If you’ve never made a homemade Caesar Salad, then you might be surprised by just how easy it is to whip up. My version includes fresh homemade croutons and a rich and tangy homemade dressing. The simplicity of a Caesar salad is unmatched. It’s simple enough to make during the week and pairs well with lots of main dishes. It’s always my go-to whenever I’m eating out at a nice restaurant, but the truth is…this easy salad recipe is wayyy better than any restaurant version. Let me show you just how easy it is to make!
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“So good!! This dressing is incredible. So easy, and a guaranteed show stopper. This one is headed straight to my permanent recipe repertoire.”
Jarad
Easy Caesar Salad Recipe
This simple Caesar salad is all about bold, craveable flavors, and it starts with a creamy homemade Caesar dressing. It’s rich, tangy, super flavorful, and really easy to whip up thanks to one shortcut: mayo instead of fussing with raw eggs and oil. I mix in lemon, garlic, anchovy filets, Dijon, Parmesan, and a good amount of black pepper for that classic Caesar punch.
And while the dressing is the star, the real key to any great Caesar salad, imo, is homemade croutons! Ok, second to the dressing, of course 😉 They’re crispy, crunchy, and oh-so-flavorful! And the best part is…they’re SO quick to make. Together with the creamy dressing, you’ve got the perfect finishing touch to pull the whole salad together.
Budget Saving Tip
Since this salad is relatively simple to make with simple ingredients, I spent extra using fresh Parmesan from a Parmesan cheese wedge. But to save some cash, you can absolutely use pre-shredded Parmesan cheese instead.
Caesar Salad
Servings 6Ingredients
Caesar Salad Dressing
- 1 fresh lemon ($0.79)
- 3 cloves garlic ($0.24)
- 3 anchovy filets (packed in oil, $0.86)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard ($0.20)
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise ($0.66)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.40)
Salad
- 8 cups romaine lettuce (chopped, $3.73)
- 2 cups croutons ($0.71)
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan ($0.89)
Instructions
- Start by making the Caesar salad dressing. Zest and juice the lemon. You'll need about 3 Tbsp juice and 1 tsp lemon zest. Finely mince the garlic and anchovy filets. Reserve about ½ tsp of the oil from the anchovy container.
- In a medium bowl add the lemon juice, zest, minced garlic, minced anchovies, anchovy oil, and pepper. Whisk to combine.
- Add the Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, and grated Parmesan to the bowl and whisk to combine again. Taste the dressing and adjust the ingredients to your liking.
- Next chop, wash, and dry the Romaine lettuce. Add the lettuce to a large bowl.
- Top the lettuce with the croutons, shredded Parmesan, and half of the salad dressing (start with half the dressing and add more as needed). Toss the salad until everything is coated in the dressing. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper on top (optional). Enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make A Caesar Salad Step-by-Step Photos
Make the dressing: Zest and juice 1 lemon (you’ll need about 3 Tbsp juice and 1 tsp lemon zest for this recipe). Then, finely mince 3 cloves of garlic and 3 anchovy filets. Be sure to reserve about ½ tsp of the oil from the anchovy container.
In a medium bowl whisk together the lemon juice, zest, minced garlic, minced anchovies, anchovy oil, and 1/4 tsp pepper.
Add 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan to the bowl and whisk well to combine.
Have a little taste of the dressing and adjust the ingredients to your liking. Set the dressing aside for now.
Prep the salad: Next, chop, wash, and thoroughly dry 8 cups of Romaine lettuce. You can add the lettuce to a salad spinner or use paper towels (or a lint-free kitchen cloth) to dry the lettuce. Add the lettuce to a separate large bowl.
Assemble the salad: Top the lettuce with 2 cups croutons, 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, and half of the Caesar salad dressing (I like to start with half the dressing and then add more as needed).
Toss the salad until everything is coated in the dressing.
Serve: Top with extra Parmesan cheese and freshly cracked black pepper when serving (both optional). Enjoy!
What To Serve with Caesar Salad?
One of the best ways to enjoy this salad is by adding some grilled chicken. I also think our pan seared chicken or air fryer chicken would be delicious on top for a quick and easy chicken Caesar salad. Salmon and shrimp also taste great with this salad! Or simply add this salad as a side dish alongside your favorite dinner recipes like homemade lasagna (my kid’s favorite) or creamy garlic chicken.
Storage Instructions
This salad will keep for about 3 to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge, though that can vary depending on how fresh your ingredients were to begin with. If you can, store the components separately—especially the croutons. They’ll go soggy fast if they’re sitting in the salad. Keep them in their own airtight container at room temperature, and if they lose their crunch, just reheat them in a skillet or pop them in an air fryer for a minute or two to crisp them back up.
So good!! This dressing is incredible. So easy, and a guaranteed show stopper. This one is headed straight to my permanent recipe repertoire.
This was amazing.
Hi, I just searched vegetarian on your search bar and then signed up for your vegetarian meal plan. However when Caesar salad dressing came up, I said to my self please don’t tell me that she is using anchovies. I scroll down … And what so you know there it is listed in the ingredients. Anchovies are not vegetarian. It is a being that is a live. If anything this recipe should be listed as pecsataria but NOT vegetarian. Do you have a way to substitute the anchovy for similar flavor such as vegetarian Worcestershire sauce?
Hi Maria! Thank you so much for letting me know that it came up as vegetarian! I got that tag removed. My favorite way to vegetarianize Caesar dressing is with a few minced kalamata olives or capers! Vegan Worcestershire sauce is also an amazing way to give that umami flavor if you can find it easily.
Holy moly dude, the dressing was so good. I’m usually picky about salad, but this? Wow
Marsha, your recipes are very exciting. I like so much ehat you are adding to Budget Bytes. I read your posts, then make them when I pull everything together. I’ll rate this when I make it, but I want you to know how grateful I am.
This recipe is a winner! Tried it last night and it was a hit with the whole family. The flavors were perfectly balanced, and the instructions were easy to follow. https://homentable.com/collections/premium-drinkware
This salad plus some leftover chicken looked perfect for lunch today–and we loved it. With shrimp at great prices lately, ie $6-8 per lb, I’m thinking about doing this again in very soon with shrimp!
No one should be tempted to leave out the anchovies–they are absolutely essential, and if you didn’t make the dressing yourself, you would never guess anchovies are in it. I wouldn’t touch an anchovy with a 10 ft pole, until I learned how delicious their presence makes a lot of sauces–they melt right in and leave nothing behind but an indescribable hint of taste. I still won’t eat one by itself!!! Anchovy paste would work, too–I’m thinking about 1 T? This is a terrific recipe–thanks so much, Marsha. I really love your simple home style recipes.
PS–When I open one of those tiny cans, I put the remaining anchovies and oil in a little bag and drop in the freezer. This may not be a recommended thing to do, but I always use them for something delicious in 3-5 weeks. I do the same thing with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and they don’t last long, either. Always use a sharpy to date those bags!!! I also always have hearts of romaine. They are inexpensive and last a couple of weeks in the fridge vs bags of chopped greens that seem to turn to slime in 5-6 days. Another tip–you can always cook those aging greens. Throw them into soup or a stir fry if they are too wilted for salad.
Janamus, you always have such helpful comments. Your anchovie info is so accurate. I always think I’m getting a little fish oil from them plus all their flavor enhancement.
Thanks so much for those kind words! I really love this site and all the work Beth and her collaborators do to make cooking both fun and economical. We all get into ruts and this website keeps things fresh and exciting!