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Home / Main Dishes / Salad

Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

4.65
/5
20 minutes minutes
236 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

4.65 from 152 votes
Author: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes 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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4.65 from 152 votes (36 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  1. Randi says

    Posted on 10/19 at 9:48 am

    This dressing is amazing! I have been looking a long time for one and this recipe is exactly what I have been hoping to find!

    Reply
  2. Niki says

    Posted on 9/26 at 6:45 pm

    We are pretty picky about Caesar dressing, this was a big hit!

    Reply
  3. Amy says

    Posted on 9/26 at 4:42 pm

    I LOVE THIS DRESSING!!! BEST HOMEMADE CAESAR DRESSING EVER!!!

    Reply
  4. Nancy Armienti says

    Posted on 8/31 at 12:54 pm

    I love this dressing!!!!! I make it almost every week. I dip everything in it. I have entered into my family favorites. It is so much better then store bought. The flavor is magnificent!!!! A super winner!

    Reply
  5. Liz says

    Posted on 8/19 at 2:25 pm

    Made this a few weeks ago for a dinner party at home! Awesome! Dinner party guests loved it! Making it again for tonight’s neighbors gathering!

    Reply
  6. Carla says

    Posted on 8/2 at 8:35 pm

    LOVE this Caesar dressing !!! So good, and I always have these ingredients. I do omit the anchovy paste . Thank you!!!

    Reply
  7. Julianna says

    Posted on 7/5 at 5:51 pm

    I love this recipe!!! I’ve made it before and it is 10x better than store bought!

    Is there anything I can sub the sour cream for? I really want to make this tonight but don’t want to go to the store for one ingredient haha

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 7/5 at 8:21 pm

      So glad you love it! I’ve only tested this recipe as written, so I can’t say for certain how this would effect the taste, but you could try using an additional 1/4 cup of mayo?

      Reply
      • Scoop says

        Posted on 10/19 at 9:34 am

        I pretty much never add sour cream. Don’t thing it needs it. So for sure, just add more mayo or olive or neutral oil or leave it out entirely.

        Reply
  8. Zandi B says

    Posted on 7/3 at 3:50 pm

    I’ve made this like 10 times now I love it, easy to make and it taste amazing!

    Reply
  9. Angela H. says

    Posted on 6/13 at 9:27 pm

    Delicious!!! Thanks so much for sharing! This is the perfect dinner for my husband after working outside all day in 100+ degrees. I used store bought croutons but will try yours next time. The dressing was heavenly, but we like our dressing heavy on the anchovies so next time I will add a little more paste. But this was absolutely wonderful and I’m grateful for you sharing!

    Reply
  10. Joan says

    Posted on 6/9 at 2:14 pm

    After trying for my whole cooking life to find a really good creamy Caesar salad dressing, at last!
    This is my go to from now on. Thanks you Amanda!

    Reply
  11. Luisa says

    Posted on 5/24 at 10:11 am

    I loved this recipe and my family did too!! I was wondering how long does it last in the fridge?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 5/24 at 10:59 am

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It should last a good week or so in the refrigerator 🙂

      Reply
  12. ACollins says

    Posted on 5/22 at 9:05 pm

    Super yummy and easy to make.

    Reply
  13. Careen says

    Posted on 5/18 at 3:39 pm

    The best Caesar salad dressing ever. Every single person I serve this to loves it! I’m doing keto and I use it. I never get tired of it.

    Reply
  14. Betsy says

    Posted on 5/13 at 3:38 pm

    This was the best homemade Caesar Dressing I ever had. I ate this salad every day for a week! Making more today.

    Reply
  15. Cate says

    Posted on 2/16 at 6:28 pm

    Awesome recipe. Just what I was looking for.
    (I, too, am a bacon lover!!)

    Reply
  16. Ashley B says

    Posted on 2/12 at 9:36 pm

    I had a goal a few years ago to find a go-to Caesar recipe.. Found this on January 3rd and haven’t made another recipe since. It’s so good and just the perfect amount of everything!

    Reply
  17. Jillian S says

    Posted on 2/5 at 8:25 pm

    This was absolutely amazing. For the dressing, I used everything except the anchovy paste (pretty much because I had everything else on hand didn’t want to run to the store) and it was perfect! I’ve also been searching for an amazing crouton recipe and I found it. I’ve been looking for the secret on how to to keep them crunchy and you nailed it! Baking it for 5-6 minutes before coating in oil and spices is exactly what was needed. Thank you for this!

    Reply
  18. lisa says

    Posted on 1/31 at 6:38 pm

    this says it serves 4. 4 large and 8 small? or 4 small salads?
    I need this today!
    I have made this many times but cannot remember how many it served since I only made it for a serving for a couple and had leftover.
    It is a wonderful dressing!

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 1/31 at 9:20 pm

      It makes enough for a family size salad, which my family of 4 ate, which is where I got the 4 from. The recipe should make about a cup or so of dressing 🙂

      Reply
  19. Karen says

    Posted on 1/11 at 7:23 pm

    Thanks for sharing an amazing recipe. Honestly, you will not taste the anchovies. Trust me I hate the smell and taste of them

    Reply
  20. Jane says

    Posted on 1/1 at 12:06 pm

    Wonderful!! Threw out the store bought ceasar dressing in my fridge. This is the only ceasar dressing we use now!!
    What should I use to thin it out a bit? I don’t want to add any oil?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 1/1 at 4:09 pm

      I would use either a bit of water or broth to thin it out 🙂 So glad you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply
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