Caesar Salad Dressing – creamy and smooth homemade Caesar salad dressing packed with savory goodness from Worcestershire sauce and anchovies, tanginess from sour cream and lemon juice, nuttiness from Parmesan cheese and a slight hint of sweetness. It’s way more flavorful than the bottled ones. And NO RAW eggs required!
I have always been in love with Caesar salad. And when I decided that I would lessen my bottled store-bought dressing purchases, I knew I had to make my own dressing for it from scratch. As a matter of fact, it took me numerous attempts to finally perfect my own version of this classic favorite salad.
Lucky for you, there are NO RAW eggs required for this recipe as opposed to the traditional one. Yet you’re still rewarded with a lot of bang for your buck!
History of Caesar Salad
As a kid, I grew up believing that Caesar salad was named after the infamous Roman Emperor Julius Caesar. Did you grow up believing this one, too? Well, Caesar Salad is actually named after an Italian immigrant restaurateur Caesar Cardini who operated restaurants in Mexico and in the U.S. Caesar salad was traditionally made with lettuce, croutons, parmesan cheese and a rich creamy dressing.
Caesar Salad Dressing Ingredients
It’s a lot more convenient to just buy all of those bottled Caesar dressings. After all, you can easily buy them at any grocery store. But let’s be honest, there’s nothing quite as tasty as a homemade dressing. I could have stopped making dressings after I made my ranch dressing and blue cheese dressing, but this collection wouldn’t be complete without one of my top favorite Caesar Salad Dressing. Here are just three of the very few ingredients that you need to have:
Anchovies. These little guys can be off-putting at times, but a great Caesar dressing wouldn’t be the same without that bold-flavor anchovy taste. Though many will claim that the original Caesar salad doesn’t use anchovies, it certainly adds that depth of flavor. So to tone down a bit of the fishy side taste of anchovies, I decided to pair it with Worcestershire sauce, too.
Mayonnaise. The very reason why I had my doubts in making this dressing at home is due to RAW EGGS. But eventually I decided to drop the raw eggs out and replace it with mayonnaise as it contains lots of eggs, too.
Parmesan Cheese. For best results, I highly suggest that you use fresh and real Parmesan cheese to bring out that nice salty, tangy, nutty taste which is essential in this homemade dressing. If for some reason, you fail to secure some parmesan, you may replace it with Dry Jack or Grana Padano.
How Long Does Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing Last?
This uber flavorful homemade Caesar dressing could last for about a week when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
How To Make Caesar Salad
After you’ve mixed the dressing, now you can assemble the Caesar Salad in no time:
- In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, croutons (check out my homemade version) and Parmesan cheese.
- Then drizzle the mixture with that dressing and give a quick toss.
- Sprinkle with additional shredded Parmesan cheese and black pepper, if desired.
More Salad Dressings To Love
- Blue Cheese Dressing (paired with my Wedge Salad HERE)
- Ranch Dressing (paired with this Southwest Chicken Salad)
- Cole Slaw Dressing
- Mango Dressing
- Strawberry Poppy Salad Dressing
Don’t forget to pair it alongside with this Homemade Croutons HERE.
Caesar Salad Dressing
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Ingredients
- 3 oil-packed anchovy fillets (1 tablespoon) , drained and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) (or more) kosher salt
- ¼ cup (57 g) sour cream
- ½ cup (116 g) mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) Worcestershire
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons (28 ml) olive oil
- ¼ cup (25 g) Parmesan , finely grated
- ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) black pepper
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) sugar (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the anchovy, garlic, salt, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire, Dijon mustard, olive oil, Parmesan and pepper, whisk continuously until fully combined. Add sugar, if desired. Taste and adjust to your liking.
- Serve with croutons, romaine hearts or on Caesar salad.
Tips & Notes:
- You can also blend all the ingredients in a blender or food processor for a smooth texture.
- The dressing will keep well in the fridge in an airtight container for about a week.
- Use good mayonnaise and fresh Parmesan for great results.
Nutrition Information:
Kathy says
Love this dressing I put it on chicken seafood tomatoes and I hate too say this I eat it out the jar. This is the best Caesar dressing I’ve had. I no longer order this salad when I eat out because I can no longer eat the dressing. Thank you for the recipe.
ImmaculateBites says
I eat this out of the jar too shhh …! I am thrilled you love this dressing. Thank you for the feedback, Kathy.
mikermeals says
Love caesar salad and this was a winner!
Catherine Rodgers says
Just made this tonight and it was delicious…..will make again and again.
imma africanbites says
Yaaay! So glad you like it. It’s one of my top favorite, too.
Rob says
I love Caesar salad and this dressing looks good. Couple of things. 1) Caesar was a performer and Caesar salads were first made on a cart brought to your table. He started them in Tijuana. Another great contribution to North America from Mexico! 2) raw eggs are not the issue they once were. processes have changed and salmonella is rare now in eggs. I make a lighter dressing with raw egg (no sour cream or mayo) that is great. 3) instead of chopping the anchovy, i have a tube of anchovy paste always in my fridge. and I love anchovies so they go in the salad! but, this looks great as are all Imma’s recipes!