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Whenever someone asks me to bring a side dish, this creamy cucumber salad is what I make. I can have it ready in about 10 minutes, and I’m usually throwing it together right before I walk out the door. It’s become my default carry-to-a-cookout dish because it takes almost no effort, it looks great in a bowl, and it has never come home with any leftovers.
Most people go too heavy on the dill and end up with something that tastes like an herb salad. I keep it to 1 tablespoon so the dressing does the talking. Slicing the cucumbers and onion thin matters too. I go about ⅛-inch on both so every piece gets coated evenly and the onion doesn’t hit too hard in any single bite.
If you’re bringing this somewhere, keep the sliced vegetables and the dressing in separate containers and combine on-site. Let it rest about 15 minutes before serving. I’ll walk through this in the make-ahead section below.
If you love easy side dishes, my other version of Cucumber Salad is a great vinaigrette-style option that comes together in minutes too. And if you’re putting together a full summer spread, my Corn Salad belongs right next to this one on the table.
Key Ingredients
- English cucumbers: These are the cucumbers to use here. The skin is thin so no peeling is needed, they’re seedless, and they go by a few names at the grocery store: hothouse, greenhouse, or seedless cucumbers. If you can only find standard American cucumbers, peel them first because the waxy skin doesn’t soften in the dressing.
- Full-fat sour cream: This is the base of the dressing. Full-fat sour cream is thicker and clings to each cucumber slice better than reduced-fat versions, which water down the dressing before the cucumbers even have a chance to release their own moisture. Don’t swap this out if you want the creamiest result.
- Fresh dill: Used here to support the dressing, not lead it. Most creamy cucumber salads lean heavily on dill and end up tasting more like an herb dish than a cucumber salad. Keeping it to 1 tablespoon means the dressing leads and the dill adds flavor without taking over.
- Red onion: Sliced to ⅛-inch, same as the cucumbers, so it contributes flavor without overpowering any single bite. The ¼ cup amount is also deliberate. More than that tips the balance away from the dressing.
- White vinegar: Adds the tang that keeps the dressing from tasting flat. You can swap it for fresh lemon juice in the same amount and get a slightly brighter, more citrus-forward flavor. That’s a tested swap that works well.
How to Make Creamy Cucumber Salad
Step 1: Slice the vegetables. Slice the cucumbers to ⅛-inch thickness and cut the red onion the same way. Add both to a large bowl. The thickness matters more than you’d expect, so take your time here. A mandoline makes it easy if you have one.
Step 2: Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill, 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Whisk until smooth and fully combined with no streaks.
Step 3: Fold to coat. Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and onion and gently fold everything together until all the slices are well coated. I use a large spoon and fold rather than toss. This keeps the cucumbers from breaking and makes sure every piece gets covered.
Step 4: Serve right away. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately. The cucumbers start releasing moisture as soon as they’re dressed, so this one is at its best fresh.
Substitutions and Variations
- Lemon juice for white vinegar. Use 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice in place of the white vinegar. The flavor is slightly brighter and more citrus-forward. This is a tested swap that works well in this dressing.
- Greek yogurt for sour cream. Use the same amount, ½ cup. The dressing will be slightly thinner and tangier than the sour cream version. Full-fat Greek yogurt will get you closer to the original result than low-fat.
- Standard cucumbers for English. Peel them first. The thick, waxy skin on a standard American cucumber doesn’t soften in the dressing. Once peeled, they work fine.
Make-Ahead and Serving
This creamy cucumber salad is best served immediately after mixing. The cucumbers release moisture as they sit with the dressing, which gradually thins it out. That’s the nature of cucumbers, not a flaw in the recipe.
If you’re bringing this to a barbecue or potluck, store the sliced cucumbers and onion in one airtight container and the dressing in a separate container. Combine them when you get there, give the salad about 15 minutes to rest before serving, and you’re in good shape. That short rest lets the flavors come together before the cucumbers have a chance to water things down.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The dressing will loosen as it sits. Stir well before serving again.
This salad does not freeze. Cucumbers lose their texture in the freezer and turn mushy when thawed.
More Salad Recipes You’ll Love
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 2 English cucumbers approximately 1-1¼ pounds, sliced ⅛-inch thick
- ¼ cup sliced red onion ⅛-inch thick, from about a quarter of a medium onion
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
- 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add the sliced cucumbers and red onions to a large bowl.2 English cucumbers , ¼ cup sliced red onion
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, white vinegar, fresh dill, granulated sugar, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper until smooth and evenly combined.½ cup sour cream , 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill, 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- Pour the dressing over the vegetables and gently fold together to combine until all the cucumbers and onions are well coated.
- Transfer to a decorative bowl for serving.
Jenn’s Notes
- Slice the cucumbers and onion very thin. This helps every slice get coated in dressing and keeps the onion flavor from overpowering each bite. A mandoline works best, but a sharp knife will do the job too.
- Use full fat sour cream for the creamiest dressing. Lower fat versions are thinner and can become watery once the cucumbers release their moisture.
- Serve this salad soon after mixing for the best texture. If you need to make it ahead, follow the storage tips below to keep the dressing from getting watery.
