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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.
I make this once a week and never get sick of it!! Simply delish!! Thank you for sharing this and also your other recipes…I’m a fan!!
Thank you for your kind words. Happy cooking!
I also tried it with using 2 tbsp. of Thai sweet chili sauce and 2 tbsp. chili garlic sauce (I ran out of the sweet chili LOL) and it was really good, even a bit more kick. I didn’t note it in my first comment but to make a bit more keto friendly, I also use Truvia (sugar substitute) as the Thai sauce has enough sweetness and my diabetic BF could not tell the difference whatsoever!!
I make a lot of your recipes and many are so delicious! I made this Thai cucumber salad the other night. I found the dressing way too sweet what with the sugar and Thai sweet chile sauce. I will try it again without the sugar.
We love cucumber salads, and this was no exception! I’ve never made it before with the sweet chili sauce, but this will probably be my go-to from now on! Loved the flavors and the crunch from the peanuts. Thanks for sharing – it’s definitely a keeper!
Thank you for your comment, JostLori. Very glad that you like the recipe.
Do you have any Asian salad recipes that incorporate ginger? (whether fresh minced or paste). I ate someone’s Asian salad and they had used peanuts, and ginger. I forgot the rest of the ingredients, as it was about 2 yrs ago when all employees brought in a dish one day because we were in our very busy seasonal ‘peak week’.
This is AMAZING!! Super simple and delicious. Double bonus, it’s healthy, too!
Lately, this has been my go-to for potlucks and there’s never any left, even after doubling or tripling the recipe! It’s really great to bring a shared dish that my vegan and vegetarians can also enjoy.
I followed the recipe exactly except once when I didn’t have apple cider vinegar. I used rice vinegar instead and it worked beautifully. Both have that nice vinegar “tang.”
Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
Awesome!
This was delicious. Thank you.
:)
Fantastic! Who would think cucumber salad could be so good, but it is! We loved this recipe a whole lot. Thank you, Bee, for sharing.
Excellent, light, delicious salad!
:)
Do you peel the cucumber?
I did, but you don’t have to.
Gorgeous salad! I made it last weekend for my friends and this was the first time someone took the recipe sheet home with them! We’re going to have it again this weekend! Thank you for sharing it with us!
:)