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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.
If there are leftovers of this salad, can they be used the next day, or is it better to prepare it fresh every time. Thank you.
Thanks, Jessie.
Soooo delicious! Easy and affordable also. I will be taking this recipe to dinner parties as a side dish. I use cucumbers from the Farmers Market and the outcome is divine.
Awesome.
Sounds delicious I’m going to make this
Thanks. I’ve gotten three recipes copied. Shrimp boil. Tai cucumber salad and watermelon tequila summertime drink. I m making it today and will text you with the results. I’m so excited.
Hi Linda, yes please I want to know how they go. I bet you will love all of them. Happy Labor Day!
Will try it., but Thai Cucumber salad without spice?
We have always loved cucumber in our salads but this recipe certainly takes it to a wonderfully different level. Thank you Bee.
Thanks Duncan and Galina. :)
Your recipes are out standing I love them do you happen to have a book out I could buy so I always have them to hand ??Kind regards Dougie
Hi Dougie, yes I have two books, one is called Easy Chinese Recipes and you can find it on Amazon. My ebook is here: https://rasamalaysia.com/easy-asian-takeout/
A simple cucumber recipe: but it’s wonderful.
I love it.
It’s probably the most repeated recipe I use.
Thank you.
Hi, is this page broken? Some of the images and links don’t seem to be loading properly, so I’m not able to access the recipe. Thanks!
It’s fixed.
I’ like to have Thai cucumber salad as my side dish when I make Trader Joe’s General Taos Chicken with jasmine rice, delicious dinner
Awesome, sounds delicious.
Delicious salad with wonder flavors! Our family is peanut allergic so I substituted pepitas (small pumpkin seeds) for the peanuts to get the crunch and saltiness. Very easy to make with flavorful results! Thank you!!