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This easy creamy Caesar dressing recipe comes together in just a few minutes with a handful of basic pantry staples (no anchovies!). Add crisp Romaine lettuce, flavorful croutons, and grated Parmesan cheese for a delicious homemade Caesar salad!
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Homemade salad dressings are so simple, and so much more flavorful than the store-bought varieties. We love balsamic vinaigrette, Dijon vinaigrette, and red wine vinaigrette, but this creamy caesar salad dressing is always a favorite! Best of all, it doesn’t require any unusual ingredients, and you don’t have to pull out a blender or food processor to mix everything together. Just whisk (or shake in a jar), and it’s ready in a matter of minutes!
Caesar salad is truly a delicious addition to almost any meal. With a few tips and simple, homemade touches, you can pull together this classic dish in your own kitchen to rival any fine dining establishment. Make a chicken Caesar salad or a shrimp Caesar salad for a light lunch or dinner, or offer the salad as a fresh, crisp counterpart to meat, soup, or pasta-based entrees. It’s always a crowd-pleaser!
Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing
There are many different versions of Caesar salad these days; however, a traditional preparation includes a green salad made of Romaine lettuce and croutons tossed in a dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, egg, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, garlic, Dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper. It’s a simple combination that yields a rich taste with a delicious balance of salty, earthy, and bright flavors. Real Caesar dressing has a somewhat creamy texture (thanks to the egg), but is bold and tangy (like a vinaigrette).
This creamy Caesar dressing recipe is a bit different from the authentic Caesar dressing, as it does not include anchovies, anchovy paste, or raw eggs, and it’s creamier (thanks to the mayo). This version reminds me of the Caesar dressings that you find on Caesar salads at restaurants — often topped with grilled chicken or shrimp, and always piled high with plenty of crunchy croutons and freshly grated Parmesan.
Does creamy Caesar taste like ranch?
A creamy Caesar salad dressing has a similar consistency to Ranch dressing, since they both start with a mayonnaise base. The similarities stop there, though! While ranch tends to have a light, herby flavor (with mild ingredients like parsley, chives, and dill), Caesar dressing tastes bolder and more zesty thanks to the Parmesan, black pepper, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
Origin
While many assume that Caesar salad is a traditional Italian dish, its origins might surprise you! Restauranteur Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant with restaurants in Mexico and the United States, made the original Caesar salad dressing recipe at his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico in 1924, when a Fourth of July rush depleted the kitchen’s supplies. He needed to whip up a salad with the limited ingredients available, and the end result was this wildly popular dish!
Ingredients for the Best Creamy Caesar Dressing
If I’m going to make a salad dressing at home on a regular basis, it needs to come together quickly without any special equipment and without any fancy ingredients. This is the creamy Caesar dressing that I’ve been shaking together for years on busy weeknights, since I always have the ingredients on hand.
This is just a quick overview of what you’ll need. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Mayonnaise: I prefer Duke’s brand, but any variety will work. You can also use plain Greek yogurt as a sub for some of the mayo to make it a bit lighter.
- Lemon zest and fresh lemon juice: for a bright, acidic note.
- Parmesan cheese: the pre-grated stuff from the can incorporates in the dressing even better than freshly-grated Parmesan.
- Dijon mustard: for zesty tang.
- Worcestershire sauce: adds savory, umami flavor.
- Distilled white vinegar: another acidic note to cut through the rich, creamy mayo.
- Garlic powder: a classic flavor in Caesar dressing.
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper: taste and season as you go! Don’t be shy with that black pepper, as it gives the creamy dressing a nice, zesty kick.
How to Make Creamy Caesar Dressing
It doesn’t get much easier than our favorite homemade Caesar salad dressing recipe. You don’t even need to pull out a blender or food processor!
- Whisk or shake together all of the ingredients in a bowl or jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Taste and season with plenty of salt and pepper. If necessary, thin with a splash of cold water or buttermilk.
- Refrigerate until ready to assemble the salad.
What to Serve with Caesar Salad
Toss this creamy Caesar dressing with chopped Romaine hearts, croutons, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese for the ultimate Caesar salad. For a fun twist on the classic, you might like to use the dressing on this Southern Caesar salad, which includes cornbread croutons, diced pimentos, and crispy bacon. You can also offer the dressing as a dip with cut-up veggies.
A Caesar salad is delicious for a light lunch or dinner entrée with a loaf of crusty bread or a French baguette. You can top it with pan-seared chicken as in this recipe, or grilled chicken like this recipe to make it a heartier meal. For a shortcut, use a store-bought rotisserie chicken. A shrimp Caesar salad or salmon Caesar salad is also a great combination! We love this grilled shrimp and this grilled salmon on top.
