Easy Caesar Dressing
This easy Caesar dressing recipe yields classic Caesar flavor. This simple mayonnaise-based recipe is ready in 5 minutes (anchovy-free!).
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 27, 2024
This Caesar dressing really hits the spot. You know I love vinaigrettes, but sometimes only a creamy dressing will do. I’ve been feeling sentimental lately and decided to satisfy my craving for the classic Caesar salad.
This Caesar salad dressing requires just a few pantry ingredients. Stir them together while you bake up some croutons, and you’re ready to enjoy top-notch restaurant-quality Caesar salads at home.
Compared to other Caesar dressing recipes, this dressing is remarkably simple to make. We’ll start with a base of mayonnaise, which is easier than emulsifying oil and egg, not to mention foolproof.
This Caesar dressing is anchovy-free, which makes it suitable for vegetarians like me and anyone with a shellfish allergy. (Technically, anchovies are fish, but they are likely to cause reactions in those with shellfish allergies.) It will also appeal to anyone who is sensitive to anchovy flavor. This dressing offers bold, classic Caesar flavor, without the anchovies!
Watch How to Make Caesar Dressing
Caesar Salad Dressing Ingredients
To make this Caesar dressing, we’ll simply stir together the following:
Mayonnaise
Some Caesar dressing recipes call for oil and egg yolk, which turn into mayonnaise during the process of making the recipe. We’re taking the easy route and starting with store-bought mayonnaise. You’ll find an array of mayonnaise options at well-stocked grocery stores these days—I prefer organic options made with olive or avocado oil.
Garlic
Just one clove of garlic will do the trick. Use a garlic press or mince it finely by hand.
Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is one of several tangy ingredients in this dressing, so we only need a couple of teaspoons (one lemon will be more than plenty).
Dijon Mustard
Dijon mustard lends some key flavoring to Caesar dressing. You probably won’t discern it in the final product, but it makes a big difference.
Worcestershire Sauce
Just a small amount of Worcestershire sauce makes this Caesar dressing taste complete! Worcestershire sauce offers loads of rich umami flavor that makes this dressing taste complex and irresistible. In the absence of anchovies, Worcestershire sauce is absolutely key.
Anchovy/dietary note: If you are vegetarian or allergic to shellfish, choose your Worcestershire sauce carefully. Traditional Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies, but several brands make anchovy-free Worcestershires (Wizard’s, Annie’s and Whole Foods 365 come to mind). Also note that these sauces typically introduce soy, if that is relevant to you.
Parmesan Cheese
Parmesan ups the ante with additional salty, umami flavor and a rich, cheesy texture. Finely grated Parmesan is best here. Vegetarians, try Whole Foods 365 or BelGioioso brands of Parmesan, which are truly vegetarian (most Parmesans contain animal rennet).
Salt, Pepper & Water
Since several of the ingredients in this recipe are already salty, we won’t add much additional salt. We will, however, load up this dressing with black pepper, to taste! Lastly, we’ll thin the dressing with a tablespoon of water so it reaches a drizzly consistency.
Looking for a dairy free/vegan variation of this dressing? You will love the Tahini Kale Caesar Salad with Whole-Grain Croutons in my cookbook, Love Real Food (page 72). The tahini-based dressing is vegan as written and remarkably Caesar-like! You’ll find a nutritional yeast substitute for the Parmesan garnish in the recipe notes.
More Salad Dressings to Try
Here are just a few of my favorite salad dressings:
Please let me know how your Caesar dressing turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Easy Caesar Dressing
This easy Caesar dressing recipe yields classic Caesar flavor. This simple mayonnaise-based recipe is anchovy-free as long as you choose your Worcestershire sauce carefully (see recipe note). Recipe yields about ¾ cup, enough for 6 side salads (use 10 ounces romaine lettuce).
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice, to taste
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce*, to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
- ⅓ cup (1 ounce) finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon water
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, Dijon, and Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Stir in the Parmesan, followed by the water. Season generously with black pepper, to taste. I usually think the dressing tastes just right, but if you’d prefer a more bold dressing, add another ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, or for more zippy dressing, add up to 1 teaspoon additional lemon juice. Serve as desired.
