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.
I’ve been looking for a great Caesar dressing that didn’t make me deal with anchovies – this was perfect – delicious!! Served with romaine, extra warm, and croutons made in the air fryer. Yum.
Just made it for first time. Didn’t have Worcestershire sauce so subbed with light soy, worked a treat and my wife loved it.
Making a Caesar to go with wild caught barramundi ( live in Queensland Australia)was a last minute decision so glad I found this on net. Added chopped smoked New Zealand salmon for an interesting touch.
Thank you for sharing how you were able to adjust it! I appreciate your review, Geoff.
Excellent recipe and easy to follow
Do you need The Worcestershire sauce and the Parmesan?
Hi Lexi, I recommend this recipe best as written.
This was so good and really easy to make – Thanks!!
Never buying caesar in a bottle again! Soooo easy and my family devoured the simple kale salad I made to go with it. I used Vegannaise and it came out delicious!!!
I used black pepper and garlic mixture ( available in a jar ) instead of the clove of real garlic and separate pepper-but everything else as per recipe .
Outstanding – definitely more than the sum of its parts
Served with a salad of chicken breast , smoked bacon, green beans, croutons and new potatoes and lettuce/leaves (?caesar:nicoise)
Delicious
I’m glad you loved it, Gillian! I appreciate your review.
This is the best caesar salad dressing I’ve ever had. Excellent
Easy quick and delicious recipe , thanks for sharing !
You’re welcome, Bree! I appreciate your review.
Great ;)
Could Veganaise be used in this recipe in place of mayo?
I haven’t tried it. Let me know if you do!
I made it yesterday with Follow Your Heart Soy- free Vegenaise and it was delicious!
Love, loved this recipe. So quick & easy. I did use anchovies because we like them also. Question about the thickness. Is it supposed to be vy thick or can I thin it our w/something?
Hi! You can thin with water to your desired consistency.
I am excited to make this. Our family LOVES creamy Caesar!
What is your favorite store bought mayonnaise to use? I try to buy clean & organic but don’t want to forgo taste. I am relatively new to your site & seems you don’t promote brands too much so any advice appreciated
Hi! Sir Kensington has some great options.
Ok hear me out. I tried a few different mayonnaises and some brands made this recipe not so good. I finally just today tried hellmans LIGHT mayonnaise and OMG! Also, the Parmesan is also very important! I tried different ones mostly from Whole Foods. And the one they have a brand that is grated in their store called MITICA grated aged 60 days or more, this is what it says in the package. They have chunks of it or already grated so I grabbed it knowing they just packaged it today. For mustard I always use gray poupon and everything else as the recipe mentions. It is the best Caesar I have ever had. In any restaurant (I’ve had a 1000 +) and tried any imaginable store bought dressing and this is the best.
OMG, Kate, this is even better than the dressing at my favorite vegetarian restaurant!!! I found a great substitute for Worcestershire sauce on “A Couple Cooks.” I always mean to pick up a
vegan version and always forget. I had a crusty baguette for the croutons. They were perfect and easier on the teeth than what I get out. You saved me $10 today from what the restaurant charges and my (your) salad was sooo much better. Thanks for helping me to make my favorite salad at home whenever the craving strikes!!
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Janice. I appreciate you sharing!
This dressing is delicious and easy to make.
I’m glad you enjoy it, Jema! I appreciate your review.
This dressing was delicious and will become part of my list of recipes. Thank you!
You’re welcome, C!
For the 3x ratio is the measurement 1cup or 1 oz Parmesan
Hi Terry, you will want one cup of Parmesan. I hope you love it!
For reference, 3 oz of parm or any similar hard cheese is 1 cup.
This is a millions times better than storebought! And it was so simple to make! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Blair! I appreciate your review.
Love it and so much easier than making your own mayo.
A wonderful easy recipe. I didn’t have to go out and buy any ingredients for this one. No more store bought Caesar dressings for me. Thank you so much.
Hooray! I’m glad to hear that, Connie. Thank you for your review.
I was out of bottled dressing & tried this recipe. It was simple and tastes terrific. No raw egg, which makes it that much better!!
Thanks for posting!
You’re welcome, Bee! Thank you for your review.
This is a delicious, elevated-tasting Caesar dressing without the fuss of anchovies and egg yolks. I can whip it up in 5 minutes and I mix it in a mason jar so just one dish plus a spoon needed! It is SO much better than the bottled stuff. I am admittedly heavy-handed with the ingredients but we like bold flavors. 10/10 dressing.
Great to hear, Diane!
This recipe turned out fantastic! Perfect if you want a quick creamy Caesar dressing. I did add 1 tablespoon of olive oil as I thought it needed a slightly thinner consistency.
Made this Caesar salad dressing yesterday to serve with our fondue. It was great! I used to make the dressing the old fashioned way with oil and egg. Very pleased with how easy this was. Thank you!
I’m excited you enjoyed it, Jacquie!
