This cucumber salad is fresh and light, with crisp cucumbers and red onion in a tangy vinegar dressing. It comes together in just 15 minutes with 5 ingredients, no cooking required.
Cucumber Salad is the Easiest Side You’ll Bring to Every Cookout
This cucumber salad is one of my favorite easy side dishes to serve alongside our go-to grilling recipes. It’s the perfect no-fuss addition to any summer BBQ, pairing beautifully with savory mains like Grilled Chicken Thighs and Grilled Pork Chops.
What makes this salad so good is the light, tangy dressing tossed with crisp cucumbers, sharp red onion, and fresh dill. I love this combination so much I’ve made two delicious variations: try my Cucumber Tomato Salad and Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad next!
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need just a few ingredients to make this recipe:
- English Cucumbers: I like to use English cucumbers in this salad because they have a sweeter, less bitter flavor and their thin skin doesn’t require peeling. Persian cucumbers also work well, but you’ll need more of them since they are smaller.
- Red Onion: The sharp flavor is the perfect contrast to the cool, refreshing cucumbers. Be sure to slice the onion thinly so that it doesn’t overpower the salad.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Brings bright, tangy flavor to the cucumber salad dressing.
- Honey: Brings sweetness to the dressing. You can substitute granulated sugar if desired.
- Salt & Pepper: Use fine sea salt or kosher salt and season to taste.
- Fresh Dill: The finishing touch that brightens up the salad! Its light, grassy flavor pairs so well with cucumber.
How to Make Cucumber Salad
Combine cucumber and red onion: Thinly slice the cucumbers. Place them in a large bowl, along with the sliced red onion.
Add the dressing and dill: Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, honey, salt and pepper until well combined. Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and onions in the bowl and toss to combine. Add the chopped fresh dill and mix.
Tips for The Best Cucumber Salad
- Use English cucumbers, also known as hothouse or seedless cucumbers. The thin skin doesn’t require peeling and the seeds are very small and not bitter, so you don’t need to remove them.
- Thinly slice the cucumber and onion. If you have a mandoline, it makes it easy to get even, thin slices of cucumber. If not, a knife works fine, too.
- To mellow the sharp bite of the onion, you can soak the sliced onion in a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes, then pat it dry before adding it to the salad.
- Serve it right away, or chill the salad in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours and then serve. Serving the salad right after making it ensures that it will taste fresh, with crispy, crunchy (not soggy) cucumbers.
More Easy Salad Recipes
Here are a few more salad recipes I think you’ll love!
- Greek Salad: With cucumber, tomato, kalamata olives and feta cheese in a zesty Greek dressing.
- Caprese Salad: The best way to enjoy ripe summer tomatoes!
- Broccoli Salad: It’s fresh and creamy with crispy bacon, sunflower seeds and sweet cranberries.
- Italian Salad: This green salad goes with almost any meal.
- Fruit Salad: A favorite for summer!
Made this recipe? I’d truly appreciate if you leave a comment and star rating below! Your review will help others who want to try this recipe. Thank you! 💛
Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers
- ½ small red onion, thinly sliced, about ½ cup
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt or coarse kosher salt*, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Thinly slice the cucumbers and place them in a large bowl. (You do not need to peel or seed them.)2 English cucumbers
- Add the sliced red onion to the bowl with the cucumbers.½ small red onion
- In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar, honey, salt and pepper until well combined.¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt or coarse kosher salt*, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and onions in the bowl. Toss to combine.
- Add the chopped fresh dill and toss to mix. Serve immediately, for best results.1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
Notes
- Salt: If using regular table salt, start with half of this amount of salt and then adjust as needed, to taste.
- Make Ahead: This salad is best served right after making it, but it can be made up to 2 hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator until serving. As they sit in the dressing, the cucumbers will lose some of their firmness, but they will also absorb more flavor from the dressing.
- Make Ahead Tip: To prevent a soggy salad if you plan to serve it later, you can drain some water out of the cucumbers before preparing the recipe. To do this, place the sliced cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle them with up to 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir and then place the colander over a bowl. Let the cucumbers sit for about 30 minutes to let the excess moisture drain out. Since you salted the cucumbers, reduce the salt in the dressing and then season the salad with salt to taste.
- Storing Leftovers: Leftover cucumber salad will still be good after storing in the fridge for a day, but it will be more watery and less crisp since the cucumbers will lose some of their water over time.
I originally shared this recipe in April 2022. Post updated May 2026 with new photos and more helpful tips.
This salad is so refreshing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!