How to Make Caesar Salad Dressing – No Anchovy Paste Needed

Finally, a homemade Caesar salad dressing I love to make and eat! It’s delicious without the need to add a raw egg or anchovy paste (see ALLERGY NOTE below).

caesar salad dressing
Fresh grated Parmesan and minced garlic add flavor and texture to this Caesar salad dressing.

Not only do I love it, but so does our daughter. That’s a big deal because my kids don’t like dressings on their salad. They eat salad, but only if it’s not dressed. Weird, right?!  This Caesar salad dressing changed all that; my 13 year old girl cannot get enough of this dressing. In fact, the other day when she was home alone – she made homemade croutons and this dressing and ate half a head of romaine by herself! Perhaps the boy will come around soon too.

Allergy Alert! For anyone with an egg allergy, please note that while this recipe does not include any raw eggs, mayonnaise often contains eggs or egg products and Worcestershire Sauce and Fish Sauce often have anchovy as an ingredient.  More on this after the recipe.

caesar salad dressing
Homemade Caesar salad dressing and croutons make a fantastic Caesar salad.

Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe

Print Recipe
4.88 from 8 votes

Caesar Salad Dressing

A delicious Caesar Salad dressing that uses fish sauce instead of anchovies or anchovy paste. So good.
Prep : 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Author: Getty Stewart

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise*
  • 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1-2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ tsp fish sauce optional
  • 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

  • In a large jar, combine all ingredients.
  • Stir or shake well.
  • Store in fridge for 5-7 days.
  • Makes 3/4 cup of dressing, enough for dressing one large head of romaine

Notes

Allergy Note:
*Mayonnaise typically contains eggs, so while this recipe does not require any raw eggs, it is NOT suitable for anyone with an egg allergy.
Be aware, Worcestershire sauce has anchovies in the ingredient list, so don’t use if you have a fish or seafood allergy.
Toss some homemade croutons into the oven for the best Caesar salad ever.
Tried this recipe?Mention @GetGettyS or tag #GetGettyS

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Sodium: 136mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Iron: 1mg
Course: Salad, salad dressing
Cuisine: American
Keyword: caesar dressing, caesar salad
caesar salad dressing
Keep Caesar salad looking fresh by allowing guests to dress the salad themselves.

 What to Use instead of Anchovy Paste or Anchovies

I’m not opposed to using anchovies or anchovy paste, they add to the characteristic flavor of Caesar salad dressing. The problem is I never have anchovy paste or anchovies on hand and I don’t like buying ingredients for just one recipe. Since I use fish sauce much more frequently, I use it in this recipe and find it does the job (anchovies are often used when making fish sauce).

If you don’t have fish sauce, no problem. Try increasing the amount of Worcestershire sauce (anchovies are in the ingredients) or use Soy sauce. Other, more random ingredients would be Miso, Dulse (dried seaweed), nutritional yeast or Maggi.

Do you have any other suggestions for what to use instead of anchovies or anchovy paste?

What to Use Instead of Mayonnaise – Allergy Note

While there is no raw egg in this dressing, most mayonnaise is made with egg. If you have an egg allergy, be sure to use a replacement for the mayo or an egg free mayo.

What are your go to substitutes for mayonnaise?   I’m liking the looks of this Avocado Mayo by Wellness Mama. I wonder if a finely mashed avocado would be a good substitute in this recipe? I’ll keep you posted.

mixed salad with caesar dressing
Use Caesar dressing for any salad where a robust flavour is needed.

Getty Stewart is an engaging speaker and writer providing tasty recipes, time-saving tips, and helpful kitchen ideas to make home cooking easy and enjoyable. She is a Professional Home Economist, author of Manitoba’s best-selling Prairie Fruit Cookbook, Founder of Fruit Share, mom and veggie gardener.

8 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is a perfect recipe for Caesar salad dressing. I made a chicken Caesar salad with grilled chicken and this dressing. My family loved it! My husband said it was the best salad he ever had and that I “knocked it out of the park” lol. Thank you for the excellent recipe!

  2. for those attempting to avoid anchovies due to being allergic – you should be aware that Worcestershire sauce does contain anchovies. I am very allergic to fish, seafood, shell fish, etc… & have to be aware of ingredients.

    1. Hi K,
      Thanks for the heads up. Fish sauce is often made with anchovies as well, so I will rename the post to help avoid any confusion.
      All the best,
      Getty

  3. Hi Getty – looks like a really good recipe. But when I read your email, I thought it meant there would be no egg in the recipe. As in, works for people with egg allergy. But there would still be egg in the mayo.

    1. Oh my, yes of course! So sorry for misleading information. I will update the info to state that there is no raw egg added to the overall recipe but there may be egg or egg products in the individual ingredients.
      What is your preferred substitute for mayonnaise?
      Here’s an avocado may from Wellness Mama. https://wellnessmama.com/23441/avocado-mayo/ I may have to try replacing the mayo with a squished avocado to see how that would work in this recipe.
      Thanks for pointing out the discrepancy!
      All the best,
      Getty

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