Creamy and bursting with savory flavors, this homemade caesar salad dressing is SO much better than any store-bought variety!
Behold, my favorite salad of all time! The crisp romaine lettuce, sharp and nutty Parmesan cheese, crunchy croutons, and plenty of that savory pepper-specked dressing… yes please!! Usually I would just buy a bottle of dressing to have caesar salad at home, but no more… and once you try this recipe, you’ll be ditching that bottle too!
Whenever we go out to a restaurant, I always order a caesar salad with my meal. No other side salad comes close for me! Now that I’ve perfected the homemade dressing and croutons, it’s a staple around here as well.
To me, no salad is complete without croutons… and garlic croutons, well, that just makes everything better!
Crunchy, buttery, perfection!
MAKING HOMEMADE CROUTONS
Making your own croutons is so easy, and it’s a great way to use up some old bread that you would otherwise forget about and end up throwing away. I’m all about not wasting food, since that’s essentially wasting money, plus, I think homemade tastes better anyway.
- Cube up (or tear) some day old bakery bread. French, Italian, Ciabatta, etc are all great for this. Make sure the bread cubes are bite-sized.
- Lay them out on a foil lined baking sheet and bake @ 375 F degrees for 5 minutes. While they’re baking, mix up your garlic oil mixture.
- Whisk together olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Drizzle the oil mixture over the bread cubes, toss to combine, then bake another 5 minutes. Stir the croutons, then bake a final 5-6 minutes. Viola… croutons!
This homemade caesar salad dressing is just as simple, you don’t need a blender or food processor, just a bowl and a whisk. I usually make mine a few hours ahead of time, but it will still be plenty flavorful if you make it right before serving.
WHAT GOES INTO CAESAR SALAD DRESSING?
Traditionally, caesar salad dressing is made with olive oil, egg yolk, Worcestershire sauce, lemon, mustard, garlic and pepper. To keep this dressing as easy to make as possible (as well as eliminating any risk that goes with raw eggs), I chose to make mine with mayonnaise and sour cream. This gives the dressing a beautiful creamy texture, that’s a bit lighter than an all mayo-based dressing, yet still velvety smooth.
ANCHOVIES, OR NO ANCHOVIES?
I know, I know… anchovies can be a bit… off-putting. Normally I shy away from using them in most of my cooking, but for this dressing, it really adds a great depth of flavor. Without the anchovies, the dressing can taste really flat and one dimensional… sort of like if you forget to salt your food while cooking it.
Instead of using anchovy filets, I use anchovy paste! You can usually find it in major grocery stores, and it’s shelf-stable (until opened, then you’ll need to refrigerate it).
WHO, OR WHAT, IS CAESAR SALAD NAMED AFTER?
This one may surprise you! As a kid, I thought caesar salad was named after Julius Caesar, the infamous Roman Emperor. But in fact, it’s named after a chef, Caesar Cardini. He’s the man we all owe a big thank you to!
ADDING PROTEIN TO A CAESAR SALAD
After one bite of this salad, you may want to turn this into your main meal, and I can’t blame you! There are 3 main sources of protein that we add to this salad:
- Chicken
- Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally, to make 2 thin cutlets. Season well with salt, pepper, dried minced onion, garlic powder, and a pinch of paprika. Saute over MED-HIGH heat with a drizzle of olive oil for 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Salmon
- Rub salmon filets with a drizzle of olive oil, then season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Saute over MED – MED-HIGH for several minutes per side until cooked to your liking.
