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.
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)
Baking tray for the croutons
Skillet for the bacon
Cutting board
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
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:
cos lettuce (aka romaine) – or iceberg will do in a pinch!
crispy bacon
croutons – garlic croutons, at that!
Caesar Salad Dressing
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…. 😉
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!
Yep, that dressing is the absolute star of this recipe. You totally nailed it.
Hi Nagi, another great recipe as usual. I always choose your recipes when I am choosing the food I prepare for my family. Even my children look out for your recipes now!!
My question today is how do you get your bacon so crispy?
Many thanks, Marie and family…cooking on the Surf Coast of Victoria.
This looks amazing and will make tonight to go along with a steak. One of my favorite salads growing up was one my mum often threw together for visitors, mixed greens, halved cherry tomatoes, avocado slices, crispy prosciutto curls (in the oven) and shaved parmesan with just a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar…so good and the best healthy salad dressing!
Made this salad tonight and it was devoured by all the family. The dressing is unbelievable!
You have nailed that dressing Nagi! I will never buy it from the shops again… thank you!
Well I was one of those eye scrunches when you mentioned the anchovies. I made the yoghurt version including the previously dreaded anchovies. Absolutely delicious, definitely a make again. Thanks Nagi
Absolutely love chaser salad and made this a couple of nights ago for the first time ever – and was really nice. It is a lot of work but it was totally worth it… and that dressing was totally amazing! My only change is that I coat the chicken in Cajun spices before frying, just seems to work really well in this dish.
We’re always swamped in fresh eggs, so it’s decades since I purchased mayo.
Would this be too runny if I make with home-made mayo?
Home-made tends to be less ‘firm’ that bought as it doesn’t have any emulsifiers or stabilisers added (another reason to make our own).
Beth, since you’re not opposed to using raw eggs, why not just make the dressing like the restaurants do table side. Raw egg, oil, anchovies etc., and mix it up. Saves you the mayonnaise step.
Agreed, Beth and Greg. If you’re not freaked out by healthy raw eggs, yours is the way to go for sure. Some people just like their sterilized plastic container of white goo, and that’s ok too. Like you, I use home made mayo, and just add less milk. A plop of ground chipotles added to the mix, stirred, then oozed over a grilled half romaine, and we have perfection. Thanks, Nagi, for the inspired recipe, and teaching us all how to explore a bit. (Anchovies squint!)
Hi Greg
I almost always have mayo made ready to go anyway so it’s just easy to turn it into Caesar, or Tartare, potato salad dressing, etc. Best way to keep up with the egg production 😀
LOL, wish I had the problem of an abundance of eggs. I guess you have a few chickens.
The dressing is the best. Made the salad including chicken and boiled eggs to make a complete meal. A lovely summer type dish. Will definitely make it many more times as we move into summer.
This is a delicious recipe. We added an extra anchovy to the dressing and only needed 2 tablespoons of milk or else it would have been too runny but very delicious!!
Nagi. My son said that he and his family had leftover Caesar dressing from a “nice” Italian place in town. They used it on roasted vegetables and wished they had more of the good stuff. Well, today I made the dressing with vegetables including parsnips, sweet potato, carrots, butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli. I added a little bit of sauted chicken too. But it was so delicious! The fresh dressing was incredible. Thank you so much. I even got to make my son jealous.