Thai-Inspired: Spicy Peanut Cucumber Salad

Crunchy cucumber salad with creamy peanut dressing, fresh lime, chili flakes, and cilantro. A short, Thai-inspired side dish that’s light, spicy, and steady for summer!

If you’ve got a pile of cucumbers to use up this summer (or anytime, really), this spicy peanut cucumber salad is your answer. It’s got a Thai-inspired twist with a nutty, creamy peanut dressing that clings to those crisp slices.

Honestly, we never would’ve thought to pair cucumbers and peanuts until we dug up some old Thai recipes we'd saved years ago. Curiosity won out, and now it’s one of our favorite ways to skip the lettuce and make something totally different.

It’s got a gentle kick from chili flakes, just enough to wake up your taste buds without setting your mouth on fire. If you enjoy Korean heat, check out our Korean spicy cucumber salad to put all those cukes to work.

Ingredients & Flavor Tips

This direct salad comes together with unfussy ingredients you can find anywhere. Here’s what you’ll need and some short notes.

• Cucumber: Any cucumber works here. We usually grab English or Korean cucumbers because they’re extra crisp, but even regular slicing cucumbers are fine. If the skin feels tough, just peel a few strips.
• Dressing essentials: We like using crunchy peanut butter for a little texture, but creamy works too. Soy sauce, rice vinegar, fresh lime, garlic, chili flakes (or gochugaru for a bit more color), and a sprinkle of sesame seeds bring it all together.
• Fresh touches: Don’t skip the chopped peanuts and cilantro on top. They add so much nutty crunch and bright, herbal flavor. That’s what makes this salad pop.

Direct Steps for Peanut Cucumber Salad

These photos are here to give you a handy visual guide. For exact measurements and detailed steps, head to the full recipe card at the bottom of the post.

This couldn’t be easier. Just add all the dressing ingredients to a jar, screw on the lid, and shake it like crazy. You want that peanut butter to break up and blend into a smooth, creamy dressing. Pour over your cucumbers, toss with peanuts and cilantro, and that’s it. Fresh, unfussy, and totally addictive.

We served this Thai cucumber salad alongside a rich basil beef stir-fry and it made such a great dinner combo. Hope you give it a try and love it as much as we did!

• Yield: 3 people
• Prep: 7 minutes
• Total: 7 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 (about 300 g) English cucumber, or other cucumber of your choice
• 4 tbsp (30 g) roasted peanuts, chopped
• 3 tbsp (10 g) chopped cilantro

Peanut butter salad dressing

• 1 heaping tbsp (20 g) peanut butter, creamy or crunchy
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) rice vinegar, or other mild vinegar
• 1 ½ tbsp (22 ml) honey
• 1 tsp (5 g) minced garlic
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp (2 g) chili flakes, or 2 tsp Korean gochugaru
• 1 tbsp (9 g) toasted sesame seeds
• pinches salt

Method

1. Wash and dry the cucumbers. Slice them into thin rounds and place them in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, garlic, lime juice, chili flakes, sesame seeds, and salt. Screw on the lid and shake vigorously until the dressing is smooth and creamy.
3. Pour the dressing over the sliced cucumbers. Add most of the chopped peanuts and cilantro, reserving a little for garnish. Gently toss everything together until the cucumbers are well coated.
4. Transfer the salad to a serving plate or bowl. Sprinkle the remaining chopped peanuts and cilantro on top. Serve immediately for the best crunch, or chill in the fridge for 10–15 minutes.