?
Hi Fizaa, I can’t say that will work. A high-powered blender might work but not all blenders allow and most blenders don’t recommend to open the lid while processing which is why a food processor is ideal since the oil needs to be added slowly and gradually.
If I make double , how long can I keep the leftover dressing In fridge?
Hi Tanya, I have kept it refrigerated for up to a week. I would say 1 to 2 weeks since there isn’t anything too perishable in it.
Oops…I had only EVOO and that’s what I used. Is that why my dressing is not thick? I did pour it very slowly, a stream so tiny I could barely see it. I took several breaks because my arm was tired! What do I do with the runny dressing?
Hi Pat, with substitutions, it’s hard to say that it was the culprit or not.
Would you suggest the Mayo you use over other mayos?
Hi Jasmine, any mayo should be good. I hope you like the recipe!
I used Japanese kewpie mayo and it was fantastic!
It is amazing! It is way better than Caesar dressing from a store! Love it!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Can I sustitue sour cream fir the mayonnaise?
Hi Mellissa, I honestly can’t speak to substitutions without testing them first, but I think it might be worth an experiment with other ingredients. The mayo helps to emulsify the dressing and makes it a little thicker. One of our readers commented: “Amazing, I used 2% plain greek yogurt instead of mayo, sunflower oil, honey dijon and freshly grated parmesan reggiano. It was perfectly creamy and totally satisfied my caesar salad craving and provided me a healthy(er) alternative” I hope this is helpful.
Just confirming it’s 1 cup of olive oil? What if we’re using EVOO…do we need to make adjustments? Thanks.
Hi Carol, I wouldn’t recommend using EVOO as the taste is too overpowering.
When I read why you can’t use evoo, I was told it’s because it separates. So I used avocado oil. It is delicious. When I use it going forward, however, I think I will put a little bit of worcestershire in, to add a counterpoint to the lemon.
This is the best Caesar salad dressing I have ever had. How long will it last in the refrigerator ??
Hi Theresa! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! I have kept it refrigerated for up to a week. I would say 1 to 2 weeks since there isn’t anything too perishable in it.
Hi Natasha. I love your food blog and have made many of your wonderful recipes. But this one had flaws (and because the recipes are spot on I didn’t question it until After). It should have been 1/2 cup oil. So I had to double the recipe after the mistake. Also it didn’t include anchovies or worstershire. But I do love you and your family.
I made the mistake of using EVOO (I just totally missed that it said not to) but I didn’t want it to be a lost cause…so I added a 1/4 c of grated parmesan (on top of the shredded that was in there), about a teaspoon and a half of Worcestershire sauce, and about 3 tablespoons of sour cream (to thicken and counteract the oil flavor). Definitely worked! Next time I’m still going to follow the actual recipe but this was good too!
Hi Tina. so good to know that you were still able to make this work! I’m glad you loved the result, thank you for sharing that with us.
Hi how long can I store salad dressing
Hi there, I haven’t tried storing it for more than 1 week straight (refrigerated) so I’m not so sure about that.
I also failed to see the note about not using EVOO. It’s all I had…and then I saw your suggestion. 2/3 cup thick sour cream helped immensely. The texture still isn’t ideal, but the flavour is satisfying. Thanks!
when are you coming out with a cookbook? your recipes are some of my most popular
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Barbara! We have something in the works, stay tuned!
I like a little more mayo, other than that…PERFECT! Thanks!
Thanks, Brianna!
Can I add anchovies, and if yes how many?
Hi Dee Dee, I have not tried that so I cannot advise but someone else shared and commented this ” Add 4 or 5 anchovies and a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce to make it even better.” If you experiment, please let me know how you like that!
Great Recipe!
I didn’t have worcestershire or anchovies, so I tried something:
1 part Barbecue Sauce
2 parts soy sauce
1 part vinegar (white)
add small amounts of chili powder
It tastes similar to worcestershire sauce in a way and I added about 2 tsp of this to your dressing recipe.
Loved this recipe, made it today for lunch! I added a half teaspoon of worcestershire sauce, which gave it a little zip.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Love it! But do you know how many calories per serving?
Hi Brian, thank you! I added a nutrition label for you. Each serving is about 2 Tbsp.
The absolute best recipe!! I make this almost once per week as my husband and I love it so much.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Can you substitute yellow mustard for Dijon if you don’t have Dijon mine expired so I can’t use it Thank you!
Hi Tia, yellow mustard is fairly mild compared to Dijon, which has a distinct flavor. I haven’t tried this with regular mustard so I can’t say.
Awesome recipe. I’ve tried a few non-anchovy recipes, and this takes the cake (or should I say, salad?).
My partner cannot eat mayonnaise or cheese, so I swapped the mayo with tahini, and didn’t use Parmesan at all. Still perfect! Thank you, Natasha.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that!