Caesar Dressing

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Meet the ultimate homemade Caesar dressing. It’s a combination of lemony, garlicky, cheesy, and umami goodness in a deliciously creamy texture. Once you’ve whipped this up, you can create the perfect bowl of Caesar salad, and so much more!

Caesar dressing in a cup.
Photo: Gayle McLeod

Why you’ll Love This Caesar Dressing

Caesar salad is one of the easiest salads to make. And the ingredients are always kept to a minimum because the true star of the salad is this dreamy, creamy dressing! In fact, it’s one of the most popular bottled dressings you can buy, but I personally think it tastes a million times better when you make it fresh at home. Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:

  • It resembles the most classic version. Why there’s debate on whether anchovies were included in Caesar Cardini’s authentic Caesar dressing from the early 1920’s in Tijuana, Mexico, I say they’re essential. It’s what gives the dressing its distinct salty umami flavor. And no, it won’t taste fishy, trust me!
  • It’s easy to make and store. Just add all of the ingredients to a food processor and quickly blend them up. You can then store the dressing for up to five days in the fridge to use throughout the week.
  • It’s extremely versatile. Besides tossing this dressing into a Caesar salad, there are so many ways you can use it, from a dipping sauce to a sandwich spread. I’ve got a few more ideas below!
Ingredients for Caesar dressing.

Caesar Dressing Ingredients

  • Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice is far better than the bottled kind. It has a much brighter flavor!
  • Anchovies: I strongly recommend using tinned anchovies in oil for the best umami flavor, but one teaspoon of anchovy paste works as well.
  • Garlic: Opt for fresh garlic rather than powdered garlic. It will lend a deeper garlicky flavor overall.
  • Sauces: A mix of Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce adds amazing flavor. And if you’re wondering which brands I love, they’re linked in the recipe card below!
  • Seasonings: Onion powder, salt, and black pepper tie this dressing together.
  • Mayonnaise: The authentic Caesar dressing was a mix of oil plus a raw egg yolk, to create an emulsification. But to make things easy, I’m skipping that step and going straight to mayonnaise.
  • Parmesan Cheese: It’s key that you use fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano. The flavor is bold, sharp, and complex.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below

Blending Caesar dressing in a food processor.

How To Make Caesar Dressing

  • Blend the first set of ingredients. Add add the lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, onion powder, and pepper to a small food processor, and blend until smooth.
  • Add the creamy texture. Add the mayonnaise and parmesan, then blend again until well combined.
  • Serve immediately or store away for later use. It will last for up to 5 days in the fridge in a sealed container.
Creamy Caesar dressing in a food processor.

A Few Tips and Substitutions

  • For a vegan anchovy alternative: swap in 2 tablespoons of capers for a briny flavor.
  • For a gluten-free dressing: make sure to use a gluten-free Worcestershire sauce.
  • If you don’t have access to anchovies: you can add another teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. This sauce is made with anchovies and can provide a similar umami kick without an overpowering anchovy flavor.
  • If you only have a large food processor: blend all the ingredients in one go.
  • For a mayo alternative: replace it with sour cream or Greek yogurt. But, reduce the lemon juice to 1 to 1½ tablespoons as the sour cream/yogurt will add more tang.

More Ways To Use Caesar Dressing

  • Gently toss with cooked veggies: I love to pair this Caesar dressing with air fryer Brussels sprouts and air fryer carrots, but any of your favorite cooked veggies will work.
  • Use as a dipping sauce. Make this the centerpiece of a vegetable platter appetizer or serve it alongside french fries or air fryer chicken wings for the ultimate dip.
  • Use it as a spread. Whether you’re making a turkey burger, chicken sandwich, or cauliflower pizza, a spread of Caesar will give it some oomph!
Pouring Caesar dressing over salad.

More Salad Dressings

I hope you love this Caesar salad dressing recipe! If you make it, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.

A cup of Caesar dressing.

Caesar Dressing

5 from 8 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings (about ¼ cup per serving)
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

The ultimate homemade Caesar dressing recipe! Its lusciously creamy with lemony, garlicky, cheesy, and umami flavors all combined into one fabulous dressing. Watch the video below on how I make this in my kitchen!

Video

Equipment

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Blend the first set of ingredients. Add add the lemon juice, anchovies, garlic, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, onion powder, and pepper to a small food processor, and blend until smooth.
    Blended Caesar dressing.
  • Blend again. Add the mayonnaise and parmesan, then blend again until well combined.
    Blending Caesar dressing in a food processor.
  • Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator.
    A spoonful of Caesar dressing.

Lisa’s Tips

  • For the anchovies: I personally prefer the flavor of the fresh anchovies. And it’s easy to buy a tin at the market! They quite literally just melt into the other ingredients as soon as you blend. No fishy chunks or fishy flavor! But you could also swap in 1 teaspoon of anchovy paste. 
  • To store in the fridge: This dressing can be stored for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 404mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.4g | Vitamin A: 69IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Course: dressing, sauce
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: Caesar Dressing, Caesar Salad
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

5 from 8 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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31 Comments

  1. Delicious and easy to make, I’ll never buy store bought dressing again. I made this tonight and my husband said our caesar salad tasted like a restaurant salad.

  2. I was hesitant to make a recipe with anchovies, but the recipe turned out perfectly. I probably added about 3/4 cup of mayo (vs the suggested 1 cup) as I use a mayo that has a more distinct taste, and I was happy that I did. I’ll definitely be making this again! Thank you for sharing such fabulous recipes!5 stars

  3. Hi Lisa
    I love all your recipes and your website is very good and easy to find what i am looking for.
    I am so grateful to find your downshiftology fab site.
    I am enjoying cooking again.
    Thank you so much
    Marilyn

  4. Can you share a recipe without mayo or a substitute for those of us who don’t like mayo? Thanks soo much!

    1. I almost always substitute mayo for sour cream or split it half and half in sauce and dressing recipes, so the mayo flavor doesn’t overpower everything! Works great and always tastes fresher and lighter to me.

  5. This is our go to caesar dressing recipe, and we always use Lisa’s mayo recipe as the base. My kiddo loves helping make this super easy recipe.5 stars

    1. Hi Vesi – If you don’t use anchovies, you can add another teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. This sauce is made with anchovies and can provide a similar umami kick without an overpowering anchovy flavor.

  6. Can’t wat to try this recipe as I live on salads and love the crunch that comes with using these chickpeas instead of croutons. Yum! Judy

      1. Absolutely perfect. I followed the recipe exactly. Thank you so much for your work and effort on your recipes. This is what Caesar dressing should taste like. It coated my romaine lettuce beautifully. Taste and texture are spot on. Delicious!5 stars

  7. Thank you for sharing this delicious dressing!
    I don’t like mayo, but I love the dressing made with yoghurt.

    Regards from Germany,

    Mathilda Moos5 stars

  8. Hi! Do you think we can omit the parmesan, if we are doing dairy-free, or would that change the taste too much? Thanks!

    1. Hi Chelsea – For a dairy-free option, you can try subbing it with nutritional yeast. But, it will alter the taste from a true Caesar dressing.

  9. While I realize it will taste different (and not as rich/tasty), if you wanted a healthier version of this, could you do like half and half Greek yogurt & mayo? Or even more than half Greek yogurt?

    If yes, would you change any proportions of the other things? Thank you!