Thai cucumber salad uses unripe cucumbers specifically—ripe ones get mushy and lose their signature crunch in 15 minutes.
Chicken and Cucumber Salad
Dive into this vibrant Chicken and Cucumber Salad, where tender shredded chicken meets crunchy cucumbers for the perfect bite! Tossed in a zesty peanut sauce that adds a delightful nutty kick, this dish is not only refreshing but also bursting with flavor. Perfect for a light lunch or a zesty side, you'll love how simple and satisfying it is!
Prep
15
min
Cook
0
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 3 cucumber chopped
- juice from 1/2 lime
- 3-4 spring onions chopped plus extra to serve
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 1 chicken breast shredded
🫙Pantry Staples(5)
- 1 tbsp chili crisp oil (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp honey (15 ml)
- 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (56.8 g)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (15 ml)
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil (10 ml)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (15 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds plus extra to serve (30 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Chop cucumbers and pat dry with a napkin.
- 2
Make sauce, combine all ingredients.
- 3
Make salad, combine chicken, cucumbers and spring onions and coat well with sauce.
- 4
Top with extra chili oil, sesame seeds and spring onions.
- 5
Best served immediately.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Salt chopped cucumbers for 15-20 minutes then squeeze in a clean kitchen towel to extract moisture - this removes up to 30% of water content and prevents the salad from becoming watery.technique15-20 minutes, 30% water reduction
- ✓Chill your cooked chicken to 40°F or below before combining with cucumbers because warm chicken will wilt the vegetables and cause faster spoilage.timing40°F
- ✓Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes until golden - this activates oils and increases nutty flavor compounds by 200-300%.technique2-3 minutes, 200-300% flavor increase
- ✓Add sauce to chicken first, then cucumbers last to prevent over-marinating the vegetables which can make them mushy within 30 minutes.timing30 minutes
- ✓Use a 3:1 ratio of neutral oil to sesame oil in your dressing because pure sesame oil is too intense and can overpower the fresh cucumber flavor.ingredient3:1 ratio
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
0
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Thai cucumber salad uses unripe cucumbers specifically—ripe ones get mushy and lose their signature crunch in 15 minutes.
Chicken and Cucumber Salad
Dive into this vibrant Chicken and Cucumber Salad, where tender shredded chicken meets crunchy cucumbers for the perfect bite! Tossed in a zesty peanut sauce that adds a delightful nutty kick, this dish is not only refreshing but also bursting with flavor. Perfect for a light lunch or a zesty side, you'll love how simple and satisfying it is!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- 3 cucumber chopped
- juice from 1/2 lime
- 3-4 spring onions chopped plus extra to serve
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 1 chicken breast shredded
🫙Pantry Staples(5)
- 1 tbsp chili crisp oil (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp honey (15 ml)
- 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (56.8 g)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (15 ml)
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil (10 ml)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (15 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds plus extra to serve (30 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Chop cucumbers and pat dry with a napkin.
- 2
Make sauce, combine all ingredients.
- 3
Make salad, combine chicken, cucumbers and spring onions and coat well with sauce.
- 4
Top with extra chili oil, sesame seeds and spring onions.
- 5
Best served immediately.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Salt chopped cucumbers for 15-20 minutes then squeeze in a clean kitchen towel to extract moisture - this removes up to 30% of water content and prevents the salad from becoming watery.technique15-20 minutes, 30% water reduction
- ✓Chill your cooked chicken to 40°F or below before combining with cucumbers because warm chicken will wilt the vegetables and cause faster spoilage.timing40°F
- ✓Toast sesame seeds in a dry pan for 2-3 minutes until golden - this activates oils and increases nutty flavor compounds by 200-300%.technique2-3 minutes, 200-300% flavor increase
- ✓Add sauce to chicken first, then cucumbers last to prevent over-marinating the vegetables which can make them mushy within 30 minutes.timing30 minutes
- ✓Use a 3:1 ratio of neutral oil to sesame oil in your dressing because pure sesame oil is too intense and can overpower the fresh cucumber flavor.ingredient3:1 ratio