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Home / Main Dishes / Salad

Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

4.61
/5
20 minutes
205 Comments
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 09/11/2018

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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!

Perfect restaurant-style Caesar salad with homemade dressing and homemade garlic croutons.  Amazing as a side salad, or add some grilled chicken and make it a meal! #salad #dressing #saladdressing #caesar #homemade #croutons #fromscratch

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!

Homemade garlic croutons for caesar salad

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!

Homemade caesar salad with 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).

Caesar salad dressing in bottle

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!

Pouring homemade caesar salad dressing

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.

Homemade caesar salad in bowl

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!

Perfect restaurant-style Caesar salad with homemade dressing and homemade garlic croutons.  Amazing as a side salad, or add some grilled chicken and make it a meal! #salad #dressing #saladdressing #caesar #homemade #croutons #fromscratch

Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

4.61 from 131 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Calories: 454
Servings: 4 servings
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Forget about bottled salad dressing, this simple homemade caesar salad dressing is about 1000x better!

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.

Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!

Chef Tips

For best results, use a good-quality mayonnaise and real, fresh Parmesan cheese.  The kind in a bottle in the pasta aisle won't taste nearly as good as fresh Parm!

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.

Did You Make This?Tag @the_chunky_chef on Instagram and hashtag it #thechunkychef so I can see what you made!
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Perfect restaurant-style Caesar salad with homemade dressing and homemade garlic croutons.  Amazing as a side salad, or add some grilled chicken and make it a meal! #salad #dressing #saladdressing #caesar #homemade #croutons #fromscratch

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Meet The Chunky Chef

Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!

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Recipe Rating




  1. DonnaW says

    Posted on 12/24 at 2:53 pm

    Used plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. Winner winner!

    Reply
  2. Isabell Tadday says

    Posted on 12/21 at 12:10 pm

    We love it. Excellent!! A++

    Reply
  3. Peggy says

    Posted on 12/17 at 2:03 pm

    Best ever! Beats store bought by 1000%!

    Reply
  4. Mikaela Papazyan says

    Posted on 12/14 at 12:23 pm

    Fantastic!

    Reply
  5. Gayle says

    Posted on 12/2 at 11:59 pm

    Easy, tastey, and the anchovie paste is a wonderful addition and it doesn’t over power the dressing, my new favorite. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  6. Marlene says

    Posted on 11/13 at 4:19 pm

    I made this recipe exactly as written with 3 large cloves. Next time I will use two. The dressing is great! The croutons should go into a toaster oven after the time in the oven but their taste was awesome!

    Reply
  7. Pam Plager says

    Posted on 11/2 at 6:13 am

    Absolutely delicious!!!

    Reply
  8. Renee Koska says

    Posted on 10/31 at 9:57 pm

    WOW WOW WOW AND A GREAT HIT AT THE PARTY

    Reply
  9. Crystal lee says

    Posted on 10/12 at 12:13 am

    Thank you it was quick, easy and delicious 😋 ✌🏾❤

    Reply
  10. Cathy says

    Posted on 9/22 at 5:18 pm

    The best dressing I’ve ever had. Restaurant grade and if you want a real Caesar dressing this is the one. I’m very impressed keeping this with my recipes. Don’t think I’ll ever buy a bottle again.

    Thank you!

    Reply
  11. Sophie says

    Posted on 9/7 at 2:57 pm

    The best salad dressing ever
    Thank you

    Reply
  12. Bethany Marie VerMerris says

    Posted on 8/23 at 5:12 pm

    I make this almost on a weekly basis! So good!

    Reply
  13. Socorro M. says

    Posted on 8/12 at 9:21 pm

    Omg! This dressing is so simple and delicious!! This is now my favorite Caesar salad dressing!!

    Reply
  14. PETER says

    Posted on 8/12 at 1:58 am

    I have been making salad dressings for some time using various recipes.
    Spotted your Caesar dressing and gave it a go this morning.
    WOW it ticked all the boxes for me, great flavours easy to make.
    Thank you, I need to check out more of your recipes.

    Reply
  15. Nancy says

    Posted on 8/11 at 2:28 pm

    This is the best Homemade Caesar salad dressing ever! So much better than even 5 star restaurants! Thank you so much for the recipe!

    Reply
  16. Helen says

    Posted on 8/4 at 11:42 am

    This is the best dressing. I have made many times & always receive compliments. I like it extremely flavorful so I also add lemon zest (and additional chopped anchoivies) to the dressing.

    Reply
  17. Zoey says

    Posted on 7/22 at 4:46 pm

    So delicious and easy. It’s making me eat more salad yay! I’ve pass this recipe on to other friends and they love it too.

    Reply
  18. Mavis says

    Posted on 7/21 at 12:39 am

    Awesome recipe! Thrown my other one away! How many carbs per serving?

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      Posted on 8/1 at 9:42 pm

      So happy to hear you love this recipe! As this isn’t a health-focused website, and I’m not a nutritionist, I don’t provide full nutritional information for recipes as there is a potential for error and I wouldn’t want to potentially and/or unknowingly pass along incorrect information. If full nutrition information is important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer, or that you seek a nutritionist/dietitian for exact nutritional information 🙂

      Reply
      • Tali baldry says

        Posted on 11/17 at 8:23 pm

        It was very good but a little too much mastard

        Reply
  19. Megan says

    Posted on 7/18 at 10:58 am

    This dressing came together so fast with items I already had! I actually ran out of lemons, so I substituted fresh grapefruit juice and it was still incredible. To be honest, I pretty much eyeballed all of the quantities, it’s very forgiving. Super tasty.

    Reply
  20. Jan says

    Posted on 6/19 at 8:57 pm

    Thank you Chef for the amazing recipe! Ceasar salad is my favorite but it’s always a hit or miss on the dressing. I’ve always wanted to try it and finally looked up a recipe and yours was the first one I looked up and seems pretty simple to make! Loved the anchovies and the fact that my husband hates fish, he couldn’t tell there were anchovies. He loved the dressing! Thank you sooo much!

    Reply
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