Notes
Storage suggestions: Leftover dressing will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.
*Worcestershire note: To ensure that this salad dressing is vegetarian/fish-free, choose your Worcestershire sauce carefully, as most contain anchovies. I like Annie’s, The Wizards or Whole Foods 365 brands (note that some anchovy-free Worcestershire sauces contain soy).
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Would a vegan mayo work in the Caesar dressing, do you think? Thanks!
Hi Anne, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. If you do, be sure to let me know what you think!
I tried it with vegan mayo – it’s delicious!! I used it with romaine lettuce and roasted garlic chickpeas :)
That’s great! Thank you for reporting back what you thought, Veronique.
Yum! What a great idea with the roasted garlic chick peas!
Ooh I like the idea of roasted chick peas!
Hi Anne,
I made this with Just Mayo (vegan) and it works great. I expect Hellman’s vegan would work, too.
Thank you for sharing, Avery!
Hi Kate, a great recipe, particularly for my anchovie adverse kids
Absolutely beautiful sauce! Definitely saving this one for the future, so thank you!
You’re welcome, Suzanne! I appreciate your review.
Funny this is posted today. My wife and I were talking about Caesar dressing two nights ago when we were having a salad with lo-cal Caesar Cardini dressing.. I grew up in San Diego which was the one time home of Cardini who invented the dressing at is restaurant in Tijuana in the 1920s. I don’t know if the restaurant is still standing but my family ate there on occasions in the 1960s. There was a note on the menu about the invention of the salad dressing.
Your recipe looks great and we will use Light Mayo to make it.
I hope you love it, Alan!
I’ve made it a couple of times, absolutely perfect for my taste, added a bit more dijon, lemon and worchestire, love it and it stays fresh for 1 week in fridge, best ceasar salad evah with fresh grated parm, thanks for sharing your recipe
Wow, this is almost exactly the same as the recipe my daughter gave me (and I make it all the time) – we aren’t vegetarians or vegan, so we don’t worry about which brands we use. We use a bit of milk instead of water, and don’t put in the mustard, but I’ll give that a try.
Everyone should try this – it’s delicious.
Thank you, Sandra!
While I am anxious to try this recipe, I wish to share that while having a very severe, life threatening shellfish allergy, anchovies do not fall within the category of shellfish and pose no problem. Krill, on the other hand, does.
Hi Leslie, thank you for your note. I read that anchovies often cause problems for those with shellfish allergies due to containing a similar protein. I always err on the side of caution when it comes to allergy-related information. Stay well!
Hi!
Can vegan mayo work in this recipe?
Hi, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. Let me know if you try it!
Could we use yogurt in place of the mayo? I don’t like anything that contains mayo.
Hi Mary, You could try to omit it and use a yogurt instead, but the texture and taste really thrive with it. But that would be a different recipe and I can’t guarantee the taste.
I just made it with yogurt! I absolutely love the recipe with mayo but we were out plus I have a sensitivity to eggs. It turned out okay! Tasted great on our chicken Caesar salad. Not as good as with mayo but definitely good
To keep this dairy free, how might this be with nutritional yeast in place of parmesan?
Hi Tristin, I haven’t tried, but that might work! I would add nutritional yeast, to taste, by the tablespoon (you won’t need as much nutritional yeast as Parmesan).
Hi Kate, this looks absolutely delicious! Thank you. I’m a vegetarian but I never liked fish. I’ve pinned this.
And I have to tell you, Cookie is just too adorable. What a beautiful dog she is.
Now I’m going to check out your other salad dressings and will probably end up pinning those too.
Thank you so much, Lea! She has a great smile. :) Enjoy the salads!
Love all the recipes I’ve tried of yours Kate. Thank you.
Just a note, I’m vegetarian and know from much research that Parmesan is never vegetarian (contains animal rennet) but there are some decent pecorino/Italian hard cheeses that can be subbed.
Will be trying this soon!
Hi! Thank you, Bhav. There are vegetarian friendly parmesan options. You just need to be mindful of the ingredients list.
