This classic Caesar Salad recipe is so easy and so delicious. This Caesar salad is made entirely from scratch, from the homemade croutons to the Caesar Salad Dressing. If you want to impress your guests or family, this amazingly flavorful and perfect salad is the perfect starter to any delicious meal.
Why We Love This Caesar Salad Recipe
Some recipes are considered classics for a reason. They don’t need to be messed with or turned into complicated dishes. A classic Caesar Salad is one of those recipes! It’s a go-to salad that you can throw together at a moment’s notice for any meal, and everyone will love it.
- Homemade. Learning to make the classics is a great skill for any budding chef, and the homemade Caesar dressing takes this salad to the next level!
- Easy. This salad may look intimidating, but it’s way easier than you think. Even the dressing comes together in a snap!
- Flavorful. This salad is so much better than one from a restaurant. The whole family will be begging you to make it on a weekly– or daily– basis.
Variations on a Classic Caesar Salad
A true classic Caesar salad is made with whole leaves of Romaine, drizzled with Caesar dressing, and topped with croutons and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. The salad was originally meant to be eaten with your hands, leaf by leaf.
Of course, you could also make it with chopped-up Romaine lettuce, but I think it looks so much prettier this way! You can still eat it with a fork, but the whole leaves make it feel a bit dressier, don’t you think?
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How to Store
Caesar salad is best enjoyed on the day it is made, but you can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Keep in mind that it will begin to wilt and eventually turn slimy. We recommend storing the dressing and the salad separately for longer-term storage. The dressing will keep for up to 3 days.
Serving Suggestions
I love this classic Caesar salad because it really does go with everything. It’s the perfect salad to pair with pasta dishes, like this Chicken Parmesan Pasta or Baked Pasta Primavera. But it would also make a great pre-dinner salad for these chicken recipes, like this Caesar Chicken recipe or Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast.
This homemade Caesar salad could also be eaten alone as a quick, light lunch, or add this delicious homemade garlic bread to the side.
Believe it or not, this salad was invented in Tijuana, Mexico by an Italian chef.
This simple salad is made from romaine lettuce, croutons, and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese dressed in a creamy Caesar salad dressing.
This salad is high in protein, potassium, fiber, vitamin A, calcium, and iron. However, it is also high in fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Enjoy it in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
Anchovies are a traditional ingredient in this dressing, so most of the time when making, eating, or ordering Caesar salad/dressing, you should expect anchovies. There are certainly recipes out there that don’t include it though. You could simply leave the anchovies out of my dressing recipe if you prefer!
If your dressing turns out thin or runny, the oil was likely added too fast. It’s important to drizzle the oil slowly into the dressing while whisking to ensure it emulsifies and thickens.
More Caesar Salad Recipes To Try
Notes from the Test Kitchen
- Be sure to wash the lettuce before using. A gentle rinse is fine, but make sure you clean the full leaves.
- Make the Caesar dressing and the croutons ahead of time so you can quickly make the salad at dinner time!
Caesar Salad Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 heads Romaine lettuce
- 2 cups croutons (click for recipe)
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmagiana Reggiano cheese plus more, for shaving
For the Caesar Dressing
- 3 anchovies packed in oil drained
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cloves garlic halved
- 1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Remove the large outer leaves from the lettuce, discard or save for another use.2 heads Romaine lettuce
- Wash and gently dry the remaining lettuce leaves.
- Carefully wrap the leaves in paper towels and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- In a small bowl, soak the anchovies in a bowl of water for 5 minutes. Drain and pat the anchovies dry. Mince the anchovies and mash to form a paste; set aside.3 anchovies packed in oil
- While the anchovies soak, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Pierce a tiny hole in the large end of each egg with a pushpin. Boil the eggs for exactly 75 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon. You can skip this step if you have pasteurized eggs.2 large eggs
- Rub the inside of a salad bowl with the cut sides of the garlic cloves.2 cloves garlic
- Crack the eggs into the bowl and remove any whites clinging to the shells. Whisk the eggs and gradually add the lemon juice. Add the mashed anchovies, Worcestershire, dry mustard, and freshly ground black pepper (to taste); whisk to combine. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow drizzle until emulsified. Season with salt and more pepper, if needed. Keep the dressing refrigerated, in an airtight glass container, until ready to serve.1½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder, Freshly ground black pepper, ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, Kosher salt
- If making a chopped salad, tear large leaves into smaller pieces and keep the smaller leaves intact. If using whole leaves only, use leaves no bigger than 7 inches long.
