Long live the Caesar Salad! This homemade Caesar Salad Dressing will rival that of any great restaurant. Add chicken to make a meal, top with a poached or fried egg, or serve it straight up the classic way.
For a lighter dressing option, try this mayo-free Caesar salad dressing – it’s incredible!
Caesar Salad
I’m going to call it – Caesar salad is a pain to make, calling for an inordinate amount of pots and pans to be dirtied in the name of just one salad.
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Food processor for the dressing – and the mayo makes it all greasy which is a pain to clean (or hogs an enormous amount of dishwasher space)
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Baking tray for the croutons
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Skillet for the bacon
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Cutting board
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Giant bowl to toss the salad – you’ve really gotta toss with abundance when using creamy dressing, can’t do it in the serving bowl
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Serving bowl
All that for ONE salad.
And yet, we do it. Because it’s worth it!! Especially the creamy dressing!
What goes in Caesar Salad
There’s all sorts of variations around, but the classic is made with:
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cos lettuce (aka romaine) – or iceberg will do in a pinch!
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crispy bacon
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croutons – garlic croutons, at that!
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Caesar Salad Dressing
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parmesan cheese, for finishing
With the rich dressing, I find that even a “plain” Caesar salad is filling enough as it is to have as a meal. But a common addition, which you often find on the menu of bistros, is chicken and egg. Adds protein and makes it even more satisfying – so I’ve included these are optional in the recipe below!
Homemade Caesar salad dressing recipe
If you’ve never tried homemade Caesar Salad Dressing before, you’re in for a real treat. It is absolutely sensational, and not even the poshest gourmet store can compare to a fresh homemade one.
The secret ingredient is anchovy. I know some people might scrunch up their faces at the thought of anchovy in a dressing, but seriously! It is the secret ingredient that will turn a “pretty good” dressing into a restaurant quality one!
Oh and PS. If you’ve had and loved Caesar Salad when eating out, you ate anchovies. So stop the nose scrunching!!😂
What goes in Caesar Salad
Here’s what you need:
How to make Caesar Salad
And here’s how to make it. (I already forewarned you – LOTS of washing up. TOTALLY worth it!)
Wondering if Caesar salad is healthy? Yes…and no!
Before we go any further – this might be a salad, but let me banish any misconception in your mind that Caesar salad is healthy. Fat in the dressing and the bacon.
But you know what? Calorie content aside, at least I’m getting lots of greens into my system, right??
Or put it this way – a giant bowl of Caesar Salad might have the same calories as a creamy pasta, but it’s got a whole lot more nutrition in it!
LOW CAL version!!
Just in case you’re reading all this but dreading the calorie count you’ll see when you scroll down to the recipe – DON’T WORRY! Here’s a (much) lower calorie Yogurt Caesar Salad Dressing.
All the flavour, but made with a yogurt base instead of mayonnaise so it won’t have that same rich mouthfeel. But still creamy, same depth of flavour – and a whole lot healthier!
Can you even tell that this is the low fat version?? NOPE!
And after all of that, all those pots and pans you’ve dirtied – you get to munch your way through one of the greatest salads ever invented.
That fresh crisp lettuce. The crunchy garlic croutons. The salty pops of bacon. And that creamy homemade Caesar Salad Dressing.
Caesar Salad might take time to make, but it is worth every single second. Really, truly, cross my heart. – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Caesar Salad - with homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise (Hellman's or S&W Whole Egg) (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp garlic , finely minced (use garlic press, if you can)
- 2 anchovy fillets or 3/4 tsp Anchovy paste (Note 2)
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese , or 1/3 cup store bought grated parmesan cheese (Note 3)
- 3 - 4 tbsp milk (to adjust consistency)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
Garlic Croutons
- 2 - 3 slices white bread , 2/3" / 1.5cm thick (Note 4)
- 1 garlic , cut in half
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
Salad
- 150g / 5oz streaky bacon , cooked and chopped
- 10 cups cos / romaine lettuce , chopped, wash & dried (1 large, 2 medium, 3 small) (Note 5)
- Freshly grated parmesan , for garnish
Optional Extras - Chicken & Egg
- 2 - 4 eggs , cooked to your taste, peeled and halved
- 500g / 1lb chicken breast fillets (2 pieces)
- 1/2 tsp EACH salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
Dressing
- Whizz all ingredients in food processor until smooth, starting with 3 tbsp milk.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired, and use milk to get the dressing to the desired consistency. (Note 6)
- Set aside for 20 minutes+ to allow flavours to develop.
Bacon
- Place bacon into a cold skillet (no oil), then turn onto medium high. Cook until golden, turn, cook other side until golden. Remove onto paper towels, cool, then chop.
Garlic Croutons
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F.
- Toast bread in the toaster for 1 minute (or oven for 2 minutes each side) until surface is dried but not browned.,
- Rub both sides of each piece of bread with the cut side of the garlic (Note 7).
- Remove crust from bread (optional) and cut into cubes - around 1.5 cups. Drizzle with 1 - 2 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with salt, then bake until golden, shaking the tray once. Sandwich bread will take around 7 minutes, sourdough and similar breads take 12 - 15 min.
