Caesar Salad Dressing
on Jan 26, 2024, Updated Mar 09, 2024
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Creamy mayo, zesty lemon juice, sharp parmesan cheese, and more come together to make this simple Caesar Salad Dressing. This easy-to-make dressing is creamy and full of vibrant flavors that get better the longer you let the dressing sit.
Who doesn’t like caesar salad dressing? It goes great with just about any salad and is full of so many rich flavors. Our quick and easy caesar dressing comes together in under 5 minutes and this is the last recipe you will ever need!
The mayonnaise gives the dressing a delicious, creamy texture and the worcestershire sauce helps bind the flavors together. The result is a rich, vibrant dressing that will keep you coming back for more every time.
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
- Mayo—The creamy, savory base of your salad dressing.
- Parmesan Cheese—Gives the dressing a sharp tang. You can use either freshly grated or bottled cheese.
- Lemon Juice—Adds a zesty sweetness to balance the savoriness of the mayo.
- Garlic Powder—Can be replaced with freshly minced garlic.
- Worcestershire Sauce—Helps amplify the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Dijon Mustard—Or you can use stone ground mustard.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Popular Substitutions and Variations
Classic caesar dressing only has a handful of ingredients: mayonnaise/ olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and mustard. We like to add a little bit of worcestershire sauce to amplify the other flavors, but there are a few other ways in which you can customize your sauce. Here are some of our favorite recipe variations:
- Just like using worcestershire sauce, you can use anchovies to bolster the other flavors of your dish. Simply whisk in a teaspoon of anchovy paste along with the rest of your ingredients.
- Add one egg yolk for a richer, creamier sauce. Make sure that you whisk the dressing thoroughly to fully incorporate the egg yolk. If you add an egg yolk then you will want to take special care to ensure your dressing is stored properly and is not left on the counter for too long.
How to Make Caesar Salad Dressing
Step #1. Gather all of the ingredients to make Caeser salad dressing.
Step #2. Use a whisk or fork to vigorously stir all of your ingredients together in a small bowl.
Step #3. Ensure that you do not have any clumps of garlic powder or parmesan cheese anywhere in your dressing.
Step #4. Transfer your dressing to a mason jar or plastic storage container. Place the dressing in the fridge if you are not going to use it immediately.
Recipe FAQs
While many people today like to add anchovy paste to their caesar salad dressing, it is not a necessary ingredient. Traditional caesar dressing does not include anchovy paste, but it does amplify the flavors of the other ingredients. Using worcestershire sauce will give you a similar result.
It is completely up to you! We have made this recipe using both and did not notice a very strong change in flavor. If you are wanting to add some extra lemon flavor to your dressing then you can also add the zest of half a lemon.
Of course! You will want to omit the parmesan cheese if you want a vegan caesar salad dressing. In order to finish making it vegan simply switch out the mayo for olive oil. Your dressing will not be as creamy but will still taste amazing! For a creamier vegan caesar dressing you can use half tahini paste and half olive oil.
Expert Tips
- Because this dressing features a dairy base, you can leave your dressing on the counter for up to an hour before it should be placed back in the fridge.
- The longer this dressing sits in the fridge, the more the flavors will come together. In fact, we like to let this dressing sit in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving when we have some extra time.
- The sharpness of the parmesan cheese helps balance the tartness of the lemon juice. You can either use freshly grated parmesan cheese or bottled parmesan. You won’t notice a flavor difference either way.
- The mayo is what gives this dressing its creamy texture. It also works like salt, enhancing the flavors of the other ingredients.
- If you do not have dijon mustard you can use stone ground mustard instead.
- While some people add anchovy paste to their dressing, we did not find it necessary. Anchovy paste can also be difficult to find at your local grocery store.
- We like to use olive oil mayo, but you are more than welcome to use any other kind of mayonnaise. Olive oil mayo has a slightly richer flavor and adds a little bit more depth to the dressing.
How to Store Your Dressing
In order to preserve your salad dressing for as long as possible, it is important to keep it stored in the fridge. Store your salad dressing in either a rubbermaid container or in a mason jar with a tight fitting lid. You can store your dressing in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Before you set out your salad dressing, give it a quick stir to ensure the dressing is smooth and homogenous. We found that the flavors in this dressing come together more the longer it sits in the fridge.
More Salad Recipes To Consider
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Caesar Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayo
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Use a whisk or fork to stir the ingredients together until homogenous.
- Make sure there are no clumps of garlic powder and parmesan cheese in the dressing.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- This will make 1 cup of salad dressing.
- You can store your salad dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. We like to use a mason jar with a tight fitting lid, but you can use a rubbermaid container as well.
- The sharpness of the parmesan cheese helps balance the tartness of the lemon juice.
- The mayo is what gives this dressing its creamy texture. It also works like salt, enhancing the flavors of the other ingredients.
- If you do not have dijon mustard you can use stone ground mustard instead.
- While some people add anchovy paste to their dressing, we did not find it necessary. Anchovy paste can also be difficult to find at your local grocery store.