If you’re offering the dish as a side, here are some entrées that go well with Caesar salad:
- Grilled Salmon or Grilled Scallops
- Whole Roasted Chicken or Roasted Chicken Thighs
- Spinach Stuffed Chicken
- Creamy Chicken Pasta with Bacon and Peas
- Homemade Lasagna
- Stuffed Shells
- Pasta with Sausage and Spinach
- Lemon Chicken Piccata or Chicken Parmesan
- Cast Iron Skillet Pizza
- Italian Sausage Pasta
- Shrimp Scampi
- Garlic and Herb Grilled Chicken or Grilled BBQ Chicken Breast
- Smothered Pork Chops, Oven Fried Pork Chops or Grilled Pork Chops
- Grilled Pork Tenderloin or Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- Pork Sirloin Roast
- Cast Iron Skillet Filet Mignon, Grilled Steak Tips or Grilled Flank Steak
- Baked Salmon or Oven-Fried Fish
- Crab Cakes or Virginia Crab Imperial
- Coq au Vin
- Tuscan White Bean Soup with Sausage and Kale, Italian Wedding Soup or Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
- 30-Minute Tomato and Basil Soup or Roasted Tomato Soup
- Easy and Creamy Mushroom Soup
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Prepare the creamy Caesar salad dressing up to 1 week in advance. Store the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Wait to assemble the salad until just before serving. Otherwise the lettuce and the croutons get soft.
- Leftover Caesar salad will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day; however, it’s not ideal. As I mentioned above, the lettuce and the croutons will get soggy as they sit in the dressing.
Recipe Variations
- Swap out some of the mayo and use plain Greek-style yogurt instead. It will have a tangier flavor, but will still be rich and creamy.
- Don’t have a lemon on hand? You can substitute with about 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice. You won’t have the extra flavor from the lemon zest, but it will still be good.
- While Romaine lettuce is most traditional, you can substitute with other types of lettuce in a pinch. Try a spring mix of baby lettuce leaves or chopped Iceberg.
- Add crispy bacon or pancetta to the salad.
- Top the salad with chicken, salmon, steak, or shrimp and turn it into a main course.
- Make a Caesar salad wrap by rolling the salad with some sliced chicken in tortillas.
Tips for the Best Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe
- Season the Caesar salad with plenty of extra kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper just before serving. The best salads have well-seasoned dressing, as well as well-seasoned lettuce and other ingredients.
- Use full-fat mayo (Duke’s is our favorite) for the best flavor and texture.
- Freshly-grated Parmesan is best on top of a Caesar salad, but the canned pre-grated stuff works best in the dressing, since it incorporates so well with the other ingredients.
- Make homemade croutons like these or like these cornbread croutons for your salad.
- The recipe yields about ¾ cup of dressing. If you’re preparing a larger salad, double all of the dressing ingredients.
More Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes to Try
Buttermilk Dressing
5 minutes mins
Balsamic Vinaigrette
5 minutes mins
Green Goddess Dressing Recipe
5 minutes mins
Creamy Caesar Dressing
Ingredients
- ½ cup Duke’s mayonnaise
- Zest and juice from ½ of a lemon
- 1 ½ tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (I just use the pre-grated stuff from a can)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Whisk together all of the ingredients. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Thin with a small amount of cold water or buttermilk, if necessary.
Notes
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- Season the Caesar salad with plenty of extra kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper just before serving. The best salads have well-seasoned dressing, as well as well-seasoned lettuce and other ingredients.
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- Use full-fat mayo (Duke’s is our favorite) for the best flavor and texture.
-
- Freshly-grated Parmesan is best on top of a Caesar salad, but the canned pre-grated stuff works best in the dressing, since it incorporates so well with the other ingredients.
- Swap out some of the mayo and use plain Greek-style yogurt instead. It will have a tangier flavor, but will still be rich and creamy.
- Make a Caesar salad wrap by rolling the salad with some sliced chicken in tortillas.
- Top the salad with chicken, salmon, steak, or shrimp and turn it into a main course.
- Add crispy bacon or pancetta to the salad.
- While Romaine lettuce is most traditional, you can substitute with other types of lettuce in a pinch. Try a spring mix of baby lettuce leaves or chopped Iceberg.
- Don’t have a lemon on hand? You can substitute with about 1 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice. You want have the extra flavor from the lemon zest, but it will still be good.
- Make homemade croutons like these or like these cornbread croutons for your salad.
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