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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!
Tag on Insta! Leave a Rating Save for Later Saved!

 

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. Natalie says

    Posted on 7/7 at 8:08 pm

    We LOVED this dressing! Delicious! I didn’t add the anchovy paste, not because I don’t like it, only because I didn’t have any. I will be making this for our Caesar salads from now on. So easy.

    Now I need to check out The Chunky Chef’s other recipes in the hope that they are just as delicious!

    Reply
  2. Trish says

    Posted on 7/6 at 11:28 pm

    I love this recipe! I make this dressing when we have fresh home grown romaine. And I make homemade bread for the croutons. This dressing is truly the best! Thank you!

    Reply
  3. Amy B says

    Posted on 6/30 at 10:08 pm

    Excellent, will make it again.

    Reply
  4. Svetlana Lukyanov says

    Posted on 6/27 at 9:20 pm

    Loved it. Better than any store bought!

    Reply
  5. Kris says

    Posted on 6/26 at 9:06 pm

    Best Caesar dressing I’ve ever eaten!! Creamy, garlicky, rich & just the right balance of flavors. I always make a double batch & store it in a glass jar with rubber swing lid with rubber seal & clamp. Stays fresh for a month.

    Reply
  6. Sheila Clemens says

    Posted on 6/20 at 2:03 pm

    How long will this stay good in the refrigerator.

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 6/21 at 8:55 pm

      I would say about a week 🙂

      Reply
  7. Nancy says

    Posted on 6/18 at 7:28 pm

    Amazing dressing! I’ve been searching for the PERFECT taste and consistency and I finally found it! Thank you so much, this is THE BEST💞

    Reply
  8. Sharon says

    Posted on 6/8 at 6:19 pm

    How far ahead can the dressing be made? Thanks

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 6/9 at 8:49 pm

      I would say about a week 🙂

      Reply
  9. Cori Schneider says

    Posted on 5/11 at 12:38 pm

    This is seriously the BEST! I’m constantly making this and it’s always a huge hit!

    Reply
  10. Nancy P says

    Posted on 5/5 at 7:51 pm

    I’m always searching for “THE BEST CAESAR SALAD DRESSING” and I just found it👍💞. Absolutely Perfect!! Thank you for sharing this recipe YUM😋

    Reply
  11. Pamela says

    Posted on 2/8 at 8:17 pm

    love this salad dressing

    Reply
  12. Jaime M says

    Posted on 1/19 at 11:13 am

    This was absolutely fantastic. Thank you for sharing. Wonder if i could freeze the rest of the dressing. 🤔 any insight on that?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 1/21 at 9:34 pm

      So glad you loved it! Since dairy can sometimes separate during the freezing and thawing process, I’ve not tested freezing this recipe, so I can’t say for certain how it’ll turn out.

      Reply
  13. Suzi W says

    Posted on 1/11 at 7:33 am

    This is a wonderful dressing recipe, with just enough bite and saltiness to enhance the romaine lettuce.

    Reply
  14. Cindy says

    Posted on 12/31 at 5:31 pm

    Oh my excellent!!! Made it exactly as written and it is perfect. I had the dressing just made off to the side and started prepping other dinner items, next thing I knew I was taking mushroom and peppers I had on the cutting board and started dipping it into the dressing. It was an addiction. Soooo good.

    Reply
  15. Sandra says

    Posted on 12/30 at 8:10 pm

    Soooo good. It’s my go to recipe now.

    Reply
  16. Marisa says

    Posted on 12/3 at 8:04 pm

    How long in advanced can you make this dressing?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/5 at 2:22 pm

      It should last about a week, but for the best flavor, I would make it within 1-2 days of eating.

      Reply
  17. Jami says

    Posted on 12/2 at 12:36 pm

    Mine is too thick. How can I thin out some?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 12/2 at 2:44 pm

      You can add a bit of water to thin it out a bit.

      Reply
  18. Mary Plimpton says

    Posted on 11/24 at 4:15 pm

    It’s a Very good salad. This is my second time making it. Delicious with our steak and stacked potatoes. It’s my go to salad now with all of my special meals. Thank you

    Reply
  19. Reba says

    Posted on 11/4 at 11:19 am

    How far ahead could I make croutons?

    Reply
    • The Chunky Chef says

      Posted on 11/4 at 9:30 pm

      I wouldn’t make them too far ahead, as they lose their crispiness over time.

      Reply
  20. Deb says

    Posted on 10/19 at 10:17 pm

    Excellent flavor! Followed the recipe exactly and it was sooo good! This will now be my go to! No more store bought disappointments.

    Reply
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