The Ultimate Homemade Caesar Salad Recipe
This week’s recipe is one of my all-time favorites – Ultimate Homemade Caesar Salad and it is seriously the best Caesar Salad recipe of all time! After you try this recipe you too will be hooked!
If you love garlic then hang on tight because you can make this as garlicky as you like, or you can cut back if you’re not too worried about vampires.
The first time I made this for our family I fell in love with it. Since then, it has become my go-to recipe for Caesar salad – even if it requires a little work on my part!
After the recipe, don’t miss more recipes for your next Backyard BBQ Bash – all linked at the bottom!
Prep Time
20-30 minutes
Ultimate Homemade Caesar Salad Supplies
- paring knife
- Magic Bullet
- Cutting board
- bread knife
- parchment paper
- cookie sheet
- tongs
- frying pan
- spatula
- paper towel
- measuring spoons
- liquid measuring cup
- chef knife
- large bowl
- citrus juicer/strainer
Ultimate Homemade Caesar Salad Ingredients
- 1/4-1/2 cup of vegetable oil
- 4-7 cloves of garlic (depending on personal preference)
- a loaf of french bread
- garlic powder or garlic pepper
- seasoning salt
- bacon
- romaine lettuce
- 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- generous pinch of pepper
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 3-4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
- 1 lemon
- parmesan cheese
Ultimate Homemade Caesar Salad Recipe
Start your Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing
The first thing you need to do for this recipe is to peel your garlic. I use a bit more garlic than the average person around 7-8 cloves off of a large bulb. However, 4-5 cloves should be about right for most. This is always something you can experiment with to meet your taste preferences.
Once your garlic is peeled add them to 1/4 cup of oil in your Magic Bullet. You can use extra virgin olive oil, vegetable oil or canola oil – whichever suits your family.
The original recipe that was passed down to me says to make your oil-garlic mixture 24 hours in advance. If you know me, you know I’m not that organized – so I developed a method that still generates the taste of the garlic-infused oil, but at a faster rate.
Once you have your garlic and oil in the Magic Bullet give them a couple of seconds on dice to cut up your garlic into smaller pieces. This speeds up the infusion process. Then place your garlic oil into the refrigerator.
If you do not have a Magic Bullet you should check them out they are amazing. You can try a blender if you like or chop your garlic by hand.
Make your Homemade Croutons
Preheat oven to 400°
After learning how to make my own croutons, I’ve found that I prefer them over any pre-made croutons from the store. The process is pretty simple and you can make them whatever flavor you like. This version is pretty basic but you can add your own twist if you prefer.
Using your bread knife slice and then cube your loaf of garlic bread into bite-size pieces. A little big is okay too.
Place all the cut cubes into a large bowl and season with garlic powder, garlic pepper and seasoning salt – or whichever seasonings you prefer. Mix them well using your hands.
Place a sheet of parchment paper on a large cookie sheet. Spread your french bread cubes in a layer on the cookie sheet. I have a large cookie sheet that allows me to do all of my croutons in one go around. They do not have to be a single layer but should not exceed two layers.
Place the cookie sheet into the preheated oven and set a timer for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and use your tongs to flip the croutons and return to the oven to bake for an additional 10 minutes. Depending on your oven you may need to adjust your cooking time so be sure to check your oven periodically for any burning.
Once they are slightly browned and golden and feel crisp (and lack moisture), remove from oven and let cool.
I usually can make two large Homemade Caesar Salads with this amount of croutons. Therefore, I bag approximately half of them up and freeze them for the next time we make our Ultimate Salad.
Make your Bacon Bits for your Ultimate Caesar Salad
I absolutely love bacon and am not a fan of the store-bought bacon bits whether they are the ‘real bacon’ or simulated kind. So we make our own!
We usually do a full pack of bacon, so that we can freeze the other half after the process is complete or save them for some BLT’s the next day.
First, heat up your frying pan. Then slice your pack of bacon in half down the middle because they crisp better in shorter pieces. Spread them in your frying and start cooking them. Make sure to flip them often.
We like to drain our bacon grease into an old tin can once we are 2/3rds done cooking them. It helps to prevent the bacon from burning as well as less splashing. Draining at this time also gives you less grease to deal with at the end.
Place a sheet or two of paper towel on a plate. Once the bacon is crisped to your desired amount remove from frying pan and place on the paper towel. Let the bacon cool.
