• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Salt & Lavender logo
  • Recipes
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • About
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Condiments & Sauces

    Easy Caesar Salad Dressing (10 Minutes & No Blender!)

    Published: Aug 3, 2018 / Updated: May 29, 2023 / 114 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure for more details.

    Jump to Recipe

    This easy creamy Caesar salad dressing comes together so fast, and you don't need any fancy ingredients or special tools to make it. It's seriously delicious and better than store-bought or even at a restaurant!

    Making Caesar salad? You definitely need to add in my easy homemade croutons.

    closeup of a caesar salad with homemade dressing

    Why you'll love it

    This quick and easy Caesar dressing is the one you've been searching for. It's my go-to, and it's damn good. It's incredibly simple to whip up on busy weeknights, and it doesn't make a huge mess like other more involved versions do. You don't have to deal with a blender, no food processor, nada. And it's got rich, bold flavors and that restaurant-quality taste!

    You will never go back to the stuff in a bottle after trying this homemade Caesar dressing with pantry ingredients since you can feel good knowing exactly what's going into it. I'm pretty picky when it comes to Caesar dressing, and this is by far my favorite! It's the real deal.

    What you'll need

    • Mayonnaise - mayo makes a wonderful creamy base so that there are no raw eggs, and it eliminates all the guesswork. I use Hellmann's mayo, but you can use organic or whatever you prefer. You can also make your own mayo, but honestly the pre-made stuff is great for salad dressings and is such a time saver.
    • Sour cream - adds more creaminess and a tangy zip
    • Worcestershire sauce - Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies, so we're not using whole anchovies like other recipes do. This gives it just enough of that signature anchovy umami flavor in a great Caesar dressing without it being overwhelming!
    • Fresh lemon juice - for a pop of acidity and bright freshness
    • Dijon mustard - it's a beloved trick of mine to give dressings and sauces even more savory depth of flavor.
    • Garlic - we've got a good amount of fresh garlic here
    • Parmesan - freshly grated parmesan cheese is an absolute must in any Caesar dressing for that nutty, cheesy quality
    • Salt and pepper - be generous with both

    Tools for this recipe

    Check out Natasha's favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!

    • Use this garlic press to make it that much easier to mince the garlic cloves. No need to peel first!
    • For the parmesan, use a Microplane zester to finely grate it from a block.
    • These scissor salad tongs are awesome to serve up any salad. I like them way better than using large spoons.
    • I love storing salad dressings in these covered yogurt jars.
    homemade caesar dressing in a clear glass yogurt jar with a spoon and lemon slices

    Pro tip

    • The S&L kitchen feels this Caesar dressing is perfect as written, but not everyone's tastebuds are the same, and that's totally okay! Feel free to adjust to your own preferences. Need more lemon juice? Add it. More salt or pepper? More garlic? Don't be shy!

    Substitutions and variations

    • You could leave the parmesan cheese out, but I recommend including it. It really tastes much better with it in here. You could also sub for asiago cheese in a pinch.
    • If your heart is set on using anchovies or anchovy paste, you could, but I prefer Worcestershire sauce. Be careful not to overdo it if you do go that route!
    • Need to make it vegetarian? Sub in some minced capers instead of the Worcestershire sauce for that briny, savory flavor. Start with 1 tbsp and adjust from there.

    How to make Caesar salad dressing

    This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

    • Grate your parmesan. This Microplane grater makes it super easy.
    • Add all the ingredients to a small bowl or a measuring cup. Stir or whisk until smooth.
    • Chill if desired in the fridge, and then drizzle it over romaine lettuce, croutons, and parm!

    Leftovers and storage

    • This Caesar dressing recipe yields about a cup of dressing, so it'll make two decently sized salads or one large one, so you probably won't have leftovers!
    • But if you do have leftovers or doubled the recipe, this dressing will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge.

    What to serve with Caesar salad

    • Caesar salad goes with basically any main course, but I love it with this Creamy Garlic Chicken, Easy Pan Seared Pork Chops Recipe, or these Garlic Butter Steak Bites!
    • Want to make something other than a classic Caesar salad with this dressing? Try my Chicken Caesar Crostini or this Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad.

