Whipping up homemade Caesar salad dressing is easier than you might think—maybe easier than running out to pick up a bottle of your favorite store-bought version. But first, you must embrace the anchovy. The salty little fishies provide the robust umami flavor key to the best Caesar salad recipes. Look for nicer ones in olive oil—bonus points if you use some of that oil in the dressing too.
Second, don’t let raw egg yolks scare you off. They bring the creamy richness we associate with the Italian American staple, helping it cling to the romaine lettuce leaves with more vigor than any vinaigrette could. Buy the freshest eggs you can and stash the unused whites for a lazy-day meringue.
For the best Caesar dressing—i.e., one that’s thick and lush—add the oil drop by drop, whisking until the base becomes glossy; then slowly stream in the rest of the oil, whisking vigorously until combined. Neutral vegetable oil works fine here (thanks again for the flavor, anchovies!), but if you want to swap all or some of it for extra-virgin olive oil, feel free. And fine, if you “just can’t” with the canned fish, swap in 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (which is what the original recipe was made with anyway).
For the full Caesar experience, you’re gonna want some homemade croutons. For a chicken Caesar, try roasting the bird in Caesar dressing—it’s a game changer. You could also file this Caesar salad dressing recipe to use as a sauce for pasta salad, a spread for toast (topped with a fried egg or a slice of tomato), or as a dip for...well, everything.
What you’ll need
Microplane
$18 At Amazon
Whisk
$10 At Amazon
Kitchen Towels
$16 At Amazon
Medium Bowl
$17 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
10 minutes
Yield
Makes about 1 cup
Ingredients
3
1
¾
1
2
¾
¼
3
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Mound 3 oil-packed anchovy fillets, chopped, 1 large garlic clove, chopped, and ¾ tsp. (or more) kosher salt on a cutting board. Using the side of a chef’s knife, mash and chop until well combined, then continue to work mixture, holding knife blade at an angle, until a smooth paste forms. (Alternately, you can use a mortar and pestle or mini chopper to do this step.)
Step 2
Whisk 1 large egg yolk, 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, and ¾ tsp. Dijon mustard in a medium bowl. Place a kitchen towel in a medium saucepan, then place bowl in pan. (This holds the bowl in place while you whisk with one hand and pour oil with the other.)
Step 3
Adding drop by drop to start and whisking constantly, drizzle 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil into yolk mixture. Continue, going slowly, until mixture looks slightly thickened and glossy. Continue to whisk, gradually adding remaining ¼ cup vegetable oil in a slow, steady stream until all oil has been used and mixture looks like mayonnaise. Add a dash of water and whisk, adjusting with more water if needed, until dressing is the consistency of heavy cream. Add anchovy mixture and 3 Tbsp. Parmesan, finely grated, and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with kosher salt, if needed.
*Raw egg is not recommended for infants, the elderly, pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems...or people who don't like raw eggs.
Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed in June 2017. Head this way for all our favorite salad recipes →