I’m on a caesar salad kick. I’ve been making them at home and ordering them at restaurants every chance I get (shout-out to the Cheesecake Factory).
This happens every year when I remember that caesar salads exist and become obsessed with the combo of fresh romaine, crunchy croutons, and tangy dressing for approximately one month. The dressing is the most important part of the caesar salad, in my opinion. Without it, it could be any salad! And when it comes to a caesar dressing, I’m looking for a dressing that is lemon forward with a mild anchovy umami and a dreamy, creamy texture. We bought romaine to sample the caesar dressings, but we ended up just eating them straight off a spoon to get the purest, most unadulterated caesar flavor. Lucky for me (and you!), we found a bunch of great ones in our caesar dressing taste test.
The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.
- Cardini’s Original Caesar Dressing
-
“Where The Salad Got Its Name” is Cardini’s slogan, which they proudly display on their bottles of caesar dressing. After a quick Google search, I found out that this claim is true! Caesar Cardini is credited with originating the caesar salad at his Tijuana restaurant, Caesar’s, in 1924. If you can believe it, the company that created the caesar salad makes the best caesar dressing. This dressing is acidic, garlicky, perfectly creamy. After trying this caesar dressing, I will never buy another caesar dressing again.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Girard’s Caesar Dressing
-
The packaging of Girard’s Caesar Dressing is luxurious. It feels like buying a bottle of expensive perfume. Much to my girlfriend’s frustration, I refuse to throw away the bottle when it is finished because I am convinced I will use it as a vase or for an art project or something else dumb (I won’t). When it comes to the taste, it’s tangy, bright, and zippy. As soon as it hits your tongue, you start salivating. The beauty of the flavor of the dressing definitely matches the beauty of the vessel.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Ken’s Steak House Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing
-
If you want a cheese-focused caesar dressing, Ken’s Steak House Creamy Caesar Dressing is for you. It has the creamy, parmesan-forward quality you want in a store bought caesar dressing while bringing a surprising level of tanginess to the table. This is one of the few dressings we tried that had almost no noticeable anchovy. Because of that, I think this would be a great caesar dressing if you’re in charge of bringing a salad to the work potluck or family reunions. This dressing feels like it would appeal to most people.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Target
- Briannas Home Style Asiago Caesar Salad Dressing
-
Brianna’s Home Style Asiago Caesar Dressing is beautiful inside and out. The illustration on the front of the bottle gives it a “cottage elegance” vibe, so I immediately buy into their “home style” image. The dressing itself is also good-looking. The large pieces of cracked black peppercorns and the shreds of asiago make it feel homemade yet sophisticated. Unlike most of the other caesars on this list, this one has a sweet, balsamic-like taste. It’s less creamy and zestier, like vinaigrette. Extra points for uniqueness!
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Litehouse Caesar Dressing & Spread
-
This Litehouse caesar isn’t just a dressing. It’s also a spread. I didn’t know exactly what that meant, but it became clear as soon as I opened the jar. This is probably the thickest salad dressing I’ve ever seen. Their “move over mayo” warning on the bottle feels justified. It’s basically a fancier, anchovy-forward mayonnaise. The strong flavor and viscous texture make it ideal for slathering on a tortilla with freshly shredded romaine and leftover rotisserie chicken. Yum!
Credit: Ryan Martin / Walmart
- Trader Joe’s Vegan Caesar Dressing
-
People on the internet rave about Trader Joe’s refrigerated vegan salad dressings, so it’s no surprise that their caesar rendition from this line is delicious. It’s not necessarily the most classic of caesar dressings, so prepare yourself for different but delicious. It’s more similar to a vinaigrette-style dressing rather than a creamy caesar. It also doesn’t have an anchovy provided umami undertone. It does, however, have a sharp tang and a parmesan cheese-like flavor. This is a great option regardless of your dietary status.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Amazon
- Panera Caesar Salad Dressing
-
Are you in a bizarre situation in which you have to feed a caesar salad to someone who doesn’t like caesar dressing? Use the Panera Caesar Salad Dressing! It’s so delicate in flavor that Sporked editor-in-chief, Justine Sterling, described it as “a cloud of caesar.” It is more on the vinaigrette side of the caesar spectrum and lacks notes of anchovy or garlic. Try this out on someone that likes mild, familiar flavors and isn’t a fan of excessive creaminess.
Credit: Ryan Martin / Target
Best of the Best
Best Restaurant Style
Best for Cheese Lovers
Best Aesthetics
Best for Wraps
Best Wildcard
Best Mild Flavor
Film your own taste test at home and share with us using #SporkedTasteTest for a chance to be featured on our social pages!
What about Marzetti dressings? They just got named best ranch by the Washington post! I highly recommend. They have fewer ingredients than any other refrigerator dressing!
One of the few top ranking I 100% agree with. Yay.