    More homemade salad dressing recipes

    • Homemade Ranch Dressing
    • Creamy Balsamic Dressing (Easy, No Blender!)
    • Simple Homemade Honey Mustard Dressing (Dairy-free)
    • Chipotle Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing
    • Mango Salad Dressing
    caesar salad dressing in a glass jar beside a spoon, head of garlic, and lemon slices

    Is this your new favorite Caesar salad dressing recipe? You're only about 10 minutes away from finding out. Leave a star rating and review below if you made it!

    closeup of a caesar salad with homemade dressing

    Easy Caesar Salad Dressing

    This easy creamy Caesar salad dressing comes together so fast, and you don't need any fancy ingredients or special tools to make it. It's seriously delicious and better than store-bought or even at a restaurant!
    4.84 from 42 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Condiment
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16 tablespoons
    Calories 82 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    • 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
    • 3/4 cup mayo
    • 2 tablespoons sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • 1 large clove garlic minced
    • Salt & pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Grate your parmesan cheese.
    • Add all ingredients to a medium bowl. Give everything a good stir (or whisk it) until the dressing is smooth. Taste and adjust as needed.
    • Serve immediately or chill first. Dressing will keep in the fridge, covered, for a few days.

    Notes

    • I encourage you to play with the ingredient quantities if the taste isn't exactly what you're looking for. I'll occasionally make this without measuring and I usually end up adding more Worcestershire and Dijon than written.
    • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. Serving size in this salad dressing is one tablespoon (it makes about a cup in total).

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1tablespoonCalories: 82kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 1gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 97mgPotassium: 3mgSugar: 1gVitamin A: 30IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword Caesar dressing, Caesar salad, salad dressing
    Author Natasha Bull
    « Ground Pork Tacos with Apple Slaw
    Simple Watermelon Feta Salad with Cucumber, Basil, and Mint »

    Loved this recipe? Share it:

    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Kj says

      May 18, 2023 at 5:32 PM

      5 stars
      Natasha, This was absolutely delicious. I made it with the last of the mayo I had in the jar which was only a quarter of a cup. I had to do a lot of math but I got it to work out just fine. As a veteran cook and Italian I thought this was so good I've never made it from scratch before usually. I would buy organic at Aldi's. I do prefer to make my own dressings even if it's just a wailing. Thank you so much it truly deserves 5 🌟.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        May 18, 2023 at 5:54 PM

        I'm thrilled to hear you liked it!! I really appreciate your review. 😀

        Reply
    2. Jan says

      April 23, 2023 at 3:40 PM

      5 stars
      I have found your recipes to be great no matter what it is I have chosen to make and this is no exception. It is so good to find a Caesar dressing that does not contain anchovies and capers. You have proved that it needs neither. It tastes authentic and delicious, It is simple and quick. What more could I want?
      Thank you.
      Jan

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 23, 2023 at 4:10 PM

        Thank you so much, Jan!! 😀 I'm thrilled you enjoyed it so much.

        Reply
        • Samantha says

          June 2, 2023 at 10:40 AM

          5 stars
          I will never buy store-bought Ceaser dressing again, this was absolutely incredible.

          Reply
          • Natasha says

            June 2, 2023 at 1:40 PM

            Aww I'm thrilled to hear that! I just finished eating it for lunch myself haha. Thanks for taking the time to write me a review! 😀

            Reply
    3. Granners says

      March 23, 2023 at 12:48 PM

      5 stars
      Caesar salad is my grandson’s favorite. He has it whenever he can and they were buying those salad kits at the store. When visiting I told him we would make our own and your recipe is perfect! He can make it on his own, too. And he thought making the croutons was great! Thanks for a simple straightforward delicious recipes!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        March 23, 2023 at 1:14 PM

        I'm thrilled to hear you two enjoyed it!! Thanks so much for your review!

        Reply
    4. Patti J says

      February 23, 2023 at 4:05 PM

      4 stars
      Really good and I don’t miss the anchovies at all. I added more fresh garlic and more lemon juice and used a garlic aioli instead of mayo. Yummy!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        February 23, 2023 at 5:38 PM

        I'm so glad you liked it! Yup, the Worcestershire is lighter on the anchovies than anchovy paste for sure. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Mari says

      February 20, 2023 at 7:57 AM

      5 stars
      Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Everyone loves it and we can't stop eating in!!! Very yummy and easy too!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        February 20, 2023 at 11:52 AM

        That's so great to hear, Mari! Thank you!!

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    Natasha Bull, founder and author of Salt & Lavender, in the kitchen

    Hi! I'm Natasha. Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!  Read more...

    FREE 10 Easy Chicken Recipes E-book

    ​

      ​

      BROWSE RECIPES:

      Footer

      • Contact
      • FAQ
      • Site Policies
      • For Bloggers
      • Facebook
      • Instagram
      • Pinterest
      • Twitter

      · Copyright © 2023 Salt & Lavender Inc ·