The Best Caesar Salad Dressing

Creamy, garlicky Caesar dressing made from scratch with bold flavor and perfect balance. Better than store-bought and ready in minutes for salads, chicken, and more.

If your Caesar dressing is bland, too thick, or tastes suspiciously like something from a bottle, this is the fix. It’s creamy, punchy, garlicky in the best way, and the kind of dressing that makes you eat salad when you weren’t planning to.

This dressing is so good, you’ll never want to purchase Caesar pre-made again.

Common Caesar Dressing Mistakes

• Skipping anchovy (you’re missing depth, not avoiding fishiness)
• Adding oil too fast (hello, broken dressing)
• Overdoing the lemon (now it’s just sour)

About 15 years ago I had a lobster and crab Caesar salad at a restaurant that made such an impact on me – I was officially hooked on Caesar dressing. What I realized is that before that point I really had never given Caesar salads much thought at all. I was always a Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing girl.

Then I Decided to Make The Best Caesar Salad Dressing

On and off since then, I’ve been trying to make my own dressing, and I think I finally nailed it. This is now officially my favorite.

My recipe does not involve raw eggs. Also, instead of anchovies, I use anchovy paste.

I know you anchovy haters out there are saying, “um, yeah no, that will not be going in my dressing”. What you need to understand is that anchovies are one of the little things that sets Caesar dressing apart from all the other dressings.

It’s not a fishy taste, per se, what it adds is more of a special umaminess that Caesar is known for. Just trust me, please, and try it. If you don’t like it, then leave it out the next time, but I don’t think you’ll need to.

I’m confident.

And, no, what you see isn’t Romaine – it’s red leaf lettuce. I don’t play by the rules; you should already know that about me by now. If not, you’ll get it soon.

One of the most important aspects of this dressing, in my opinion, is the Worcestershire sauce. It isn’t the same without it. Sometimes I just want to go overboard with it, but then I reign myself in. Sometimes you can ruin something with too much of a good thing. And the cheese, it’s imperative that you get a block of Parm and grate the cheese instead of buying pre-shred; there’s a very real difference.

FAQ’s

• Can I make Caesar dressing without anchovies?  Technically, yes, but it will not be nearly as good.
• How long does homemade Caesar dressing last?  Up to 7 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
• Is Caesar dressing gluten-free? As long as your Worcestershire sauce is gluten-free, yes. Some are and some aren’t – French’s and Lea and Perrins are both gluten-free.

Here’s your printable-

Continue to Content

The Best Caesar Salad Dressing

Yield: 1 qt

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Creamy, garlicky Caesar dressing made from scratch with bold flavor and perfect balance. Better than store-bought and ready in minutes for salads, chicken, and more.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup Mayo (full fat)
• 1 tbsp cold milk
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Anchovy paste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• ½ tsp Kosher salt
• ½ tsp coarsely ground pepper

Instructions

1. Combine everything in a mason jar and shake until thoroughly combined, or add ingredients to a food processor and pulse until combined.
2. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pour into an air tight container and refrigerate. Try to wait till the next day to use, although it isn't mandatory.

Recommended Products

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated websites.

• 
  Zulay Kitchen Metal 2-in-1 Lemon Squeezer - Sturdy Max Extraction Hand Juicer Lemon Squeezer Gets Every Last Drop - Easy to Clean Manual Citrus Juicer - Easy-Use Lemon Juicer Squeezer - Yellow/Green
• 
  Ball Wide Mouth Pint Mason Jars with Lids & Bands | 16-oz | 2-Pack
• 
  Wooden Salad Bowl with 2 Servers, Mango Wood | Dixie Chik Cooks

Notes

*I typically wait an hour before serving; it's usually best the next day.

*Lasts up to 7 days refrigerated, unless you can it.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 Amounts Per Serving: Calories: 168Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 3gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 368mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g

The provided nutrition calculated may not always be accurate.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Facebook

Want more dressing/sauce/marinade love? 

Honey Key Lime Dressing from Yours Truly

5 Easy Chicken Marinades from Gimme Some Oven   

Jerk Marinade Recipe from The Black Peppercorn 

This article was updated on April 15th, 2026.