Creamy Caesar Dressing + The Best Caesar Salad

Creamy Caesar Dressing is a fridge staple! Learn how to make this classic salad dressing and build the perfect Caesar salad, or use it as a sandwich spread or dip for veggies!

The Salad Dressing You’ll Always Want to Have on Hand

Caesar is one of my favorite starters for any meal, and also one of the dishes I am most picky about.

I’ve been known to judge a restaurant solely on the quality of their Caesar salad. A good one elevates the entire meal, bringing all of its briny, lemony, crisp and creamy goodness to the table.

The Four Things Every Caesar Salad Must Have:

• Crisp romaine lettuce
• Crunchy, garlicky croutons
• Shaved Parmesan cheese
• And, most importantly, a rich and creamy Caesar dressing

Today I’m going to share my favorite recipe for Caesar dressing, so you can make the BEST Caesar salads at home.

Ingredients in Caesar Dressing

• Mayo– Traditional Caesar dressing is made with raw egg yolks, but for ease as well as food safety issues, I use mayonnaise for Caesar dressing instead.
• Garlic– a MUST!
• Parmigiano Reggiano cheese– Parmesan adds umami flavor and also makes the dressing extra thick and creamy.
• Lemon– I like a bright and lemony Caesar dressing, but you can feel free to decrease to your liking.
• Anchovy– It might make some folks wrinkle their noses, but I don’t think you can truly call it Caesar dressing if it doesn’t have anchovy. I prefer to buy anchovy paste, which you can find at most grocery stores. Anchovy doesn’t make the dressing taste fishy, it just adds a unique briny flavor.
• Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce add complexity and depth.
• Salt and freshly ground pepper– I usually don’t add much salt, but I like a pleasantly peppery dressing.

How to Make Creamy Caesar Dressing

I prefer to make this dressing in the food processor (here’s mine), but you can mix it by hand if you don’t have one.

1. Place the mayo, garlic, grated Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, anchovy paste, dijon mustard, and worcestershire sauce in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until dressing is smooth and well combined.
2. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.

Build the Best Creamy Caesar Salad

Once the dressing is made, it’s time to make the salad!

1. Start with plenty of romaine lettuce, chopped into bite sized pieces.
2. Make homemade croutons in the oven or air fryer croutons.
3. Toss the lettuce with plenty of creamy Caesar dressing, then top with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and croutons.

Enjoy the perfect Caesar!

Storage, Serving Suggestions, and Substitutions

• Caesar dressing should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for several weeks, but needs a good whisk before serving.
• It’s important to use grated Parmesan rather than shredded for the smoothest texture.
• This dressing is quite thick and makes a perfect Caesar dip for vegetables too! Try it with this Spring vegetable platter, or slather it on a Chicken Caesar Sandwich.
• You can definitely omit the anchovy paste if you don’t like it or have it on hand, but it is what gives Caesar dressing its signature taste!
• I’ve tested this with and without the Dijon mustard and Worcestershire. They aren’t 100% necessary, but I do think it’s best with both of them!

More Salad Dressing Recipes to Try

Want to make more homemade salad dressings? Try these!

• Easy Homemade Italian Dressing
• Balsamic Reduction
• Tomato and Corn Chopped Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing
• Strawberry Spinach Salad with Sweet Lemon Dressing
• Copy Cat Northstar Chopped Salad with the Best Vinaigrette