Homemade Caesar Dressing

This creamy Homemade Caesar Dressing is the one to try if you’ve ever thought of making your own salad dressing.

In a matter of minutes, you can easily whip up a batch of this Caesar salad dressing. Your taste buds, family and friends will thank you for making an otherwise boring salad simply delicious!

What is the secret to making the best recipe for Caesar dressing? Fresh ingredients, combined with the right Worcestershire make this homemade Caesar dressing one you’ll crave time and time again.

You may be wondering why anyone would want to make their own salad dressing when store-bought will usually suffice. Whether for flavor reasons or being able to choose what ingredients you consume, for us it came down to the latter.

I was tired of reading ingredient labels only to find soybean or vegetable oils in the dressings. In order to have better control of what we consume, it was time to make our own homemade Caesar dressing.

That’s how this easy recipe came about.

After making this recipe once, you will quickly realize nothing beats homemade Caesar dressing.

Serve up a Caesar salad before enjoying the best Chili Recipe or hearty Scalloped Potatoes.

Ingredients

Traditional Caesar salad dressing does not contain anchovies, compared to modern versions. In reality, I think many people are averse to using anchovies due to the smell when the average person doesn’t really taste them.

That said, while this recipe does not call for anchovies, it does call for Worcestershire sauce which may contain anchovies, in and of itself. For instance, what is arguably the gold standard, and most well-known, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce contains anchovies, while 365 Organic by Whole Foods Market Worcestershire Sauce does not.

When testing different variations to come up with our final recipe, there was a very noticeable difference in flavor between the two aforementioned Worcestershire sauces and their effect on the overall flavor of the dressing.

Our preference was Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, because both the warmth and the overall flavor it lent to the dressing.

To make this homemade salad Caesar dressing, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Olive oil, ⅓ cup - Use a light tasting extra virgin olive oil in this recipe. Since it creates the base, it shouldn’t be too aromatic or generally impart flavor of any kind.
• Parmigiano-Reggiano, ¼ cup, grated, plus some shredded for topping - Partially responsible for the creamy, salty goodness in this recipe, buy a small block to grate this cheese fresh for use in this recipe.
• Salt, ¼ teaspoon - A little salt goes a long way in this recipe. Start with a little and add more if you think it needs it.
• Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon - Imparting all the warm, savory flavor you need, choose your favorite Worcestershire sauce for use here. Remember, some brands contain anchovies, so read the ingredient labels if that is not something you want included.
• Mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons - Similar to cheese, mayonnaise adds a creamy texture to the dressing. Here, we used Sir Kensington's Organic Mayonnaise, which is our favorite.
• Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon - Depending on the brand, each mustard variety will add its own flavor and you may need to experiment until you find a combination you like. For this recipe, we used Maille Dijon Original Mustard, adding a punch that perfectly balances the other ingredients.
• Garlic, 1 clove, minced - Fresh garlic is a must for providing pungent, earthy deliciousness Caesar dressing calls for.
• Lemon juice, 2 tablespoons - Use fresh squeezed lemon juice to get that signature tangy flavor you’re craving.
• Black pepper, ¼ teaspoon - Cracked fresh or ground, black pepper finishes Caesar dressing perfectly. We used coarse pepper, but fine ground or cracked pepper will both work. Fine or cracked, start with a little, taste it and add more if need be.

Variations and Substitutions:

• Substitute Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise.
• Use avocado or coconut oil instead of olive oil.
• Add anchovy paste if the Worcestershire sauce you use does not contain it and you like the flavor.

Kitchen Supplies and Equipment

Making homemade Caesar dressing is not overly complicated. Aside from a salad dressing bottle to serve and store the dressing, you may already have kitchen supplies as well as equipment for this recipe.

• Whisk - Any whisk will be fine, since you only need it to effectively blend all the ingredients together. It’s better than using a spoon but not as effective as an immersion blender.
• Lemon press - A nice quality lemon press squeezer makes extracting nearly every last drop of juice from your lemons, leaving seeds inside the chamber and not in the dressing. You can also use a lemon/citrus juicer.

• Mixing bowl - In general, don’t buy cheap mixing bowls if you want them to last. Having a high-quality, solid set of mixing bowls makes cooking much easier. Since this recipe did not require a blender, I used our pretty handthrown pottery mixing bowls. I like beautiful kitchen items (because it makes me happy) that are also functional.

Stainless steel or glass mixing bowls are more common. We have a stainless steel mixing bowl set in a neutral khaki color. It’s pretty, while being fairly sturdy, and comes with lid attachments, such as a grater. The silicone bottom is a nice touch to ensure the bowls don’t slide around on the counter.

• Garlic press (optional) - Use a garlic press if you don’t want to mince by hand using a knife or if you prefer the more intense flavor a garlic press produces.
• Immersion blender (optional) - Better than a whisk, an immersion blender will be much more effective and efficient at creating a smoother textured dressing. However, if you don’t mind a slightly less smooth dressing, use a whisk.
• Empty bottle - For storing the homemade salad dressing, use an empty glass bottle, preferably sealable. We have a darling small glass salad dressing bottle with a spout that holds 8.5 ounces (250 ml). They also have 1 liter and 4.1 ounces (130 ml) versions. A similar 15 ounce salad dressing container would work as well.

Instructions

1. In a mixing bowl, add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and black pepper. Whisk well to blend.

2. Add the olive oil, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, mayonnaise, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk well to fully combine and thoroughly blend.

3. Taste test to see if you need more black pepper, salt or Worcestershire. Season to taste.
4. Serve over a bed of romaine lettuce. Top with fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and, if desired, croutons. For a tangy addition, gently hand squeeze a little lemon juice over the top.

Serving Suggestions

A great homemade Caesar dressing perfectly tops a salad that completes a meat heavy meal of steak or chicken. However, much like ranch dressing, Caesar dressing goes beyond just a salad topping.

• Appetizer - Serve mini Caesar salads at your next get-together. You can also use Caesar dressing as a dip for French fries, plain potato chips or veggies.
• Side Dish - A go-to traditional choice, make Caesar side salads for a weeknight dinner.
• Salad as the Main Course - Add chicken, croutons and freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to a heaping bed of romaine lettuce and top it with this homemade Caesar dressing for a filling main course salad.

How to Store Homemade Caesar Dressing

Homemade Caesar dressing should be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a couple days.