Assemble
- Place lettuce in bowl with 1/2 the Dressing. Toss well, taste, then decide if you want more Dressing.
- Transfer to serving bowl. (Top with chicken and egg if using) Scatter over with bacon and croutons. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve!
OPTIONAL EXTRAS - Chicken & Egg
- Eggs: Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with water. Place over medium high heat and bring to simmer. Once the water is simmering, turn down to medium (gentle simmer) and cook for 3 min (for soft centres), 4 min for firm yolks and 6 min for hard boiled. Remove eggs, run under cold water for 15 sec then leave submerged in a bowl of cold tap water for 5 min. Peel then set aside. (Note 6)
- Chicken: Either pound the chicken to about 1.2cm/ 1/2" even thickness, or slice each breast in half horizontally. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Use bacon fat remaining in skillet. Cook first side for 5 min, turn then cook the other side for 2 min. Remove, cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 min. Cut into slices.
Recipe Notes:
- Best / just as good - 3/4 tsp anchovy paste
- Next best - 1 tsp of fish sauce (yes really
- OK - extra 1/4 cup parmesan plus pinch of salt
Nutrition Information:
Originally published May 2016. Brand new video added, process steps and new photos – as well as an update on Life of Dozer!
Life of Dozer
Dozer munching on his greens… 🥬🧸
And from the original time I published this recipe:
No photobombing by Dozer today because a) he didn’t realise there was chicken and bacon in the salad; and b) he was having a good snooze after a rather active session at Bayview…. 😉
I will definitely making this Caesar salad again! I added chicken to mine. Salad dressing was awesome!
I’ve grown up all over the world with a father as a chef and a Singaporean mum (ie massive foodie) and have tried my share of caesar salads. This is the best I’ve ever had!
Made it for the family and husband commented that it was the best caesar salad he has ever had and I just replied knowingly – ‘Oh I know’…. Thanks! Will be making it many more times!
This is THE go to Caesar recipe. Special requests from fam to make every time they visit. Thanks Nagi, another epic recipe
Best Caesar dressing ever. Love it.
Forgot the stars.
Just wanted to say thank you. All your recipes are excellent. Today I was making Caesar salad and just came straight here for your dressing recipe. I don’t even LOOK at the other recipes because I know yours is going to be the best. Thanks for this, and all your other brilliant recipes.
All the recipes I’ve tried off your website have been an instant hit in the family. My kids devoured the Caesar salad and it’s now a family favorite.
Awesome 👌
Better than any cafe or restaurant! Thanks Nagi
Glad you enjoyed it, Lynda! N x
Love your recipes and this caesar salad recipe is great too!! Love the dressing – so easy and so much better than the store bought bottles. I don’t even bother to blitz the dressing – I just mash the anchovies and mix the rest in.
Great dressing! So tasty but very easy without dealing with raw eggs.
Dressing the lettuce before adding the toppings is a great tip, too.
Thank you, Nagi san!!
Another fantastic recipe from Nagy! Five stars
We had this salad tonight for dinner with the chicken and has been a huge success at home, everyone loved it!
I am not surprised as I have not tried one of your receipes that I have not loved.
Having discovered Receipetineats is the best thing from the pandemic for me!
Thank you sooo much!!
This was incredible, thank you!
Nagi I’ve made this tonight for dinner. To be perfectly honest – it was easier to make than your pomegranate salad 😂 I was wondering how you can fix a dressing that is too liquidy? I think I accidentally put too much milk in – I missed the part in the instructions which said to ONLY add milk if it needed it. So how can I fix a liquidy dressing for this?
The dressing recipe is top notch! Along with your Italian dressing recipe, they will be the only ones I use!
Fabulous recipe! I didn’t add any milk as it did not need thinning.
Thank you Nagi for another incredible recipe. I ran out of Mayo so used 1/2 cup Mayo and 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt and it turned out amazingly well. I may keep it this way to cut down on the fat/calories. My husband raved about it. We had ours with some grilled chicken and hard boiled eggs. This will be in our weekly recipe line up.
I’ll be checking out your yoghurt dressing recipes next!
Forgot the stars!!!
Why is this the only recipe web site. With a constant 5 star rating on all reviews. Find that very much amazing. Andrew
If you haven’t cooked any of her recipes you won’t know but I use Nagi as my weekly menu plan and have done for over a year now. We eat her recipes daily and there isn’t one I I wouldn’t rate 5 stars. They are easy, clear instructions to follow and every single one is full of flavour. They aren’t expensive to make and you can find all the ingredients at your local supermarket. She is brilliant. THAT is why she has nothing but 5 stars.
Andrew have u tried any of her recipes ? They are literally all amazing. Ive done around 20 so far and havnt been dissapointed once.
Hi Andrew, If you’ve scrolled through the 1000+ recipes on my website you’ll see I accept all forms of feedback, not just positive. I pride myself on my recipes and a lot of work goes into them to ensure people have great results every time at home. 🙂 N x
Can you make the dressing (and store in fridge) one day in advance?
Yes 100%! N x
ive made this a ton of times. I just made a double batch of the dressing with fresh grated cheese and its salty.. how can I tame it down without adding too much milk making it watery. help please
Looks like worth trying!