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Thai Cucumber Salad - easy and healthy homemade Thai cucumber salad recipe that is better than your favorite Thai restaurants, guaranteed!
What Is Cucumber Salad
There are many versions of cucumber salad, ranging from American to Asian. This delicious recipe features Thai ingredients in its sauce, creating a flavorful Thai cucumber salad. Thai cuisine is known for its delightful balance of sweet, savory, and spicy flavors, and this salad complements Thai dishes beautifully—it’s especially great with Thai Chicken Sate and Thai fish cake.
Another variation is Asian cucumber salad, which is spicy and seasoned with chili oil. I also enjoy Creamy Cucumber Salad, made with Greek yogurt. In China, a popular option is Smashed Cucumber Salad, known for its distinctive flavor and widely enjoyed throughout Sichuan and the rest of the country.
Authentic Recipe
This is an authentic Thai-style cucumber salad recipe, developed by Rasa Malaysia—yours truly. It’s easy to make, deliciously spicy, and topped with peanuts, with a dressing that’s perfectly sweet, sour, and savory.
The good thing about this recipe is that I don’t even have to cook. It’s so easy to make since I just have to marinate the cucumber and make the salad dressing. Combine both of them together and it is ready to serve!
Make this delicious side dish today to pair with your favorite Thai recipes such as Pad See Ew.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Here are just a few reasons why this recipe works:
- Authentic Flavors: It captures the perfect balance of sweet, sour, and spicy Thai flavors.
- Quick and Simple: The recipe is easy to follow and comes together quickly.
- Crisp and Refreshing: The cucumbers stay crunchy and fresh, making every bite delightful.
- Versatile: It pairs well with a variety of Thai dishes and can be customized to your taste.
- Healthy and Delicious: It’s a nutritious option that’s both satisfying and tasty.
Best cucumber salad I’ve ever had! Prepared it exactly according to recipe— thought it would be too sweet but it wasn’t. Making it again (for the third time this week!) and not changing a thing. Salting the cucumber first, as the recipe says, is an important step. Drain the salt water (don’t rinse it off). Excellent recipe, thanks! – Andy
Ingredients
- Cucumber – peel the skin off the cucumber. You may scrap off the seeds if you like.
- Red onion – adds a nice kick and some crunch to the salad.
- Cilantro – gives a fresh, zesty flavor and a pop of green that makes the salad taste and look great.
- Roasted peanuts – adds a satisfying crunch and a nutty flavor.
- Salt – helps get rid of extra water from the cucumbers to keep them crisp.
Ingredients for Dressing
- Thai sweet chili sauce – gives the dressing that sweet and spicy Thai flavor.
- Apple cider vinegar or vinegar – adds a tangy punch that balances out the sweetness.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Thai Cucumber Salad
Step 1: Add salt to the cucumbers, mix well, and set aside in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
Step 2: In the meantime, make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Turn on the heat and reduce the dressing a bit until it is slightly thickened. Let cool.
Step 3: Drain the salt water from the cucumbers completely. Toss the cucumbers and onions, and mix with the dressing. Top with peanuts, cilantro, and serve immediately.
Helpful Tips For Home Cooks
Just follow my pro tips below for kitchen success:
- Use Fresh Cucumbers: Go for firm, crisp cucumbers for the best crunch.
- Bite-sized pieces: Cut the cucumber into bite-sized chunks instead of thin slices. This gives you a satisfying crunch and texture.
- Lightly Salt and Chill: Salt the cucumbers and let them sit in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. This helps draw out excess water. Make sure to drain off the salt water before mixing with the dressing.
- Adjust Spice: Taste the dressing and tweak the sugar and vinegar to match your spice level.
- Add Toppings Last: Sprinkle on peanuts and cilantro just before serving to keep them crunchy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this Thai salad is extremely healthy with plenty of nutrients from the cucumber.
The best part of this recipe is that it is indeed vegan and vegetarian.
It’s not recommended to use frozen cucumbers as they tend to become mushy when thawed, which can affect the texture of the salad.
Yes, you can prepare the salad ahead of time. However, it’s best to add the dressing just before serving to keep the cucumbers crisp and prevent them from getting soggy.
This salad can be stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Keep it in an airtight container for the best freshness.
This recipe is only 139 calories per serving.
What To Serve With This Recipe
This meal is best served as a side dish. For a wholesome Thai meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Recipes You Might Like
Thai Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb (500g) cucumber, peeled and cut into pieces, you may scrap the seeds if you like
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 small red onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 4 tablespoons Thai sweet chili sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Add salt to the cucumbers, mix well, and set aside in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
- In the meantime, make the Dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Turn on the heat and reduce the dressing a bit until it is slightly thickened. Let cool.
- Drain the salt water from the cucumbers completely. Toss the cucumbers and onions, and mix with the dressing. Top with peanuts, cilantro, and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Use Fresh Cucumbers: Go for firm, crisp cucumbers for the best crunch.
- Bite-sized pieces: Cut the cucumber into bite-sized chunks instead of thin slices. This gives you a satisfying crunch and texture.
- Lightly Salt and Chill: Salt the cucumbers and let them sit in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. This helps draw out excess water. Make sure to drain off the salt water before mixing with the dressing.
- Adjust Spice: Taste the dressing and tweak the sugar and vinegar to match your spice level.
- Add Toppings Last: Sprinkle on peanuts and cilantro just before serving to keep them crunchy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The recipe is where the red color bar “CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE” is.
Absolutely delicious!! I made this exactly as written and will definitely be making again soon. Thank you.
Just by looking at the dressing ingredients I realized that it would be way too sweet. I cut the sugar in half and added 2 tsp of rice vinegar in addition to the apple cider vinegar which brought it into more of a balance between sweet and sour. I would recommend starting with 1 TBSP of sugar to start – you can always add more later if you like it very sweet. Otherwise, a great Summer salad!
Thai food is generally sweet. This cucumber salad is more sweet than sour. But I am glad that you modified it to suit your taste. :)
Use Xylitol instead of sugar.
Kay – Thai food uses a load of sugar and yes, sugar makes everything better. ;)
Made this tonight, so wonderful!
Thanks Lisa for trying my Thai cucumber salad recipe. :)
Love, Love this recipe!!! I made a large batch to take to work for lunch to have this week!! The taste is incredible, and i find i am am craving it, and sneaking more in the afternoon!!! Also, great inside pita for a sandwich, as i tried that today!!
The Thai flavor is so amazing….Great for anyone who loves Thai food, or basically who loves just flavorful food!
Bee..you are amazing…keep these coming!!!
Absolutely love this salad!!! I made a large batch, since cucumbers are out right now, and have been eating it all week for lunch at work!!! It’s also delicious inside pita bread, as i had that today for my lunch!!!
I recommend this to anyone who likes Thai food, or any food that has flavor!!
Thank you for this and for all the amazing recipes!!!
This looks awesome!
I always think cucumbers are not given enough credit. It’s such a refreshing fruit or is it vegetable? I love Thai food and I love salad. Now we have both! Thanks for sharing.