- Shrimp
- Season shrimp with salt, pepper, garlic powder and a pinch of paprika. Saute over MED-HIGH heat with a drizzle of olive oil for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. Squeeze some lemon juice over the shrimp when finished cooking.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CAESAR SALAD
This salad makes a fabulous side dish to a LOT of recipes, but here are a few of my favorites:
- Stuffed Italian Flank Steak
- 20 Minute Tortellini Carbonara
- Crunchy Baked Chicken Tenders
- Drunken Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- Loaded Chicken Noodle Casserole
- One Pan French Onion Pork Chops
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
DRESSING:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 tsp anchovy paste
- 3 cloves garlic , pressed with a garlic press, grated, or finely minced
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 - 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 - 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper , depending on your tastes
- 1/4 cup finely shredded fresh parmesan cheese
- Salt to taste
CROUTONS:
- 1/2 loaf artisan bread , 1-2 days old
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic , pressed with a garlic press, grated, or finely minced
- 1/4 each salt and black pepper
SALAD:
- 1 large head Romaine lettuce , chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese
Instructions
DRESSING
- To a mixing bowl, add mayonnaise, anchovy paste, olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, salt, and garlic and stir. Whisk in sour cream and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Place in airtight container in the refrigerator until serving.
CROUTONS
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice bread into slices 3/4-inch thick then cut each slice into cubes. Spread out bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake 5 minutes. While they are baking, in a mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Remove baking sheet from the oven and drizzle with garlic oil mixture, toss to combine, then bake 5 minutes.
- Remove sheet from the oven and toss, then bake 5 - 6 minutes longer, until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and set aside.
ASSEMBLE SALAD
- In a large salad bowl toss together lettuce, croutons and Parmesan cheese. Drizzle with dressing and toss. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan and black pepper if desired.
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Chef Tips
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Lisa says
When you say a good mayo what do you use? What are options for sour cream for milk issues? Have you tried it with your suggestion?
The Chunky Chef says
I prefer to use Hellman’s or Duke’s mayonnaise (full fat for the best flavor). I haven’t tested this with any non-dairy ingredients, but you could use all mayonnaise since it doesn’t contain milk.
Michele says
Yum! I did make homemade mayo before starting the dressing but together they made a yummy dressing. Not too thick is my fave. Thank you
Beth S says
This is THE BEST Caesar salad I have ever prepared and served. My family & friends love when I serve it. The dressing is superb!
Liz says
Made this to today and it was exactly what I was hoping for! It’s like Stone Fire Grill’s Cesar salad dressing which if I have a canister of that, I can eat a TON of veggies not only romaine. Yummy! Awesome recipe and pretty healthy! Who knows what goes into the restaurant’s version which I can eat a ton of but don’t know that I should. No more guilt, and hello veggies! I just hope I don’t lose this recipe now. Thanks Chunky Chef!
Amy says
Absolutely the best ceasar dressing my family always asks me to make it
How long does it last in the refrigerator
The Chunky Chef says
So glad you love it! It should last about a week 🙂
Marsha says
Excellent! Will use for my daughter’s wedding dinner!
Jolee Rengo says
I absolutely LOVE this dressing, and I make it often! I don’t use anchoy paste but prefer the fillets. I urge everyone to try this once even if they don’t like anchovies – you will be amazed how good this is!
Bonnie says
The best Caesar dressing ever!!
Everyone should make this! 🤩👏🏻
I leave out anchovie paste, lol, I don’t like paste! 😉
Roxanne Martin says
I made a vegan version, minus Worcestershire and used capers in place of anchovies oh and I used some nutritional yeast instead of Parm and it was amazing!! My 11 year old nephew loved it. Thanks!!
Eva Case says
Great caesar salad dressing. Easy, delicious. Loved the consistency of the dressing.
I usually buy a name brand caesar dressing but no more.
Thank you
Kristine S says
We didn’t have any good romaine lettuce, so I used Organic Girl Baby Spring Mix. This is so delicious. From the croutons to the dressing. Just perfect. Thank you for a delicious recipe. ❤️
geri says
what an i use to make this dressing a bit thinner
The Chunky Chef says
You can add a splash of water to thin it out a bit.
Cathy says
This is my go-to. I always double it. It’s the best!
LeeLu says
Excellent dressing! Authentic-tasting Caesar…