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This easy Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing is super fresh and creamy with that familiar briny kick and takes just 5 minutes to make! It turns a basic Caesar salad into something amazing.
Chopped romaine, Parmesan cheese, and croutons make up the basis of a classic Caesar salad. When you break it down, there’s really nothing special about it. But when you add a made from scratch, flavor packed dressing, you’ve really got something. It’s ALL about the dressing.
I avoided making my own Caesar dressing for years because most recipes include raw egg in the mix. Although the risk is small, there is a risk in serving recipes made with raw eggs and I just don’t think any risk is worth it. Especially with little ones and older folks. The egg is there to add creaminess and texture to the dressing when it’s blended but you can get that same affect with mayonnaise. After all, if you’ve ever looked at the ingredients in mayo, it’s just (pasteurized) eggs, oil, and two or three other ingredients. It works perfectly to provide the right taste, texture, and body to Caesar dressing.
Not light on the waistline but stay with me because I’ve got some tips for you on how to lighten it up.
Ingredients
- I like to add both olive oil and a neutral oil, like vegetable or canola oil, to my salad dressing recipes. Olive oil has a prominent flavor and we want the other ingredients in this recipe to shine.
- Anchovy paste is a vital ingredient in any Caesar salad dressing recipe. It adds that must-have briny kick. You can substitute 2 or 3 canned anchovy fillets, if preferred.
Creating this dressing could not be any easier. I like to prepare it a couple of hours before serving so it has time to chill and become even more flavorful.
How to Make Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
You can use a full size food processor to prepare this recipe but I like to use a smaller unit like the Cuisinart Mini Prep Plus for small jobs like this.
- Place the garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
- Add the remaining ingredients, except the oil, and pulse until well combined.
- With the unit running, add the olive and vegetable oil through the feed tube of the food processor. Process for a minute or two until creamy and emulsified.
- Add additional water, a teaspoon at a time, to thin to desired consistency.
Ligthen It Up
- Replace up to half of the mayonnaise for nonfat plain Greek yogurt to reduce both fat and calories.
How to Store Caesar Salad Dressing
- Transfer the dressing to a mason jar or other airtight container and refrigerate it immediately.
- Properly stored, it will keep well in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.
This stuff is so good I honestly would like to just grab some croutons and use it as a dip. Would that be bad? Once you’ve tried it, there’s no going back to the bottled stuff.
It works perfectly to dress a basic side dish Caesar or my Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, a fabulous, stupendous, ridiculously easy dinner idea you can put together in nothing flat.
More Fresh and Tasty Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes
This post was originally published on December 18, 2014. It has been updated with new text and images.
Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 small cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice from 1/2 a lemon
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste or 2 to 3 anchovy fillets
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon water or as needed to reach desired consistency
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
Instructions
- Place the garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add remaining ingredients, except olive and vegetable oil, and pulse until well combined.
- With the unit running, add the olive and vegetable oil through the feed tube of the food processor. Process for a minute or two until creamy and emulsified. If you would like a thinner dressing, add an additional 1 to 2 teaspoons of water and process until combined.
- Transfer to a mason jar or other airtight container and refrigerate immediately. Best if made a couple of hours in advance. Keeps well in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.
Notes
- I like to add both olive oil and a neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil to my salad dressing recipes. Olive oil has a strong flavor and we want the other ingredients in this recipe to shine.
- Anchovy paste is a vital ingredient in any Caesar salad dressing recipe. It adds that must-have briny kick. You can substitute 3 canned anchovy fillets, if preferred.
Nicki D says
Just used olive oil and did not add canola, taste was lovely, not so mayonaisey ( sorry not a proper word) as many other recipes out there.
mp says
I think I will add fresh parsley. Looks fantastic, can’t wait to try
Barry Kenny says
Hi,
I would like to know how you make larger quantaties, do you just dubble up?
Valerie says
Yes, that’s right. Just double it.
Michele @ Flavor Mosaic says
I love this recipe. Believe it or not I have not made Caesar dressing. I have made oher homemade dressings. I’m going to add this to the list. This will make Mr. Flavor Mosaic very happy!
Linda says
First of all how can you call this dressing EGG FREE if there is MAYONNAISE!!! Sorry to tell you but ALL mayonnaise is made from RAW eggs! if you are afraid of raw eggs than use EGG free mayo.
Valerie says
Hello, Linda. I apologize for the confusion. By “egg-free” I’m referring to the fact that most other Caesar dressings call for adding raw egg. Commercially prepared mayonnaise contains pasteurized eggs which is why I feel more comfortable using it. I have explained this in the post but apologize if my description of the recipe caused confusion for you.
Ann says
This looks so creamy and delicious, Valerie. We love a good Caesar salad, and this dressing looks like the perfect way to enjoy it!