WOW!! I recently came back from Mexico where I ate several caesar salads all made table side with the original caesar salad recipe that was created in Tijuana. I was really wanting that incredible flavor again that you just can’t get out of the store bought caesar dressing. I was a little skeptical because in Mexico they always used anchovies filets and that’s just not something I have on hand. I followed the recipe exactly and was blown away!!! It tastes exactly like having a table-side made caesar salad! Absolutely incredible and so so tasty. Thank you for the amazing recipe!!
You’re welcome, Erin! I’m excited you enjoyed it.
Thank you for this delicious and quick dressing. I was a little apprehensive to do a dressing with Mayo instead of egg yolks but this was very impressive! I did add an extra teaspoon of Worcestershire and of lemon juice. I also added some crushed red pepper for a little extra spice. Again this recipe is perfect!!
You’re welcome, Summer! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it.
My husband( who is not much for Caesar salad) loves this dressing and I do too!!
That’s great to hear, Marv!
Absolutely love this recipe! It’s the perfect quantity for my family and I’ll never buy store bought Caesar dressing again!
Great to hear, Bev!
Made this and forgot the garlic by accident but it was still amazing! My husband, who only eats Caesar salad, couldn’t tell it wasn’t store bought! Thank you for an amazing recipe!!!
You’re welcome, Karen!
Love this recipe so much! I added in a smidge of anchovy paste. But love this so much it is an everyday staple in our fridge now! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Suzan!
Easy, tasted great. Had been using Newman’s Caesar but this is just as easy and good. I don’t like anchovies so this worked well. Just needs the romaine and the croutons!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Lynne!
Loved that recipe my husband said better than store bought. Thank you so easy and takes no time
I have to say I had no dijon so I used regular mustard still Awesome
Thanks again
Delicious, easy and quick, added some extra garlic because why not.
Inadvertently ran out of Renee’s Caesar dressing.
Made this instead. Turned out great. Thanks
You’re welcome, David!
I cannot post a picture because we just ate it all up. My teenager was very dubious about me making the dressing, but he loved it. LOVES it. I admit to doubling the garlic.
This is a really great simple Caesar dressing!!
Great to hear, Jessica! I appreciate your review.
Do you have to blitz it or do you just use a spoon to stir it
Just stir with a spoon. I hope you love it!
Easy and tasty Caesar dressing! Stick to the recipe and you won’t be disappointed. I used a Meyer lemon instead once, still tasty but not quite as tangy as the original recipe. I saved this recipe and sent it to all my friends. I love a good Caesar in the spring and summer! Thank You!
I’m excited you enjoyed it, Chelsea! I appreciate your review.
This dressing is great! Easy to make and delicious, I will never buy bottled dressing again. Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Tanya! I appreciate your review.
I use this Cesar dressing recipe alllll the time. Except I sub the Mayo for Greek yogurt so I don’t feel so bad for loading up my dressing and get an extra protein boost! 10/10! Thank you so much!
Thank you for your review, Rachel!
Thank you for this recipe.
Easy, delicious and foolproof!
This is an amazing recipe. It’s one of the best. We love anchovies I found adding anchovy oil from a jar of anchovies adds a lot of flavor.
Hi! Wondering are your recipes all plant based and vegan, Thanks!
Absolutely delicious and SO easy to make!
Great to hear, Nicole!
Love it! Definitely saving!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Rita!
Thanks for this easy and excellent recipe! I usually do the egg-oil-anchovy version in the blender to emulsify and it’s awesome, but I don’t always have the right oil on hand. I added a bit more Worcestershire and salt and found it just right. Also, pecorino romano lends great edge and umami if you’re out of parm or even want to blend the two.
For more of a complete meal, I bet slices of crispy, pan-fried tofu would be delicious here. Will test-drive that next. Thanks again.
I love this recipe! It’s the only one I use!
I’m glad you love it!
Everytime I serve this dressing it’s such a big hit! My husband only eats salad with this dressing and as a delicious dipping sauce!
I’m glad you love it, Patty! I appreciate your review.
This dressing is absolutely delicious! I definitely recommend it, I just haven’t been able to find any calorie information for it? Is there Nutrition Information available?
Hi Maia! The nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I just realized I left out the mustard, but this dressing was still outstanding! I added a little more lemon juice than called for and thinned it out with extra water. Perfection and so super easy!
I’m glad you loved it, Laura! Thank you for your review.
I found this dressing very grainy because of the parmesan and lack of liquid. Added more water to thin it, which helped a little, but the parmesan texture is still pretty overwhelming. I like the flavor, but don’t think this one is a keeper for me.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this. I appreciate your feedback, Ina.
I made this last night for my husband who loves Caesar Salads and he was so impressed! This recipe is delicious, and on top of that so easy to make. By the way, I substituted grated Romano cheese instead of Parmesan, and it gave its nice”edgy” taste. Thank you so much for posting this, and it will be our family favorite for many years to come!!!
xxxx Linda
Hooray! I love to hear that.
Amazing! So delicious and easy to whip up. One to put in my recipe book to keep forever.
Hooray! That’s great to hear, Ashleigh.