- Place the lettuce in a large bowl and drizzle with the desired amount of dressing. Gently mix. Add 1 cup of croutons and grated Parmigiano Reggiano; toss gently.2 cups croutons, ¼ cup freshly grated Parmagiana Reggiano cheese
- Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and sprinkle with additional croutons and shaved Parmigiano reggiano. Serve immediately.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Be sure to wash the lettuce before using. A gentle rinse is fine, but make sure you clean the full leaves.
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- If the dressing thickens when refrigerated, thin it to the desired consistency; whisk in small equal amounts of lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and oil. Whisk until smooth and desired consistency.
Nutrition Information
How to Make Caesar Salad Step by Step
Prep: Remove the large outer leaves from 2 heads of Romaine lettuce, discard or save for another use. Wash and gently dry the remaining lettuce leaves. Carefully wrap the leaves in paper towels and refrigerate until ready to serve. In a small bowl, soak 3 anchovies in a bowl of water for 5 minutes. Drain and pat the anchovies dry. Mince the anchovies and mash to form a paste; set aside.
Pasteurize the Eggs: While the anchovies soak, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Pierce a tiny hole in the large end of each of 2 eggs with a pushpin. Boil the eggs for exactly 75 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon. You can skip this step if you have pasteurized eggs. Rub the inside of a salad bowl with the cut sides of 2 garlic cloves.
Make the Dressing: Crack the eggs into the bowl and remove any whites clinging to the shells. Whisk the eggs and gradually add 1½ tablespoons of lemon juice. Add the mashed anchovies, 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon of dry mustard powder, and freshly ground black pepper (to taste); whisk to combine. Whisk in ½ cup of olive oil in a slow drizzle until emulsified. Season with salt and more pepper, if needed. Keep the dressing refrigerated, in an airtight glass container, until ready to serve.
Chop the Lettuce (Optional): If making a chopped salad, tear large leaves into smaller pieces and keep the smaller leaves intact. If using whole leaves only, use leaves no bigger than 7 inches long.
Toss the Salad: Place the lettuce in a large bowl and drizzle with the desired amount of dressing. Gently mix. Add 1 cup of croutons and ¼ cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano; toss gently. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and sprinkle with additional croutons and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve immediately.
The dressing is quite thin. I added some xanthan gum to thicken. I am baking the baked caesar chicken now!
I hope you enjoyed it!
I gave it 4 stars because the recipe sounds so yummy. My concern would be the raw egg. Don’t they tell you not to consume raw eggs because of potential salmonella?
I know it sounds crazy, but it is used in traditional caesar dressing!
Raw eggs in any recipe will introduce the risk of food-borne pathogens, like salmonella.
This is why US Food Safety laws prohibit restaurants from serving any dish that contains raw eggs.
This can be avoided by using Pasteurized Eggs. Pasteurized Eggs are available in most Grocery Stores, or you can easily Pasteurize eggs yourself using a Sous Vide.
Same way I make my dressing for years.
In summer I cut the romaine lettuce length wise then sprinkle
In summer I cut the romaine lengthwise then sprinkle a little EVOO over it and put it on the grill. Just a couple of minutes on each side to slightly wilt it and just a little char. Then dress it, its delicious!! 😋
That sounds super yummy! I’m definitely going to have to try that once it warms up a bit outside!!
Thank you so much for sharing your recipes. I am so excited to get started.
Thanks, Shanon!
Could you use Anchovy paste in place of the anchovies? And, if so, how much would you suggest?
Hoping someone answers this as it was my question, too!
Certainly, if you check out other recipes you’ll see it’s used quite a bit & some even prefer it.
Yes! Anchovie paste works just as well!
How much dressing does this make?
If you use grapeseed oil instead of olive oil the dressing wont solidify
I love it when I could homemade everything! Thank you for sharing the recipe! The dish looks so amazing! Can’t wait to try it!
Thank you so much Harley!
This looks so yummy! I’m a huge fan of romaine and I’m really missing it after this recall! And the egg recall. And the problem with arsenic in rice and nuclear waste in fish from Fukushima. Is anything safe to eat anymore?! Either way I am seriously looking forward to trying this wonderful salad! Thank you!
UGH I FEEL YOU!!!! Hopefully things will be safe again soon!! <3
I feel like there are far worse things then raw eggs and some fish. How about all the things the poison the government wants us to put in our body’s?? God knows our days on this earth from the day we are conceived. I’m getting off of my soapbox now. LOL