Homemade Caesar Dressing

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What is Caesar Dressing?

Caesar dressing is a rich and tangy dressing with strong savory and umami flavors balanced with bright acidity and flecks of vibrant black pepper. It’s typically served over a simple bed of crisp Romaine lettuce, with freshly grated Parmesan, croutons, and sometimes a protein like chicken, salmon, or shrimp.

Ingredients for Caesar Dressing

You only need a few simple ingredients to make homemade Caesar dressing, and our version is even faster and easier thanks to the use of mayonnaise instead of making our own egg and oil emulsion. Here’s what you’ll need to make your own homemade Caesar dressing:

1. Garlic: Fresh garlic provides both a savory flavor and a little kick of heat to the dressing.
2. Anchovies: These little fish add a ton of deep umami flavor to this dressing, which really sets it apart from other creamy salad dressings. And don’t worry, it doesn’t make the dressing taste like fish! It just adds some subtle, deep, savory flavor.
3. Lemon: You’ll use both the juice and zest from a fresh lemon for this recipe. The juice provides acidity, while the zest adds a nice fresh flavor to balance the savory anchovies.
4. Mayonnaise: Making Caesar dressing from scratch usually involves emulsifying egg and oil to make a creamy dressing base, but we took a shortcut by using mayonnaise, which is pre-emulsified egg and oil! Easy peasy!
5. Dijon Mustard: Dijon adds another layer of slightly tangy flavor to the dressing.
6. Parmesan: Nutty Parmesan cheese makes the dressing even more rich, and punches up the umami flavor even more.
7. Black Pepper: Flecks of spicy black pepper add pops of flavor to Caesar dressing so that no bite is boring!

How to Use Caesar Dressing

Caesar salads are the obvious way to use Caesar dressing, but this mouth-wateringly delicious homemade dressing is great on a lot more than just salad! So don’t let your leftover dressing go to waste. Try using Caesar dressing in these creative ways:

1. Drizzle over roasted vegetables
2. Use it a sandwich spread
3. Use it as a dressing for pasta salad
4. When breading chicken or fish, use Caesar dressing in place of the eggwash
5. Toss chicken wings in Caesar dressing instead of buffalo sauce
6. Use it in the place of dressings for chicken and tuna salads, or coleslaw

This rich, tangy, and flavorful homemade Caesar dressing is easy to prepare, and will take all your homemade salads to the next level.

Servings: 8 2 Tbsp each

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Ingredients

1. 1 fresh lemon
2. 3 cloves garlic
3. 3 anchovy filets (packed in oil)
4. 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
5. 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
6. 1/2 cup mayonnaise
7. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions 

1. Zest and juice the lemon. You’ll need about 3 Tbsp juice and 1 tsp lemon zest. Mince the garlic and anchovy filets. Reserve about ½ tsp of the oil from the anchovy container.
2. Add the lemon juice, zest, minced garlic, minced anchovies, anchovy oil, and pepper to a bowl. Whisk to combine.
3. Add the Dijon, mayonnaise, and grated Parmesan and whisk to combine again. Taste the dressing and adjust the ingredients to your liking. Serve with a fresh salad or you favorite foods.

Nutrition

Serving: 2Tbsp Calories: 117kcal Carbohydrates: 1g Protein: 2g Fat: 12g Sodium: 240mg Fiber: 0.2g

How to Make Homemade Caesar Dressing – Step by Step Photos

Zest and juice one lemon. Mince three cloves of garlic, and mince three anchovies. Add the lemon juice (about 3 Tbsp), zest (about 1 tsp), minced garlic, minced anchovies, ½ tsp of the anchovy oil from the package, and ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper to a bowl. Whisk to combine.

Add 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, ½ cup mayonnaise, and ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese.

Whisk the dressing until smooth. Taste and adjust the ingredients to your liking.

Pour the dressing over your favorite salad or vegetables, spread it onto a sandwich, or use it as a dip for any of your favorite foods!

SO GOOD!

Recipe by Cook Good Recipes