This Caesar dressing is spot on, Kate! To my palate, Cardini’s tastes different than it did a few years ago, so I’m super happy to have such a tasty new dressing. I love your recipes, and have shared your website with many friends.
Delighted to hear it! Thank you so much for your feedback, Janet, and for spreading the word! I really appreciate it.
Hi Kate: This looks like delicious dressing and I will definitely try it using Earth Island Parmesan like shreds, as Parmesan is not vegetarian. Is there a type of Parm substitute that you prefer? Thanks.
Hi Vivian, Whole Foods 365 and BelGioioso brands make vegetarian Parmesans that are free of animal rennet. Just check their labels to find the right ones!
Dear Cookie&KateI will try it this weekend thanks for always posting what I need just when I need it ❣️XXOO
As I understand it Worcestershire sauce has anchovies in it anyway.
Hi Barrie, yes there are a lot of brands that do. I have found some vegetarian friendly options that don’t as noted in the post.
I know you recommend not to skip the Worcestershire sauce but I don’t have access to a vegan brand where I live. Would it be possible to skip or sub it with something else?
Do you think homemade vegan mayo would work?
Also can I sub nutritional yeast for parmesan? If so how much would you recommend?
Sry for all the questions. Hope to hear back from you. :)
Hi Lily, some have tried it without and not minded the results. Same with Vegan mayo, others have liked it. I’m not sure on the parmesan substitute without trying it, sorry!
Thank you for your response! I’ll let you know what I think when I make it. :)
How much is 1 cup ?
Hi Dorte, I use US standard measurements. What is your specific question? I just want to make sure I answer the best I can.
Another stunner of a recipe! Thanks Cookie and Kate! By the way, I used vegan mayo and it was divine!
Thank you, Jennifer!
No oil? ThIs is basically the recipe I use. I do add an extra garlic clove and more lemon juice. If you don’t add the Worcestershire sauce it is vegetarian.
Hi Norma, that’s great you have a go-to recipe. I was actually able to find some brands (listed in the post) of Worcestershire sauce that were actually vegetarian friendly.
This looks like a great recipe which I will definitely be trying – but more importantly, after her health problems it’s so great to see the little woofster up on a chair and enthusiastically sniffing things!
Absolutely delicious Ceasers dressing. So easy to make and so yummy! Pam
Thank you, Pam!
I can’t wait to try this! I no longer use store-bought dressings because I want to control the ingredients and want clean food, but I couldn’t find a good homemade Caesar dressing without anchovies and lots of fuss. Would you recommend Sir Kensington’s for the mayo? Thanks, Kate!
Hi Jan, I hope you love it! Yes, I think that brand works great.
This dressing is delicious!
Thank you, Liz! Happy to hear it.
I made this recipe exactly as written and my husband and I absolutely loved it! I make salads almost daily and this is my new “go to” recipe for vegetarian Caesar dressing. Thanks for so many great recipes!
Fantastic! Thank you so much for reporting back, Christine.
Dressing is delicious! Had it with crispy Romaine and a sprinkling of French fried onions.
Thanks so much, Carolyn! That sounds like a great salad.
easy and delicious. I used veganaise!!!
So easy, so goooooood… honestly, jackpot
This dressing is AMAZING, in taste and in ease of preparation. I may never buy Caesar dressing again. Wouldn’t change anything!
Thank you, Casi! I’m glad you like it.
I followed this exactly and it was fast, easy and tasted great. My husband complimented it and said it has fresh flavor & just better than any store bought we’ve tried. The second day I added a little water to thin slightly. Will be my new go to recipe for César dressing. Thank you.
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Sheri.
Delicious!
Thank you!
Great recipe! My teenagers make it and love it!!! They say it taste just like the one in a fine restaurant!
Thank you for sharing!
Victoria, BC
You’re welcome, Linda!
Wow, this recipe for Caesar dressing is delicious and spot on. I’m very excited about it since Caesar is the only bottled dressing I ever buy, preferring to make my own dressings. Now I can make just the amount I need and I won’t ever need to buy Caesar again. Win win!! Thanks Kate!!!
You’re welcome, JoNell! Thank you for your review.
