Caesar Salad Dressing {No Anchovies}
This easy homemade Caesar salad dressing is made without anchovies and can be whisked together in just a minute from budget-friendly pantry ingredients you probably already have on hand.
When the temperatures rise, a cold and crunch salad is a perfect dinner idea.
My kids love traditional Caesar salad, but we usually serve it as a simple side dish.
When I want to turn it into a full dinner option, we just add a few extras to make it more filling.
However, once they heard that most Caesar salad dressings are made with anchovies, this dish wasn't requested as often.
But good news, my homemade Caesar is made without anchovies so my kids can feel even better about asking for this for dinner!
Why This is the Best Recipe
I love mixing and matching salad bases for entirely new dinner ideas. I think this is the best Caesar salad recipe because:
- 3 Different Dinners: Mix and match the protein on top and you suddenly have a full blown entree salad instead of just a Caesar salad side dish.
- No Anchovies: Bottled salad dressing is convenient, but you never know if they've used anchovies in the recipe or not. My Caesar salad has no anchovies at all, I promise!
- Budget Friendly: The ingredients you need are right in your pantry, no need to spend more money on a bottle of dressing!
Ingredients
My kids love the texture of this homemade dressing so much more than the bottled kind.
Making it from scratch during our beach house trip was better than buying a prepared bottle because I used the other ingredients on the list in other recipes during the week.
- Mayonnaise
- Minced Garlic
- Lime
- Dijon Mustard
- Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Salt & Pepper
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How to Make the Dressing
If you've never made homemade dressing before, you're going to love this.
All you need to do is add the ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk them together. That's it!
To achieve the right consistency, just add 1 teaspoon of water at a time. If you like your dressing thick, stop. If you want it a little thinner, add a splash more.
Make Ahead Tips
You can prep the Caesar salad dressing in advance and keep it in the fridge for up to a week.
Do not try to freeze the dressing, it will separate in the freezing and thawing process.
How to Use the Dressing
You can make a simple Caesar salad side dish by drizzling the prepared dressing over your favorite salad greens.
Traditionally, a Caesar salad also features these two simple things:
- Parmesan Cheese: You could use grated, shredded, or shaved.
- Crispy Croutons: You can use store bought croutons or make my easy homemade croutons from leftover bread. My cornbread croutons would add a touch of sweetness.
Caesar Salad Variations
If you want to turn your regular Caesar salad into a full-blown dinner entree salad, just add a few more ingredients.
The first two variations below are the recommended dinner from our beach house meal plan.
Chicken Caesar Salad
Toss chopped romaine lettuce with the classic Caesar salad dressing from the recipe below. Sprinkle shredded parmesan or grated parmesan over the top and a squeeze of lemon. Top with big, chunky croutons.
For the chicken: You can use sliced grilled chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken but my new favorite is this healthy air fryer chicken that is done in 15 minutes!
Shrimp Caesar Salad
Toss chopped romaine lettuce with the classic Caesar salad dressing from the recipe below. Sprinkle shredded parmesan over the top and a squeeze of lemon. Top with big, chunky croutons.
For the shrimp: Frozen shrimp are the most convenient. First, learn how to properly defrost the shrimp. Then you can cook our favorite spicy sautéed shrimp or just cook a batch of air fryer shrimp.
Steak and Tomato Caesar Salad
Toss chopped romaine lettuce and a pint of cherry tomatoes sliced in half with the classic Caesar salad dressing from the recipe below.
For the steak: Grilled and sliced flank steak is the best choice for beef when you're making an entree salad. Not sure how to grill the steak? This recipe is a great one.
Sprinkle shredded parmesan over the top and a squeeze of lemon.
Top with big, chunky croutons.
📖 Recipe
Caesar Salad Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp minced garlic or 1 clove minced
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- ¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp grated Parmesan
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 - 2 tbsp of water
Instructions
- Whisk all the ingredients except for the water in a mixing bowl.
- Add the water 1 teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency has been reached.
Recipe Notes
How to Make a Caesar Salad:
To complete your Caesar salad, toss chopped romaine lettuce with the prepared dressing just before serving. Sprinkle shredded parmesan or grated parmesan over the top and add big chunky croutons. To make a dinner salad, you can top your Caesar salad with:- Shredded chicken
- Cooked shrimp
- Sliced steak and add chopped tomatoes
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