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It’s so hard to find a good store-bought Caesar salad dressing, and after trying what felt like a gazillion and wasting a ton of money and still not finding the right one, I decided to just make my own Caesar dressing. And you know what? It’s super easy! Seriously, you likely have all the ingredients already. Plus, I’ve got options for everyone: you can make it with anchovies if you like that classic taste or leave them out if you’re not a fan (or don’t have any anchovy paste sitting around).
Jump to Section
- Recipe At a Glance
- Ingredients to Make Caesar Salad Dressing
- Popular Substitutions & Additions
- How to Make Caesar Salad Dressing With or Without Anchovies
- How to Make Caesar Dressing with Capers
- Tips for Making the Best Tasting Caesar Salad Dressing
- What to Serve With Caesar Salad Dressing
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Dressing Recipes:
- Caesar Salad Dressing – 2 Ways Recipe
Clearly, I’m a huge fan of Caesar salad. Be it as a traditional Caesar salad, a Ceasar salad with Brussel sprouts, or as a chicken Caesar pasta salad. All of these are so good and have one thing in common: the Caesar salad dressing! My original Caesar salad dressing recipe has minimal ingredients and requires just a few simple steps before you’re on your way to dressing, dipping, and dunking your greens in it. For those who are not a fan of anchovies, you’ll find that my method for homemade Caesar dressing with no anchovies is just as good.
Recipe At a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: No-Cook
Dietary Info: Low Carb
Key Flavor: Garlic, lemon, anchovies, and capers
Skill Level: Easy
- Customizable: You can make a traditional Caesar salad dressing (with anchovies) or opt to leave them out. I make both all of the time, and it’s hard to tell the difference!
- Fast: Authentic Caesar salad dressing doesn’t take long to make! My recipe is ready in just 15 minutes…trust me, I’ve timed it.
- Make-ahead: You could make a double batch of this dressing on a Sunday and use it for side salads all week long! I’ve done this for years and it’s one of my favorite things to meal prep.
Ingredients to Make Caesar Salad Dressing
- Garlic: You’ll use two garlic cloves for this dressing, mashing them until a paste forms. I find the side of a chef’s knife’s blade can be helpful for this!
- Anchovy paste or capers: Anchovies are classic in Caesar salad dressing and anchovy paste is easy to use (it comes in a squeezable tube). Capers are a friendly substitute that still has the briny bite this dressing needs.
- Mayonnaise: This will add creaminess! I like to use a good avocado oil-based mayo.
- Parmesan cheese: I recommend finely grating the Parmesan cheese so it’s easy to mix into the dressing.
- Lemon: You’ll use both the zest and the juice here.
- Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce: This duo adds tanginess to the Caesar salad dressing!
- Pepper: You don’t need to add extra salt, but black pepper is welcome.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Use anchovy fillets. Instead of anchovy paste, you could use whole fillets. Just make sure to chop them finely before mashing them. (Anchovy bits in a dressing? Not so great!)
- Make the dressing tangier. I will sometimes swap in some of the mayonnaise for Greek yogurt for a lighter, tangier dressing.
- Add fresh herbs. While it’s not traditional, stirring fresh, minced herbs into Caesar salad dressing would be delicious! Try basil, dill, or parsley.
How to Make Caesar Salad Dressing With or Without Anchovies
Below you’ll find instructions on how to make homemade Caesar salad dressing using capers or anchovy paste, whichever you prefer!
How to Make Caesar Dressing with Anchovies
How to Make Caesar Dressing with Capers
Tips for Making the Best Tasting Caesar Salad Dressing
- Blend the dressing for a smoother consistency. For a super-smooth dressing, transfer it to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend until smooth! In this case, I recommend making a double batch of the dressing. The blender can handle it…and you’ll thank yourself later.
- Thin out the dressing. Because of the mayonnaise, this dressing will be thick! While I love it like this, if you want it thinner, whisk in water a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the consistency you like.
- Look for juicy lemons. I don’t know when I learned not all lemons are the same, but they’re not! Some have very little juice, which is not what you want for this recipe. The juiciest lemons have smooth, thin skin and feel slightly soft to the touch.
What to Serve With Caesar Salad Dressing
- Classic Caesar Salad
- Garlic Shrimp Caesar Salad
- Sliced Brussel Sprout Caesar Salad
- Caesar Pasta Salad with Chicken
- Kale Caesar Salad
Frequently Asked Questions
Because you’re using mayonnaise in this Caesar salad dressing (not raw eggs), the dressing will keep in the fridge for up to a week!
For a lighter version, you can replace the mayonnaise with a low-fat Greek yogurt. This will give the dressing a lighter texture and lower the fat content while still keeping it creamy. The taste will have a little more zing to it so, you might need to up the parmesan and lower the lemon. It’s really going to be something you’ll have to taste as you go.
Yes, you can definitely blend both anchovy paste and capers. If you want to use both, I recommend using 1 teaspoon of anchovy paste and 1 tablespoon of capers. This combination balances without overpowering the dressing. Just mince the capers well before adding them to ensure they blend smoothly into the mixture.
To make a vegan Caesar dressing, you can substitute the mayonnaise with vegan mayo and use a plant-based Parmesan cheese alternative. Skip the Worcestershire sauce or find a vegan version, as traditional Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies. You can also use Soy sauce in its place.
I know this Caesar Salad Dressing is for lettuce, but it’s so good I find myself looking for things to dip and serve with it, be it carrot sticks or roast chicken! Make it once, and you’ll be like me: rarely without a jar of it in the fridge.
More Dressing Recipes:
- Homemade Vinaigrette
- Homemade Ranch Dip
- Balsamic Glaze
- Easy Chimichurri
- Broken vs. Emulsified Dressing Recipes
- Blue Cheese Dressing
- Lemon Tahini Dressing
If you try this feel good How to Make Caesar Salad Dressing – 2 Ways recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Caesar Salad Dressing – 2 Ways
Ingredients
With Anchovies
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lemon zest and juice (about 3 tablespoons juice)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
With Capers
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons drained capers
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Place the garlic cloves on a small cutting board and mince until it forms a paste.
- Add the anchovy paste or the capers on top and continue to mince until well combined. Transfer to a small jar.
- Add the mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, lemon zest and lemon juice, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and black peppers. Whisk together until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and add salt or lemon juice, if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
This was inedible. As directed, and against my better instincts, I used the zest of 1 lemon but cut the amount of lemon juice to 1/2 of the lemon. But lemon and garlic was basically all you could taste. I quadrupled the rest of the recipe (except the garlic and lemon) in an attemp to save my dressing … to no avail. I had to throw it all out.
I tried it one more time and used the juice of 1/6th of a whole lemon (or about 1/2 a teaspoon) plus 1 clove of garlic … which was plenty of both. After tasting it, I declined to use the pepper!
You can add more garlic if you like, but you can’t take it out … so taste it first and add more if you like. I found one clove to be enough. I guess it depends on the size of your cloves. 1 medium sized clove was enough for my taste.
The balance of the other ingredients (I used the anchovy paste recipe) was fine, but you could do a “smidge” less Worchestershire sauce.
I then used my Nutribullet to thoroughly mix the dressing. It was good.
Thanks for the feedback, Liane! I’m a big fan of lemon and garlic but I understand my preferences can be overpowering for some. As you mentioned, the size of the lemon and garlic cloves can certainly influence the flavor. I added some clarification in the recipe, I hope that helps!
I prefer to use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise to make it a healthier choice. It works well. Your thoughts Yumna? Thanks for another easy and delicious staple recipe. 😊
I often do the same, Denise! It makes for a lighter, tangier dressing.