Caesar Salad Dressing

Name: Caesar Salad Dressing
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients: 2 garlic cloves; 4 oil-packed anchovies, drained; 1 cup mayonnaise; 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce; 1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons), plus more to taste; 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan; Salt and black pepper

By Kia Damon

Published June 26, 2024

Caesar Salad Dressing — Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 15 minutes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Rating: 5(540)
Comments: Read comments

This undisputed salad classic embodies four pillars of flavor: salt, fat, umami and acid. Traditional recipes for the dressing call for egg yolks and a particular finesse that you’d find with a table-side restaurant preparation. This version, however, leans on quality, store-bought mayonnaise for a creamy base. Another key to Caesar is the richness of tinned anchovies. You could use anchovy paste for convenience’s sake, but if you mince the anchovies, you’ll be rewarded with a dressing that boasts a subtle texture. Other uses than the obvious salad: toss with pasta or use as a surprising dressing for crispy, pan-fried potatoes.

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Ingredients

Yield:1½ cups

2garlic cloves
4oil-packed anchovies, drained
1cup mayonnaise
½tablespoon Dijon mustard
½tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
¼cup lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons), plus more to taste
¼cup finely grated Parmesan
Salt and black pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Finely mince the garlic cloves. Mince the anchovies: Stack them on top of each other and run your knife down lengthwise, then bunch them up and chop again. Repeat this process until the anchovies are a slightly chunky paste.
Step 2
Add the garlic and anchovies to a medium bowl, and follow with mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Parmesan and 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper. Whisk well, then taste and add salt or lemon juice as desired. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days.

Ratings

5 out of 5

540 user ratings

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Comments

William Wroblicka11 months ago

Anchovies are not something I use every day in my kitchen, so opening up a tin to get the four fillets called for in this recipe would pose the problem of what to do with the rest. Anchovy paste in a tube to the rescue! Two teaspoons of anchovy paste can be substituted for the four minced fillets (per America's Test Kitchen), and the rest of the tube can be capped and stored in the refrigerator where it will keep for months (per Bon Appetit).

Mike Giuseffi11 months ago

Add 1tsp red wine vinegar and a tablespoon of olive oil. It makes a world of difference.

Linda11 months ago

Roughly chop the garlic cloves and anchovies. Put dressing ingredients into immersion blender mixing container and blitz till smooth. If raw garlic is too 'explosive' in your gut, double the amount of garlic, but put it into a microwave-proof custard cup, barely cover with water, and zap for 40-60 seconds until it just starts to look translucent. It will have a milder flavor, and not be so hard to digest.

newberries22 hours ago

1/2 tablespoon =1 1/2 teaspoons. Not sure why the measurements were given this way. I’ve never seen 1/2 tablespoon measuring spoon…

Bates1 week ago

It was a little too lemony and too peppery, will reduce these ingredients next time. Had to add extra mayo to mellow it out. Used a little extra anchovy and garlic. Otherwise delicious!

newberries3 weeks ago

Why did I wait so long to make this? It will be my go to from now on!

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