Caesar Salad: Crisp romaine, crunchy croutons, and Parmesan for days! Bold, salty, and garlicky with a creamy, tangy dressing that ties it all together.
This salad works as a side or a full meal—just add bacon, chicken, or eggs for extra protein and heartiness.
Caesar Salad
Caesar Salad is my go-to side, especially with hearty dishes like One-Pot Spaghetti, mini Turkey Meatloaves, or Ground Beef Stroganoff. But honestly, it’s perfect as a main with chicken, bacon, or eggs—so good!
After years of tweaking, I’ve nailed down the best Caesar dressing ever. Pair it with crisp romaine, crunchy garlic croutons, and shaved Parmesan, and it’s a crowd-pleaser every time!
Ingredients
Caesar salads can vary a good amount from place to place and depending on how you like them.
- Romaine lettuce: The fresher and crisper the lettuce, the better the salad.
- Croutons: Homemade are amazing and simple to make but store-bought works!
- Parmesan: Use either freshly shaved or finely grated on top.
- Caesar salad dressing: I’ll break down the dressing ingredients below!
- Optional additions: If you’re looking to make this salad more of a main course add some eggs, steak, bacon, or chicken.
Quick Tip
To get larger Parmesan shavings, use a potato peeler on a cheese block. For a finer dusting, shred it with a microplane.
Caesar Salad Dressing
- Mayo: Use whole-egg mayo like Hellman’s/Best Foods® for the best flavor.
- Garlic: Gives a kick to the dressing. Add more if you love garlic flavor.
- Fresh Parmesan: Freshly grated is ideal; pre-grated is denser, so start with less.
- Dijon mustard: Make sure it’s Dijon, not yellow mustard.
- Olive oil: Extra virgin adds richer flavor to the dressing.
- Lemons: Fresh lemon juice and zest are key for a main lemon flavor—skip bottled juice.
- Anchovy paste: Find anchovy paste in a tube in the sauce or canned fish aisle. If leaving out, add more salt to balance.
- Salt and pepper: Add pepper for flavor and salt to taste.
Let’s Talk Croutons
Packaged croutons are great, but homemade ones take the Caesar Salad to the next level! Here are a few tips:
- Bread: The better the bread, the better the croutons—try sandwich, crusty, or baguette.
- Butter and Oil Mix: Use a butter-oil mix for both flavor and crispiness.
- Season to taste: Salt as you go, depending on bread and taste.
- Cool to Firm Up: After baking, let croutons cool fully to get crispy.
How To Make Caesar Salad
- Dressing: Blend dressing ingredients together until smooth. Chill for 15 minutes.
- Croutons (Optional): Toss bread cubes with oil, butter, and seasonings. Bake at 350°F, flipping halfway, until crispy.
- Assemble the Salad: Add romaine to a bowl, toss with dressing, and top with Parm and croutons.
- Optional Add-ins: Add cooked chicken, bacon, or hard-boiled eggs if desired.
Variations
Switch Things Up
- Extra Spice: Sprinkle red pepper flakes on top.
- Light Caesar: Use a light store-bought Caesar dressing or try the avocado dressing from my Kale Avocado Salad.
- Halved Tomatoes: My family loves adding halved cherry tomatoes to this salad.
- Already-Cooked Chicken: Use already-cooked grilled or rotisserie chicken
- Add Bacon: Cook 3-4 slices of thick-cut bacon in a skillet and add.
- Add Eggs: Prepare eggs to your liking, peel, halve, and add. For hard-boiled eggs, see my Egg Salad recipe for tips.
Storage
Leftovers?
Dressed salad is best enjoyed immediately.
For longer storage, add dressing and croutons only to the amount you’ll eat. The dressing stays good for 3–6 days in the fridge; mix well before using.
More Salad Recipes
- Olive Garden Salad with an Italian-herb dressing
- Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad ready in minutes
- Quinoa Salad filling and delicious
- Panzanella Salad with a balsamic dressing
- Cobb Salad readers favorite
Caesar Salad
Caesar Salad is a classic dish featuring layers of romaine lettuce, croutons, and plenty of Parmesan cheese. It bursts with flavor, blending salty, lemony-garlic notes and a hint of smokiness.
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
Caesar Salad
- 2 cups croutons see note 1
- 2 heads romaine lettuce coarsely chopped,
- Parmesan cheese freshly grated
Dressing
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste see note 2
- 1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese see note 3
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
Optional Toppings
- 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cooked and chopped
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon cooked and chopped
- 4 large eggs hard boiled
Instructions
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. Taste and adjust flavors to your preference, then season with salt. Cover the dressing and chill in the fridge for 15–20 minutes to let the flavors meld and intensify.
- If adding chicken, bacon, or eggs, see Note 4.
- Add washed and thoroughly dried chopped lettuce to a large bowl. Drizzle on dressing to personal preference and use tongs to toss well. Taste and add more dressing if desired. Top with crisp cooled croutons, any of the optional extras, and lots of Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: To make homemade croutons, you’ll need 4 cups cubed sourdough or French baguette, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.
If making homemade croutons, start here! Preheat the oven to 350℉ and adjust the rack to the center position. Cut baguette into 1-inch slices and then into 1/2-inch cubes. Place on a large lined sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, melted butter, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/8 teaspoon each). Toss to combine and bake until crisp and firm but not overly browned, about 12–15 minutes, flipping halfway through baking time. Remove from oven and let fully cool. They will continue to firm up as they cool. Taste and adjust, adding more salt if desired.
Note 2: Anchovy paste comes in a toothpaste-like tube that you’ll usually find in the condiments aisle, canned fish aisle, or next to the tubes of tomato paste at the grocery store. If you omit the anchovy paste, you’ll want to add quite a bit of salt to make up for it.
Note 3: If you use store-bought grated Parmesan, it’s going to be a lot denser than freshly grated, so start with 3 tablespoons and add more from there.
Note 4: Follow the directions below to prepare optional toppings.
- Chicken: Add leftover grilled chicken or store-bought rotisserie chicken. I prefer lemon-pepper-seasoned. Alternatively, cook about 3/4 pound of chicken breasts. Pat dry, cut in half horizontally, and pound for even thickness if needed. Drizzle with about 1/2 teaspoon olive oil per side, then season each side with salt, pepper, and lemon pepper to taste, about 1/4 teaspoon each. Cook on a grill or in a pan with olive oil and butter for 3–5 minutes per side, until juices run clear. Once done, tent with foil and let cool for 5–10 minutes before thinly slicing and adding to the salad.
- Bacon: I love adding thick-sliced bacon to the salad—about 3–4 slices. Coarsely chop the bacon and add it to a large skillet without any oil or butter. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once cooled, add the bacon to the salad.
- Eggs: Cook the eggs to your preference, then peel and halve them for the salad. To steam the eggs, add 1 inch of hot water to a large pot, place a steamer insert inside, and cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the eggs to the steamer basket, cover, and cook for 13 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with cold water and about 12–15 ice cubes. After steaming, transfer the eggs directly to the ice water and let them cool for 15 minutes before peeling. Once cooled, gently tap the eggs to crack the shell, then peel under running cool water, starting at the wider end where there’s usually an air pocket, making it easier to remove the shell.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 786mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 343mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
