Caesar Salad is one of my all-time favorites, featuring crisp romaine lettuce, crunchy croutons, and plenty of Parmesan cheese tossed in a rich, homemade dressing.
This simple yet flavorful salad is perfect as a side dish to pasta or top with grilled chicken breasts or grilled sirloin steak for a satisfying meal.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Caesar Salad
The dressing is the best homemade Caesar salad dressing of all time. I don’t even have words for how good it is, and I come back to this recipe time and time again.
- Flavor: Creamy, savory, and tangy with lemon, garlic, Parmesan, anchovies, and capers.
- Why Make It: The blender creates a thick, restaurant-style dressing with minimal cleanup.
- Time-Saver: Make the dressing up to 3 days ahead and wash the lettuce in advance.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve as a side or add grilled chicken, garlic grilled shrimp, or salmon for a complete meal.
Total Time: 25 Minutes Serves: 6
Ingredient Notes
- Romaine Lettuce: Use crisp romaine hearts or full heads of romaine for the best texture. Wash and dry the lettuce thoroughly so the dressing clings to the leaves and is extra crisp! I love to use a salad spinner, and refrigerate if time allows. Substitute kale to create a kale Caesar salad!
- Croutons: Store-bought croutons are a convenient option, while homemade croutons are a great way to use up day-old bread.
- Parmesan Cheese: Shredded Parmesan blends beautifully into the salad, while shaved Parmesan makes an elegant garnish.
- Garnish: Garnish the salad with shredded Parmesan cheese, lemon wedges, bacon bits, or fried capers.
Caesar Salad Dressing Ingredients
- Garlic: This really is the star of the show in Caesar salad, so fresh is best.
- Anchovy Filets: Anchovies add the classic savory, umami flavor that defines Caesar dressing. Anchovy paste is convenient to keep in the fridge and blends smoothly into the dressing.
- Egg: Raw egg emulsifies with the oil to create a rich and creamy dressing (much like how mayonnaise is made); I include both the raw egg yolk and white. If you don’t want to use raw egg, I suggest making my quick Caesar salad dressing.
- Oil: This is added in a very slow stream to thicken the dressing. Use a light-flavored oil like canola or light olive oil. Extra-virgin olive oil can be a bit strong for this dressing.
How to Make Caesar Salad
- Blend the dressing ingredients. Slowly drizzle in the oil.
- Pulse in the Parmesan and chill (full recipe below).
- Toss crisp romaine with croutons, Parmesan, and as much dressing as you like.
- Finish with extra Parmesan and lemon wedges.
Storing Caesar Salad
- Storing the Dressing: Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Storing the Salad: Store romaine, croutons, Parmesan, and dressing separately for the best texture. Washed and dried romaine can be stored with a paper towel in a bag or container for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Do not freeze Caesar salad or Caesar dressing.
Steakhouse Style Sides
Did you enjoy this Caesar Salad Recipe? Leave a comment and rating below.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup croutons
- ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Dressing
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 10 small capers
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 anchovy filets or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- black pepper to taste
- ½ cup light olive oil or canola oil
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Combine garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, capers, egg, anchovy fillets, and pepper in a blender.
- Blend until smooth. With the blender running on low speed, slowly drizzle in olive oil in a thin, slow stream (this should take a few minutes).
- Add ¼ cup parmesan cheese and pulse to combine. Taste and season with salt and additional pepper if desired. Refrigerate until using, up to 3 days.
- In a large salad bowl, combine lettuce, croutons, and ⅓ cup parmesan cheese. Add dressing as desired and toss to combine.
- Garnish with additional parmesan cheese and fresh lemon wedges for serving.
Notes
*Keep dressing in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Ingredients (including the egg) should be at room temperature before making the dressing.
- Drizzle the oil SLOWLY. The slower you drizzle, the thicker the dressing will be.
- If you don’t have a blender, you can whisk the ingredients while slowly drizzling in the oil.
- Use fresh lemon juice and fresh garlic for best results.
- To save time, prep the dressing up to 3 days in advance and keep it in the fridge. Store lettuce, garnish, and dressing separately and combine before serving.
- For extra crisp lettuce, wash it and spin dry up to 3 days ahead of time. Store with paper towel in a plastic bag or food container.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 245 | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 282mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 5579IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dressing, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish
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Hi Holly,
I want to try this recipe but would like to use mayonnaise instead of the egg. How much mayonnaise should I add?
Love your recipes. Very much looking forward to your reply. Thank you.
Hi Claudette, here is the recipe for caesar dressing made with mayonnaise. I’m so happy to hear that you are loving the recipes! Enjoy the dressing!
I make a big batch of this dressing and it keeps well for at least two weeks, yes two weeks in the fridge. Not sure why you say only three days. Very delicious!
I am so glad you love this recipe Sami!
Generally sauces and dressings that have raw garlic in them can only be stored for 3-5 days in the fridge due to the risk of botulism after that which is why I recommend that. I hope that helps!
Excellent dressing. I added an extra clove of garlic!!
This is my go to Caesar dressing recipe. I double it and use 1/2 olive oil 1/2 canola. It’s this enough to double as a tasty dip too. 👍
This salad is incredible. We make it and want it again. Take the time to make the home made croutons to go with it. I promise you, you won’t regret it. This is the only ceasar salad we will ever make. Thank you for sharing it!
My go-to dressing for Caesar Salad. It taught my grandkids to eat lettuce!
Where’s the vinegar?
This recipe doesn’t contain vinegar, it uses lemon juice as the acid.
Holly, you were not exaggerating when you said this was the best Caesar salad dressing. I made it exactly as you said and it’s amazing. I love your recipes.
I follow you and use all your recipes, love them! This recipe is like mine but i add a splash of Tabasco sauce and dry mustard plus only the yolks, what does the whites add to the salad, maybe I’ll try that?
The whites help with the emulsification of the dressing as well as the creamy texture.
10
thank heavens! a real Caesar dressing! not creamy nor ranchlike nor someone’s “idea” of Caesar dressing! hopefully, readers will get it!!! THANK YOU!!!
p.s. I have never put a comment on any site whatsoever.
Thanks, Celia! I am so glad you enjoyed it.
Best Caesar Salad recipe I have ever made.
TU
Everyone loved it
Can’t seem to make it thicker, oil seems like it thinner
Hi Gary, you can add less oil if you prefer. But if added in a slow thin stream it should thin out your dressing too much. Was it possibly added too quickly?
OMG!!! I never realized what I was missing using store-bought Ceasar dressing. I have never made my own dressing until now. Absolutely awesome!!! I’ll never buy pre-made Ceasar dressing again! Thanks for sharing your recipe
So happy to hear that, Toni! I am glad you enjoyed it.
are you saying to add a raw egg? Not sure it’s safe to eat raw eggs.
Hi Sue, It is safe to consume. It is also the traditional way of making caesar dressing.
this is a superb recipe—THANK YOU!
Winner! I had to substitute the Worcestershire sauce with soy as I was out and can only imagine how good it would have been with it. Thank you.
Can the egg be omitted ?
The egg is needed for consistency in this dressing. If you don’t want to use raw egg, you can use this caesar salad dressing which uses mayonnaise (although mayonnaise does still contain egg). I hope that helps.
I reaaaally love this dressing. I didn’t have capers and instead used some dill and grape leaf that were in a batch of pickles from Costco. It worked! So delicious. Thank you so much and for not using mayo – I’d much rather make a dressing from scratch!
How long can i keep this in the fridge? would 4 days be stretching it too much?
Since this recipe uses fresh garlic cloves there is a risk of it spoiling if stored for longer than 2-3 days.