Once your bacon is cool use a chef knife to dice it up into small pieces. Now, you can choose to freeze half of your bacon bits so it is ready for your next Caesar salad.
Now set your fresh bacon bits aside until later. Personally, I feel the homemade bacon bits and croutons are crucial in this Ultimate Homemade Caesar Salad Recipe, therefore, I always make my own.
Prepare your Romaine Lettuce
First of all, you need to ensure to wash your romaine lettuce thoroughly. I like to hold it under the faucet while opening the top of the head and running the water through well. Use cold water to wash. Make sure to wash the stalk well after the in-between has been done. Shake the lettuce dry and gently tap off excess water.
Place your head of romaine on your cutting board and grab your chef knife. Hold the base of your head and then cut your head vertically all the way from base to top of the head. Then rotate the head of lettuce and repeat until you have approximately 5 or 6 slices lengthwise. Now, chop your lettuce beginning from the tip into 1-inch widths down the base of the head. This will create nice bite-sized pieces of lettuce for your salad.
Lastly, place your perfectly chopped lettuce into a large bowl and set aside.
Mix your Ultimate Caesar Salad Dressing
Now it is time to take out your garlic infused oil from the refrigerator. We are going to mix it all together in your magic bullet cup, therefore, you do not need any other supplies besides your bullet and measuring spoons.
Add the mustard powder, salt, pepper, anchovy paste, Worcestershire Sauce, egg and mayonnaise to your garlic oil. Blend it together pulsating at first because it will be quite thick, then hold and blend until well combined. Refrigerate if not making salad immediately.
Juice a lemon
You will need one lemon for this salad, so go ahead and slice it in half and squeeze out the juices. Make sure you remove all seeds.
Throw together your Ultimate Homemade Caesar Salad!
Once you have all of your ingredients ready to go add your Homemade Caesar salad dressing to your chopped romaine lettuce. Give it a quick toss with some tongs.
If you do not plan on eating the entire salad you can refrigerate some for the next day before following the next steps, moreover eliminating soggy croutons for the salad the next day.
Add in your homemade croutons and bacon bits, mixing well. If you already make your own salad dressings these are quite an addition to the perfect salad and you will love the flavour!
Pour your lemon juice on top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese as desired.
Enjoy the Ultimate Homemade Caesar Salad
This Caesar Salad makes the perfect side dish it also can be quickly made into a main dish by adding some grilled chicken breast slices to it. The aroma from this Homemade Salad dressing will have your family drooling in anticipation. Although it sounds like a lot of work to make a salad, believe me, you will have no regrets. Well, maybe one, no Caesar salad will ever be quite as satisfying to your taste buds again!
Before you go let’s take a quick look at some other delicious BBQ recipes!
Backyard BBQ Bash
The Hive Collective have come together to make your summer BBQ’s perfection! Be sure to watch for all our upcoming blog tours! #BackyardBBQBash #TheHiveCollectives
Just that Perfect Piece
Agnes from Just that Perfect Piece has Grilled Chimichurri Cauliflower Steaks. A healthy and delicious grilled cauliflower steak topped with the perfect chimichurri sauce with a hint of cilantro! I don’t know about you but my mouth is already watering, head on over and see how it is done!
Our Crafty Mom
Michelle from Our Crafty Mom has an amazing Quick and Easy Tuscan Salad. This Tuscan tortellini pasta salad is not only easy to make, but it is mouthwatering with fresh herbs, garden tomatoes and a flavour-filled dressing that will wow your guests!
Redneck Rhapsody
Trina from Redneck Rhapsody has a treat in store for you! Not only does she have a full meal planned but also a delicious Libation as well! Every part of her meal is prepared on the grill so you can enjoy the entire time outdoors at the grill. Head on over to check it out!
Southern Yankee DIY
Lia from Southern Yankee DIY has an amazing Outdoor Serving Tray Update to share with all of you, perfect for your summer BBQs! This is a DIY makeover you do not want to miss! I love this tray makeover, it is such a quick way to upgrade an old item and make it stunning again head on over to see how it is done!
The Irish Twins Momma
Ashley from The Irish Twins Momma has some great BBQ tips and tricks that will have you grilling to perfection in no time flat! Check out all her amazing ideas to get the most out your summer and BBQ season!
Don’t forget to pin for later!
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