Cold Cucumber Chicken Salad

Some things just say summer, and this cucumber chicken salad is one of them. You can serve it on croissants, crackers, or (my favorite!) make a cold plate with some cubed cheese and fresh fruit.

If you’re growing cucumbers at home, this is just one of many recipes to enjoy your cuke harvest.

Cucumber Chicken Salad

A classic and refreshing dish, this chicken salad adds plenty of fresh veggies for flavor and crunch. Tossed in a light and tangy dressing, this salad is perfect for a quick lunch or a healthy dinner.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Chilling time:30 minutes mins

Total Time:40 minutes mins

Ingredients

For the Dressing:

• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the Salad:

• 2 cups cooked chicken breast (shredded or cubed)
• 1 whole large cucumber (diced)
• ½ cup red bell pepper (finely diced)
• ¼ cup red onion (finely diced)

Instructions

• Make the dressing.  In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, white wine vinegar, garlic, salt, and black pepper until it's smooth.
  
• Combine the ingredients.  Add the cooked chicken to a large mixing bowl and pour the dressing over it. Then, gently fold the diced cucumber, red bell pepper, and red onion until evenly coated.
  
• Chill.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together.
  
• Garnish and serve.  If you like, you can add some fresh herbs like parsley or dill, or put a lemon wedge on the side. It's good with a croissant, on top of lettuce, or just by itself.
  

Notes

If cucumbers aren’t firm, your salad won’t be crispy.  Choose cucumbers that are solid with smooth skins.  If you’re picking your own, make sure they’re still crunchy.  Peeling them is an option if the skin feels rough.

After letting the salad cool in the fridge, taste it.  The flavors might have softened, so you might need to add more salt, pepper, or a dash of lemon juice before serving it to make it taste better.

This salad works well with a lot of different additions.  To enhance its taste, you can mix in things like avocado, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, or fresh herbs like parsley, dill, or cilantro.  Just keep the flavors balanced—if you add something salty like feta cheese, you might need to tweak the seasoning a bit.

For extra texture, throw in some toasted almonds, sunflower seeds, or chopped pecans.  It gives a nice crunch that complements the creamy dressing well.

Nutrition

Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 165mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 417IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 275kcal

Author: Katie

The fresh cucumbers mixed with soft chicken and the creamy, slightly garlicky dressing is just too good. It’s hardly in the fridge before everyone starts to scoop some out.

This is one of our favorite summer dishes. It’s easy (wonderful) and keeps your kitchen cool (even better.)

Key Ingredients and Tools

White wine vinegar: This adds a tangy kick to the dressing. If you don’t have it, you can substitute apple cider vinegar or lemon juice for a similar acidity.

Mayonnaise: It’s the base of the dressing and gives the salad its creamy texture. For a lighter and healthier option, you can swap some of the mayo for Greek yogurt without sacrificing creaminess.

Fresh cucumbers: The crunch from fresh cucumbers is key to making this salad refreshing. You can find them in the produce section, and English or Persian cucumbers work especially well if you like fewer seeds. If you’re a fan of cucumber-based dishes, you’ll want to try my cucumber and onion salad. It’s a simple side perfect for summer meals and pairs well with just about anything.

Red bell pepper: This adds sweetness and crunch to the salad. Look for firm, brightly colored peppers in the produce section, or swap them with yellow or orange bell peppers if preferred.

Rotisserie chicken: If you’re pressed for time, a store-bought rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut. It’s flavorful and saves you the step of cooking the chicken yourself.

Garlic press: A handy tool for mincing garlic quickly and evenly, which helps blend it better into the dressing. Finely chop the garlic with a knife if you don’t have one.

 DOWAN Mixing Bowls, Ceramic Mixing Bowls for Kitchen, Colorful Vibrant Nesting Bowls for Cooking, Baking, Prepping, Serving, Salad, Housewarming Gift, Microwave Dishwasher Safe, 3.7/2/1 Qt, Set of 3 Global 8 KitchenAid Classic Rubberwood Cutting Board with Perimeter Trench, Reversible Chopping Board, 8-inch x 10-Inch, Natural

Troubleshooting and Help

This is great for lunch, dinner, or meal prep for a busy week. You can tweak it with whatever extras you like, making it the right choice when you want something easy but fulfilling.