Chicken Cucumber Salad is a quick and easy recipe! It will will make lovers of chicken salad and fans of cucumber recipes delight and make you feel good from the inside out!
Raw grated cucumber, shredded rotisserie chicken, capers, toasted flaked almonds and a balsamic roasted garlic dressing, this healthy recipe is that simple!
We use the same technique for this salad as we do in our Watermelon Cucumber Salad recipe. That is using a grater to make ribbons with our cucumber.
Chicken Cucumber Salad is for dinner tonight!
My friends, what I am bringing you today is one of the easiest, fastest, most tasty chicken salads, you will ever make!! Some nights you need a quick go-to salad that tastes amazing but tastes no time at all to prepare and THIS IS IT!!
If the thought of a delicious chicken salad appeals to you but you think it will take too long to make on work night, then never fear, you will have this one on the table in less than 15 minutes. It is actually more like 10 minutes, but I am saying 15 in case you need to feed your furry friend at the same time.
Rotisserie Chicken is so versatile and saves time and effort when you don't have time to make a roast chicken
Save the labour intensive cooking and long baking meals for the weekend and put this salad on your meal plan for the weeknights.
How to make Chicken Cucumber Salad?
In Australia we call a roast chicken from the grocery store a 'BBQ Chicken'. A few of our chains of supermarket sell them, hot, fresh and ready to go. I remember coming back from the airport late one night dying for a home cooked meal but bleary eyed didn't have the energy needed to make one. We grabbed a roast chicken from the store, also some coleslaw and mayonnaise and it was the next best thing to home cooked.
In the states, they are called 'Rotisserie Chicken' . You can take the skin off if you prefer (but it tastes amazing if you don't) and shred the chicken easily making a variety of meals.
One whole chicken easily feeds 4 adults and if you have little ones, you can also break some off for them.
When you are short on time, low on energy, but want a home cooked style meal, grab a rotisserie chicken, there are so many things you can do with it!
How to prepare cucumber for salad?
I LOVE cucumbers! They are so good for you as well! They have a high water content in them and can be prepared in many ways. For this salad, you will grate them into long thin strips. This allows for a pretty appearance to the salad and takes away any 'ugh, I'm eating salad!' feelings.
Lettuce salads definitely have their place and here is my Crispy Chicken BLT Salad recipe that uses lettuce as a primary ingredient. But I find it so enjoyable to brainstorm ideas for salads where you can spice it up a bit and add variety to your dishes.
Long gone are the days when wilted lettuce garden salads are the only type you can have!
We are only using 5 ingredients to bring this salad together and the cucumber is absolutely the star of the dish! I admit that whilst I probably should, I don't even normally rinse my cucumbers before using them (they always look good to go!). But if you want to give them a quick rinse then they are ready to prepare.
It helps if you have a good quality grater and you start from one end and grate rotating the cucumber in your hand when you get to the core.
You can use the cucumber core for other recipes or cut the seed part as well into coin size pieces and throw them in (I had another recipe in mind for the core of the cucumber so put them in the fridge for another occasion).
One thing to keep in mind is that you don't want your salad to get too soggy. So if you are making this for work lunches, I recommend leaving the core out and using the grated cucumber only. This will mean that you can make the salad, take the dressing on the side, toss and dress at your desk or lunch room and the freshness of the salad will be maintained.
Can I make this Chicken Cucumber Salad vegan?
If you like the idea of this salad, but are vegetarian or vegan, the option for you is to start by making the skeleton of the salad in the same way. So you have your grated cucumber, then you can add a mock meat or other roasted vegetables (am thinking sweet potato), top with the capers, toasted flaked almonds and dress. That way you are getting a salad with a similar taste but maintaining your lifestyle choices where you wish.
Salad for you, salad for me
If you follow my blog (thank-you :P), you will know that I LOVE making bright and colourful salads! There are many to choose from and ones to suit all occasions.
