This Caesar salad is filled with crisp Romaine lettuce, creamy homemade Caesar dressing, crunchy croutons, and grated Parmesan cheese! It's a classic salad recipe that makes a perfect starter for just about any meal. Plus, it only takes minutes to make, even with the made-from-scratch dressing!
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Easy Caesar Salad Recipe
A Caesar salad makes a fabulous appetizer, but it can also be topped with baked chicken breast and become dinner itself! The crunchy, fresh croutons are tossed in a flavorful garlic and cheese mixture before baking, giving your salad a flavorful crunch!
One of my favorite things about a simple Caesar salad is that it only takes 15 minutes to prepare entirely from scratch. It's quick, delicious, and perfect for lunch or dinner!
🌎 Origin
Caesar Cardini, the creator behind Caesar Salad, ran his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. His daughter recounts that he prepared the legendary salad after a holiday rush that almost completely depleted the kitchen.
Caesar Cardini made this salad and started tossing it at the table. The salad gained popularity, along with the restaurant, in 1937 after Manny Wolf of Paramount Pictures gave the recipe to Hollywood restaurants!
🥘 Ingredients
Caesar salad is an easy and classic salad to make that pairs perfectly with anything! It has simple ingredients you probably already have on hand, but you can find anything you may not have at your local grocery store!
Croutons
- Olive Oil - 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).
- Garlic - 1 teaspoon of garlic (minced).
- French Bread - 3 cups of French bread (cut into cubes).
- Parmesan Cheese - 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese (grated).
Caesar Dressing
- Mayonnaise - 1 cup of mayonnaise (good quality mayo like Duke's, Hellman's, or Best Foods).
- Lemon - 1 large lemon (zested and juiced).
- Parmesan Cheese - 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese (grated).
- Dijon Mustard - 2 tablespoons of coarse ground Dijon mustard (or try my Dijon mustard substitute).
- Worcestershire Sauce - 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce (or try my Worcestershire sauce substitute).
- Anchovy Paste - 1 teaspoon of anchovy paste.
- Salt and Pepper - ⅛ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (freshly ground, to taste).
Caesar Salad
- Romaine Lettuce - 3 heads of Romaine lettuce (washed, dried, and chopped into bite-sized pieces).
- Parmesan Cheese - ½ cup of Parmesan cheese (shredded or shaved).
Don't like anchovies? Check out my Caesar salad dressing without anchovies recipe!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Caesar Salad
This simple Caesar salad is super easy to make and will quickly become a favorite. You will need a cutting board, knife, mixing bowls, and a large bowl for serving!
This recipe will make around 6 side salads or 2-3 large salads! You can always scale it up as needed based on your family.
Homemade Croutons
- Preheat. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toss. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 3 tablespoons (44.36 milliliters) of olive oil and 1 teaspoon (3 grams) of garlic. Add 3 cups (709.76 grams) of French bread and toss to coat. Then, add the 2 tablespoons (10 grams) of Parmesan Cheese and toss to coat again.
- Bake. Spread the cubed bread out in an even layer on your prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350˚F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) for 10-12 minutes or until your desired level of crispiness. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Caesar Dressing
- Mix. Add 1 cup (224 grams) of mayonnaise, 1 large lemon zested and juiced, 3 tablespoons (15 grams) of Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of coarse ground Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons (9.86 milliliters) of Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon (6 grams) of anchovy paste, and ⅛ teaspoon (0.75 grams) each of salt & pepper to your food processor and blend until creamy.
Caesar Salad
- Toss together. Place the washed, dried, and chopped 3 heads of Romaine lettuce into a large serving bowl. Add ¾ of the cooled croutons and half of the ½ cup (33.3 grams) of Parmesan cheese. Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss gently to combine.
- Add toppings. Top with remaining croutons and Parmesan cheese, and serve.
My family and I really love pairing a Caesar salad with a juicy baked ribeye steak and some twice-baked potatoes! You could also try making my air fryer frozen shrimp or air fryer salmon and adding it on top for a quick shrimp or salmon Caesar! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- The dressing and/or croutons can be made in advance. Refrigerate the dressing in an airtight container for up to 1 week, and the croutons can stay in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days until needed.
- If you're in a hurry, using store-bought croutons will cut this recipe down to about 5 minutes!
- This recipe will make 2-3 large salads or 5-6 small side salads.
🥡 Storing
The components of this salad are best stored individually. The dressing will stay fresh for 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge.
If storing the prepared salad, I suggest removing any croutons because they will get soggy. Enjoy it within 2 days.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
You can, but it is one of the signature flavors, in my opinion! If you really want to make it without, you can try my Caesar salad dressing without anchovies recipe. But we highly recommend trying it with anchovies first!
Caesar salad is so versatile and easy to tweak for everyone's needs. Remove the Worcestershire sauce due to its added sugar, and take out the croutons! This salad is still full of flavor, and you can find lots of crouton substitutes online for that extra crunch!
Yes! You can use any bread. French bread is my favorite, but you could also try a fresh sourdough loaf or any other crusty bread you have on hand!
😋 More Easy Salad Recipes
- Tex-Mex Salad - This salad is loaded with flavor and ready in only 15 minutes!
- Wedge Salad - A crisp salad made with a whole wedge of iceberg lettuce, blue cheese, and crispy bacon!
- Cucumber Vinegar Salad - This salad is so refreshing and has the perfect combination of sweet and tangy!
- Greek Salad - A salad full of crisp Mediterranean vegetables and homemade Greek dressing!
- Potato Salad - A classic side dish that is full of flavor and perfect for any occasion!
- Fresh Fruit Salad - This easy salad is full of bright, refreshing fruit and a homemade honey citrus dressing!
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📖 Recipe Card
Caesar Salad
Ingredients
Croutons
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- 3 cups French bread (cut into cubes)
- 2 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese (grated)
Caesar Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise (good quality mayo like Duke's, Hellman's, or Best Foods)
- 1 large lemon (zested and juiced)
- 3 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 2 tablespoon coarse ground Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- ⅛ teaspoon each, salt & pepper (freshly ground, to taste)
Caesar Salad
- 3 heads Romain lettuce (washed, dried, and chopped into bite-sized pieces)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese (shredded or shaved)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Croutons
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 3 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon garlic. Add the 3 cups French bread and toss to coat. Then, add the 2 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese and toss to coat again.
- Spread the cubed bread out in an even layer on your prepared baking sheet. Bake at 350˚F (175°C) for 10-12 minutes or until your desired level of crispiness. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Caesar Dressing
- Add 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 large lemon, 3 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoon coarse ground Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon anchovy paste, and ⅛ teaspoon each, salt & pepper to your food processor and blend until creamy.
Caesar Salad
- Place the washed, dried, and chopped 3 heads Romain lettuce into a large serving bowl. Add ¾ of the cooled croutons and half of the ½ cup Parmesan cheese. Drizzle the dressing over the top and toss gently to combine.
- Top with remaining croutons and Parmesan cheese and serve.
Notes
- The dressing and/or croutons can be made in advance. Refrigerate the dressing in an airtight container for up to 1 week and the croutons can stay in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days until needed.
- If you're in a hurry, using storebought croutons will cut this recipe down to about 5 minutes!
- This recipe will make 2-3 large salads or 5-6 small side salads.
- To store: The components of this salad are best stored individually. The dressing will keep for 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge. If storing the prepared salad, I suggest removing any croutons because they will get soggy. Enjoy it within 2 days.
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