Caesar Salad Dressing (No Anchovies)
Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing is better than the bottle! So creamy with fresh garlic, dijon mustard, mayonnaise, and seasoning! No anchovies!
A DELICIOUSLY CREAMY SALAD DRESSING
A lot of people may not realize this but there is actually anchovy paste in Caesar Salad Dressing. I love the taste of Caesar Salad Dressing and I never get a fishy taste from it so I clearly enjoy it. But once you learn that and decide to make your own, suddenly you are questioning all your life choices – ha! I don’t keep tinned anchovies or anchovy paste in my pantry and it’s not something I will go out of my way to buy so I wanted to figure out a way to make it without anchovies. Turns out, you can make a delicious Caesar dressing without the additional anchovies!
Best version of Caesar salad dressing I’ve ever made! My husband couldn’t stop raving. Thank you!
– Georgia
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
There is no anchovy paste in this recipe. So, this isn’t an authentic Caesar dressing. They do use anchovies in the making of Worcestershire sauce, but for this recipe, when I say “no anchovies”, I mean that we are not adding additional anchovies or anchovy paste like traditional Caesar dressing for those that are sticklers for that kind of thing. Plus we’re only using the very tiniest amount per serving but you could leave it out if you really wanted.
You sure can! If you would like to add anchovies, I’d suggest adding about 3-5 anchovies (packed in oil). I am told the whole anchovies add better flavor than the tube of anchovy paste. Add them in with the garlic in the food processor.
This recipe can be made by hand but the food processor just makes it a whole lot easier and it combines much better..
Yes. However, if this bothers you or concerns you in any way, just purchase pasteurized eggs (not an affiliate link). Also, crack the egg and inspect before using if there are any concerns and keep the dressing refrigerated when not using.
There is a little bit of sugar in this recipe. It does not make it sweet though. It just offsets the tanginess from the mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
Homemade Caesar Dressing should be stored in a container with a lid, like a mason jar and should be kept in the fridge for about a week.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- garlic cloves – it needs to be fresh garlic cloves (not the jarred kind) for best flavor!
- mayonnaise – again, use your favorite mayonnaise. I like Hellmans, JFG or Dukes.
- egg yolk– this is totally safe. However, if you’re concerned still, check the Frequently Asked Questions for what you can use instead.
- Parmesan cheese – I like to use freshly shredded but you use what you prefer.
- water
- extra virgin olive oil – you could use avocado oil as well.
- freshly squeezed lemon juice – again, use fresh not bottled. The bottled stuff is super acidic and can throw off the flavors.
- sugar – see my Frequently Asked Questions above concerning this ingredient.
- Worcestershire sauce – see my Frequently Asked Questions above about anchovies.
- dijon mustard– Dd not use yellow mustard – it has to be dijon here. The yellow mustard is too vinegary for this recipe.
- salt and pepper
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE CAESAR SALAD DRESSING:
In a food processor, finely process the garlic until minced. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.
Put dressing into a lidded container and pop it into the fridge for a few hours (or overnight) to give the flavors time to blend together (trust me, this makes a BIG difference in taste.) This salad dressing is absolutely amazing on a Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad too!
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Homemade Honey Mustard
- Homemade Thousand Island Dressing
- Mayonnaise Salad Dressing
- Homemade Mayonnaise
- Comeback Sauce
- Homemade Tartar Sauce
- Raising Cane’s Sauce
- Homemade Barbecue Sauce
- Homemade Basil Pesto Sauce
- Homemade Virginia White Sauce
- Homemade Chimichurri
- Homemade Marinara Sauce
- Homemade Pizza Sauce
- Homemade Ketchup
- Alabama White Sauce
- Quick Sauerkraut
- Homemade Ranch Seasoning Mix
Originally Published: June 2011
Updated photos & republished: September 2024
Caesar Salad Dressing (No Anchovies)
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons granulated white sugar (optional, does not make it sweet)
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- salt and pepper, to taste (about ¼ to ½ teaspoon each)
Instructions
- In a food processor, finely process 2 cloves garlic until minced.
- Add 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 egg yolk, ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 2 Tablespoons water, 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 teaspoons granulated white sugar, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon dijon mustard and salt and pepper, to taste.
- Blend until smooth.
- Put dressing into a lidded container (like a mason jar) and pop it in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to give the flavors time to blend together. Do not skip this step, it makes a huge difference in taste.
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
This dressing was AMAZING!! I’ll never make it any other way again – thank you!!!
My husband raved over how good this was. Definitely will make many times again!
Best version of Caesar salad dressing I’ve ever made! My husband couldn’t stop raving. Thank you!
Absolutely delicious! Our new favorite thank you!!
So good! I was really wanting a recipe without anchovies. This hit the spot!
This was absolutely delicious! We really loved it – thank you!!
Very very tasty! Thank you for posting this.
I have made a few homemade Caesar dressings and this by far is the best recipe! I always trust your recipes Brandie so I should have known this would be a winner. I won’t make it any other way now! Thank you!
Ceasar dressing salad: how many days can I keep in the fridge? Thank uou
The dressing can keep fresh in the fridge for up to two weeks. 🙂
Great recipe! Super easy and yummy. May I ask what kind of food processor you are using in the Tube video? I have 2, one was too small and one Is too big, yours looked just right!! Thanks!
Hi Jolene! So happy you love it!! It’s a 3.5 quart Kitchen Aid food processor. 🙂
Thank you so much!! Hope you had a great holiday weekend. 🙂
I love this dressing you cant get any better than that.
Made it and we all loved it – thank you! I sent some friends to your site to grab the recipe!!
You just cannot beat a homemade Caesar.Thank you so much for sharing an anchovy-free Caesar dressing. I looked at so many recipes and all of them had anchovies. Just can’t bring myself to add that. LOL
Used this dressing to make your Caesar Basil Pasta Salad. OMG!!
Perfection. So nice just to be able to zip it all up in a food processor too!
I love this salad, it's great to make it at home, thanks 🙂
Wow – this was darn good. Didn’t even miss the anchovy paste!
Love, love, love!! So good!
I loooove caesar dressing but worry, sometimes when I order it out, that it'll be fishy. Your version sounds perfect! Thanks for such a great idea. I'm sure the husband and I would love this one.
Gah – so good!! Thank you Brandie!
Woo hoo. Scrumptious and creamy!
Thank you for sharing. We made a huge Caesar salad with grilled chicken for a meal and this dressing really set it off!
Delicious. Wouldn’t change a thing
Excellent!!
So excited about this caesar dressing recipe!
it looks soooooo good!!!cant`t wait to try it;)
Annie, I don't believe the shelf life for this would be as long as the prepackaged stuff. I think 10 days would probably be about right for this. It only makes a little over a cup of dressing so hopefully you'll get it used up. I've got a recipe coming up soon that you'll be able to use this dressing with! :o)
Caesar salad is my favorite! I get one from Brueggers almost every day for lunch (not many choices near my work.)
I've never made my own salad dressing. It sounds easy and yummy! Does it keep for the same amount of time as the store bought?
that looks so so yummy.
I love your caesar dressing recipe, because it doesn't have anchovies:)
You always post yummy recipes I intend to make homemade but never have! I ♥ Ceaser salad!
Hi Brandie!I am going to keep your recipe! Just wanted to say hello here. 🙂
Thank you for this recipe
My taste buds have definitely been rocked and my socks knocked off. Brandie – thanks so much!
This dressing looks SO good and SO easy! I'll be making this one!