This is delicious and so easy to whip up. I just eye balled the measurements and it was great.
I used Hellman’s olive oil Mayo which worked great! Thanks for such an easy, spot on recipe.
You’re welcome, Claire! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
EXCELLENT RECIPE WITH GOOD PROPORTIONS THAT CAN BE EASILY ADJUSTED TO TASTE IF YOU WANT. HUSBAND RAVED ABOUT IT. SERIOUS YUM!
I’m glad you both enjoyed it, Linda!
This was great! My salad-hating, 3.5 year old helped make this tonight. She kept saying it tasted “juicy.” She devoured a whole bowl of salad!
Hooray! That’s great.
I made this dressing. It was delicious. The only adjustment I made was a squeeze of anchovy paste and a bit more garlic. It was so easy . Thank you for sharing
My son is a connoisseur when it comes to Caesar salads and he thought this dressing was the best!! Thanks it was so easy to make and you need very little to coat your salad, so it’s really low in calories.
I love it!
Ive been making this exact recipe for many years, Its a hand me down recipe in my family.
Its our go to dressing and always a hit with anyone who tries it for the first time.!
This was delicious and added to my rotation going forward
I have made the Caesar salad dressing today, and I would have to say how easy and tasty this dressing is. I have put all the ingredients though I have adjusted the amount of some according to my taste. That’s why I gave it a 5star rating. Thank you and keep it up.
Thank you, Maria! I’m glad you loved it and were able to adjust to your taste.
I looked this up right as I was eating a Caesar salad and realized how much I missed them in these past 2 years. When I saw the mention of vegetarian options, I was suddenly reminded of this pub in Palo Alto called The Rose and Crown (obviously British-themed) that had a vegetarian Caesar dressing. Their trick for getting that anchovy-like background note was brilliant — blue cheese. Specifically, a Stilton; I can’t say it was perfect because it also added a tinge of bitterness on the finish, but it was amazingly close to the real thing. I’m not sure how they emulsified the Stilton, but my assumption is sodium citrate.
Thank you for sharing, PK!
Excellent!
I’m very picky about my Caesar salad dressing and this rate’s a 5 star.
Thank you very much
You’re welcome, Terrie!
No Worchestishire, so I subbed soya, and I halved the lemon juice. What I’ve made isn’t exactly your recipe, but it tastes good enough to me. Thanks!
i made this recipe for my husband. he only likes store bought dressings but i cannot stand the thought of all that soya oil! he said this salad dressing was good- whoohoo!
Hooray! That’s great to hear, J.
Oooh, the mayo really was not good. I love mayo, but it was *not* good for the dressing. Had to add so much lemon to cover the mayo taste! I guess I should stick to making it from scratch!
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe, Juli. Thank you for your feedback.
This was an easy yet delicious recipe. I will definitely be making it again. I used a little red miso paste in place of the salt.
This was absolutely delicious! Thank you!
I used Vegenaise (instead of mayo), added 1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon tamari (instead of Worcestershire), and some capers, mixed in a blender, and it was Caesar perfection. Lots of black pepper was key. Loved it so much!
Hi Beth! Thank you for sharing how you adapted this recipe.
Thanks for the recipe especially when I was craving a simple ceesar salad without having to go to the store! I did not have dijon mustard, but substituted it with what I had which was 1/2 tsp of horseradish sauce+1/2 tsp of yellow mustard. It turned out great :)
Fabulous recipe!! Thanks so much!
You’re welcome, Sandra!
This dressing was flavorful and easy to make! Thanks!
I’m glad you loved it, Hailey!
This dressing was fabulous. I used miracle whip as that’s what I had. It was so good that we ate every bit of the salad and that’s saying something for my husband. Love love love it!
Thank you for sharing, Judy! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
I used miracle whip too, Judy. Haven’t tried it yet but it smells heavenly. Glad to hear the Miracle Whip did not spoil it.
Made this tonight for dinner. Went a tad heavier on the Worcestershire, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. The dressing was outstanding. And super easy! This one gets a permanent place in the recipe book. Thanks!
Perfect!
Thank you. This saved me in a sudden frenzy of panic while entertaining.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Kami!