Caesar Dressing

The Best Homemade Caesar Dressing

The classic, creamy Caesar dressing recipe was born out of necessity. Supposedly, one night, Caesar Cardini (an Italian restaurant owner) was running low on ingredients, and threw together what he had: anchovies, oil, egg yolks, garlic, Parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, romaine, and croutons. A century later, people still clamor for that irresistible dressing. Our caesar dressing recipe is traditional; no to mayo, yes to anchovies, and a big yes to garlic! Toss it into our Kale Caesar, or our Caesar Salad, with Homemade Croutons, of course. For more salad dressing recipe ideas, check out our Ranch Dressing and classic Blue Cheese Dressing.

Caesar Dressing Ingredients

• Egg yolks. This is a crucial ingredient, since it helps to keep the lemon and oil mixed together, because normally they separate when they are combined.

• Anchovy filets (you could also use anchovy paste, if that’s easier)

• Fresh garlic

• Lemon juice

• Neutral oil, like avocado oil.

• Worcestershire sauce. This brings some complexity to the dressing, and contains a lot of flavorful ingredients like vinegar, tamarind, and chili pepper extract. It helps put the tang in tangy Caesar dressing!

• Salt and pepper

How To Make Caesar Dressing

1. Combine the egg yolks, anchovies, garlic, lemon juice, and salt to a tall, wide mouth mason jar.

2. Bust out your handy, dandy immersion blender. Whiz it up!

3. Pour in the oil in a slow and steady stream as you blend. If the dressing starts to get too thick, slowly lift the blender up to mix in the remaining oil. Continue slowly lifting and lowering the blade until your desired thickness is achieved.

4. Finish the dressing! Pour in the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper.

5. Blend until the Caesar dressing is completely emulsified — that means thoroughly combined — you're done! Pour it over your lettuce of choice (romaine is the classic) and enjoy!

Caesar Dressing Tips + How To Store

• Caesar dressing is best enjoyed right away. However, our caesar dressing recipe is so fast and easy, you can literally whip it up in seconds before you toss the salad and serve it.

• A note about raw eggs: Raw egg yolks plus neutral oil, whizzed into an emulsion make Caesar dressing creamy. It’s like magic! It’s classic, authentic and how the OG caesar dressing was made. However, the USDA does not recommend eating raw eggs. You’ll need to decide for yourself what feels safe. Got little kids, an elderly person coming for dinner? Or do you have a compromised immune system? If so, you may want to sub mayonnaise for the egg yolks, and play around with that so that you don’t have to worry about salmonella.

• Use our easy Caesar dressing recipe for more than just salad! Because it contains citrus and vinegar, it makes a great marinade. These acidic ingredients help break down and tenderize meat while that delicious Caesar flavor soaks into it.

Ditch the Bottle & Get Blending!

For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper. Happy cooking!