Classic Caesar Salad Recipe
Published May 29, 2020. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
There’s nothing like a delicious easy to make fresh Caesar salad recipe that is served with homemade dressing and croutons!
I need a couple of salads a week just to make sure I’m getting some greens in me. Some of my absolutely favorite salads are my Nicoise and my Chopped Chicken, and you should definitely make them both.

Caesar Salad
Crazy enough Caesar salad originated in Tijuana, Mexico by an Italian named Caesar Cardini. Cardini moved to California in the early 20th century and often times during prohibition he, like many others, would head to Tijuana for a drink. He quickly opened a restaurant and a few years later created the Caesar Salad. Who got that story right?
It’s a simple salad that is massively popular worldwide in homes and on restaurant menus. It is easy to make and when homemade is far better than anything you’re going to get anywhere else.
Ingredients and Substitutions
This recipe actually is incredibly simple and has few ingredients making it that much more amazing. Here are the things needed to make a Caesar salad:
- Romaine Lettuce: This is very easy to find green leaf lettuce that is firm and almost always available. This is the only lettuce used in a classic recipe.
- Parmesan Cheese: Large shaved pieces are most traditionally used when making this. You can do it yourself or buy it pre-shaved.
- Caesar Dressing: If you have a food processor then this 6-ingredient recipe consisting of anchovies, lemon juice, eggs, parmesan, and olive oil, will take you no more than 5 minutes to make and hands down make the best Caesar salad.
- Croutons: These homemade crunchy cubes of bread add some much-needed texture and flavor to the recipe.
How to Make a Caesar Salad
Follow these simple instructions on to make this amazing recipe:
Cut the fresh romaine lettuce into roughly 1 ½” pieces.

Rinse the lettuce removing and dirt or unwanted particles on the lettuce leaves and dry thoroughly.

Add the lettuce, parmesan cheese, croutons, salt, and pepper to a bowl and pour the dressing around the bowl on the inside.

Mix the salad thoroughly making sure every leaf has brushed the dressing and is coated and serve.

Optional Toppings
There are many things you can add to the top of a Caesar salad to make it unique, as well as add some protein. Here are the most popular things you can add:
- Anchovy Fillets
- Chicken
- Steak
- Tuna Steak
- Cooked Salmon
- Shrimp
- Hard-Boiled Eggs
Grilled Caesar Salad
Grilling romaine lettuce has become incredibly popular the last decade. It’s very easy to do and will also bring out some sweetness from the char marks when doing so. Follow these simple steps in making a Grilled Caesar:
- Add a few tablespoons of oil to a head of Romaine that has been sliced in half longways in the grill for 20 to 30 seconds per side over a hot grill between 450°and 550°.
- Remove the lettuce from the grill and drizzle on dressing along with croutons and parmesan cheese.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is mixed together with the dressing. it can however be made the day before if the lettuce, dressing, cheese, and croutons are kept separate and covered in the refrigerator.
How to Store: Place each ingredient in its own plastic container or bag and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This recipe will not freeze.
chef notes + tips
- Feel free to add in more dressing, croutons, or Parmesan cheese as you see fit.
- Be sure to serve the salad immediately after tossing in the dressing.
- If there is another romaine lettuce shortage, green leaf or red leaf lettuce as a substitute will work.
- Kale is sometimes used as a substitute or as the main green in this recipe

More Amazing Salad Recipes
- Mandarin Orange Salad
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts
- Watermelon and Feta
- Strawberry, Chicken, and Spinach
- Summer Berry and Quinoa
- Caprese
Be sure to follow me on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest, and if you’ve had a chance to make this then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below!
Video
Classic Caesar Salad Recipe

Ingredients
- 2 heads of cored romaine lettuce cut into 1 ½” pieces
- ½ cup shaved parmesan cheese
- 1 croutons recipe
- 1 Caesar dressing recipe, there will be some leftover
- sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl add in the lettuce, cheese, croutons salt, and pepper.
- Using a spoon add the desired amount of dressing to the inside of the bowl around the lettuce touching the bowl (see video).
- Thoroughly toss the greens using tongs until the lettuce, cheese, and croutons are coated in the dressing and serve.
Notes
- Make-Ahead: This recipe is meant to be eaten as soon as it is mixed together with the dressing. it can however be made the day before if the lettuce, dressing, cheese, and croutons are kept separate covered in the refrigerator.
- How to Store: Place each ingredient in its own plastic container or bag and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This recipe will not freeze.
- Feel free to add in more dressing, croutons, or Parmesan cheese as you see fit.
- Be sure to serve the salad immediately after tossing in the dressing.
- If there is another romaine lettuce shortage, green leaf or red leaf lettuce as a substitute will work.
- Kale is sometimes used as a substitute or as the main green in this recipe
Superb salad. Tasty and a great crowd pleaser.
my pleasure!
Super easy, delish, and can be held in the fridge for a few days. A keeper!
Thank you!
LOVE this Caesar dressing recipe. I use a few less anchovie filets (and serve them on the side), and add a bit more lemon juice. Billy has GREAT recipies! Thanks!
Awesome recipe-Chris in Va
Followed the recipe to the letter (even did the peppercorns on the stove, as shown in your salad dressing video). I love that the depth and complexity of flavors come from simple techniques. The finished salad is restaurant quality. As someone who appreciates a great caesar salad, thank you!
perfect!!
Perfecto, delicious, made it for my sister whilst visiting her in the USA, I flew 14 hrs across the Pacific from Australia just to share your Caesar salad with her. xx
thank you so kindly!!
The best!
many thanks!
Thanks for the lessons! I learn a lot from you almost every day. Even though I have been cooking well for many years, your help has made my cooking so much more imaginative, We have tastier food, more easily made. I find your recipe easy to make and most are quite simple ingredient wise, still they are better using your methods. Thank you so much for your help, Chef Billy!!
thanks for giving it a shot!!
These are the best recipes for Caesar Salad I have seen in a long time! Perfect classic recipes and also easy to make. Who could ask for more. I now saved these recipes for future use, even though I have used the same methods for many years. I never really recorded what I did to make this marvelous recipe. Thanks for posting this, Chef. Billy!
Amazing!
This recipe is perfect! Everything from the croutons and the salad to the wonderful dressing!
Excellent
this was so good. no leftovers. Thank you
perfection!
Made this yesterday with the egg 🙂 Delicious! My husband asked for more….all gone.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Awesome
I’ve made Caesar salad using other recipes and this is by far the best!! Don’t leave out the homemade croutons. They are quick and so worth it.
Awesome
Absolutely delicious!!
many thanks
Love
Love
LOVE this Caesar dressing.
Thank you for you continued dedication to grrrreat food
Shauna
perfect
Best salad ever!
Excellent!
Outstanding!
thanks for giving it a shot!!
Easy to make and delicious…not many recipes I don’t enjoy from Chef!!!
Glad to hear it!
My husband and I absolutely love Caesar salad. However, we have never made it ourselves till now. Some restaurant Caesar salads have been very disappointing. I followed your recipe and it was a hit. I put too much salt onto croutons, but it evened out since then I decided not to add any salt into the dressing. Saltiness of anchovies was enough. The salad was delicious, No more restaurant Cesar salads for us. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I appreciate all you videos. They are logical, easy to understand and you explain well why something needs to be done the way you do it. However, being a dinosaur, I would like to have actual cook books. Are there any available.or is it all through the web only?
I made this last night and it was AH-mazing! I have lots of dressing left over- round two tonight?! 🤩 Just have to make more croutons- those got gobbled up, quick!
Nice! thank you chef Billy for sharing!