Parmesan Caesar Dressing Recipe

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By:Kimberly Vargo Last updated:
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My Parmesan Caesar dressing recipe is creamy, garlicky, thick and has Parmesan cheese in every bite. It only takes about 10 minutes to whip up!

Bowl of Caesar dressing with a metal spoon.

I could live off of Caesar salad alone–the romaine lettuce, crunchy garlic croutons, and some shredded Parmesan cheese mixed in (yum!). But let’s be real. What really makes a Caesar salad so good is the dressing.

I’m kind of partial to my Caesar dressing recipe. There are no weird ingredients (unless you think anchovy paste is weird), it doesn’t separate or get oily, and it only takes to few minutes to make. Oh, and it doesn’t taste like fish!

You can use it on salads, chicken Caesar wraps, or on one of my other favorites, chicken Caesar pasta salad.

Kim’s Tips

  • Shred the cheese off the block. Freshly shredded or grated parmesan cheese works best. I like to use a microplane to finely shred it. Parmesan cheese out of the shaker container is dry and absorbs moisture from the dressing making it thicker.
  • Finely press or mince the garlic. Try using a garlic press to get the most flavor out of the garlic without having large chunks. Otherwise, finely mince the garlic. You don’t want large chunks of raw garlic in the dressing.
  • Go light on the salt. The cheese and anchovy paste add additional saltiness, so it’s easy to overdo it. Salt at the very end if needed.
  • A hand blender comes in really handy with this dressing. If you don’t want to use a whisk or don’t want small lumps from the garlic and cheese, use a hand blender to mix the ingredients.
Top down view of Caesar salad dressing on a spoon.

How to Make the Best Caesar Dressing

Combine the mayonnaise, anchovy paste, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese, and Worcestershire sauce.

Whisk until smooth and creamy. Then store in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. It will thicken as it cools.

Top down view of ingredients for Caesar dressing in a bowl.
Top down view of mixed dressing in a glass bowl.
Close up of salad dressing in a tan dish.

Parmesan Caesar Dressing Recipe

5 from 1 vote
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Author: Kimberly Vargo
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 12 Servings

How to Video

Ingredients

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded off the block
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed
  • 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons anchovy paste, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • pinch black pepper

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Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients until well incorporated.
    1 cup mayonnaise
    ½ cup Parmesan cheese
    2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
    2 garlic cloves
    1 to 1 ½ teaspoons anchovy paste
    1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    ¼ teaspoon salt
    pinch black pepper
  • Place in the refrigerator until ready to use. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Notes

  • Swap for anchovy paste: Use a little more Worcestershire sauce, a touch of soy sauce, or just leave out the anchovy paste. Be mindful of how much Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce you use as both are salty. You’ll want to adjust those to your taste.
  • Thin out the dressing: To thin out the dressing after it sits, add a teaspoon of milk at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. Too much milk changes the flavor, so be careful and don’t add too much.
  • Emulsification issues: Since my recipe uses a mayonnaise base (no raw eggs), it’s very easy to mix and shouldn’t separate at all. I’m a big fan of using a hand blender or food processor if one is available to get all the ingredients evenly combined. A whisk and mixing bowl work great, too!
  • Saltiness: If you’re concerned about the saltiness of the dressing, I highly recommend waiting until everything is mixed and adding the salt at the end. Give the dressing a taste, then add salt only if it needs it. The cheese, Worcestershire sauce, and anchovy paste are all salty, so you may not want to add any extra.
  • Anchovy paste: You can buy anchovy paste in most supermarkets near the canned fish (tuna, sardines, etc.). It’s in a sealable tube inside of box. It’s also available online.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ounceCalories: 147kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 2gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 272mgPotassium: 21mgFiber: 0.04gSugar: 0.3gVitamin A: 46IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 54mgIron: 0.2mg

Other Dressings to Try Next Time

5 from 1 vote

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2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was fantastic and so easy to make! Looks like I won’t be buying premade from the grocery store ever again!

    Reply

    1. Thank you Kindall! Kim and I appreciate the kind words and the recipe rating. Thank you again and have a wonderful day 🙂

      Reply