Some of my favourites are:
- Vegan Schnitzel Salad (recipe is here)
- Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad (recipe is here)
- Black Bean Quinoa Salad (recipe is here)
- Shredded Brussels Sprout Quinoa Salad (recipe is here)
Quick salads, easy salads, warm salads, vegetarian or vegan salads, I have you covered!
About the recipe:
- The chicken can be served hot or cold
- The recipe only has 5 ingredients!
- This dish will take less than 15 minutes to make
- This is a perfect week night salad
- We use rotisserie chicken for this salad
To answer your questions:
- The salad is not suitable to freeze
- You can toast the almonds in the microwave, or stove top
- For a vegetarian option substitute sweet potato for the chicken
- This is a SUPER EASY salad to make
This is a perfect salad to meal prep! Save the core of the cucumber for another dish, so your salad won't get soggy!
Quick and easy recipes
I find therapy in this dish as IT IS SO DARN QUICK AND EASY!!! On week nights when you come in the door from work and you have mouths to feed and you might be a little tired, this is PERFECT! I love that you get such a healthy style recipe on your table in under 15 minutes and that it tastes amazing. I also love that you don't have to go through the drive through to achieve that!
You can shred the chicken using 2 forks, when you purchase it and then use portions of that shredded chicken meat, throughout the week to save time and energy!
There is a time and a place for every dish and this chicken cucumber salad's place is when you don't have time but you still want to be mindful of what you are eating!
Chicken Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
Chicken Cucumber Salad Recipe
- 2 cups shredded chicken meat
- 6 lebanese cucumbers
- 1 cup flaked almonds
- ½ cup capers
- ⅓ cup balsamic roasted dressing store bought
Instructions
Chicken Cucumber Salad Method
- Rinse cucumbers and grate into long strips
- Top with shredded chicken
- Toast flaked almonds in a pan on the stove for 2-3 minutes (or until lightly golden brown)
- Sprinkle capers over chicken
- Top with toasted nuts
- Dress with balsamic style dressing
Video
Notes
- If you shred your chicken into containers on the weekend, this salad will take even less time to make, as you can simply add that already prepped ingredient to your dish
- You can leave the skin on or take it off
- I like to reheat the chicken in the microwave for 2 minutes so that it is a warm salad
- You can use any flavour you like for the dressing
- I use a balsamic roasted garlic dressing as it is quick and easy, plus it a nice change from your traditional French or Italian style salad dressing
- The dressing I use is a combination of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and roasted garlic
- You could use continental cucumbers in this recipe, however they are much longer so you won't have the same visual appeal of the dish. They are cheaper though and taste much the same (I use Lebanese cucumbers which are a lighter shade of green and about ⅓ of the length).
Nutrition
A little bit more about me
The time has come and it is less than 48 hours till I jet off to America! I can't wait!
An adventure is coming!
There are so many interesting and exciting things I want to see and do throughout America and Canada and I look forward to checking out the fresh produce in the stores! Keen to see how it differs from Australian foods.
Hello and welcome if you are new to the blog, thank-you if you have been here before, take care of yourselves and enjoy this dish!
Some of my favourite recipes I would love you to try are:
- Orange Cacao Bliss Balls (recipe is here)
- Garlic Mushrooms (recipe is here)
- Tofu Pad Thai (recipe is here)
Or for all my dinner ideas, you can find them here:
Adrianne xx
P.S Tonks is keeping well. Here is a photo of him helping me pack for the trip! (In the right corner, nope he is not the stuffed wombat front and centre). That singlet I am wearing is for the yoga studio I go to, I reached 500 classes so I got a few presents 🙂
If you would like further salad inspiration, have a look at these recipes:
Salad Recipes
-
Burrata Salad
February 22, 2021 -
Caprese Salad (with 6 simple ingredients!)
January 9, 2021 -
Panzanella Salad (Everything you need to know)
January 7, 2021 -
Roast Chicken Salad
October 5, 2020
You had me at Rotisserie Chicken!! Such a perfect recipe that is quick to make and healthy. I love the addition of almond flakes for the extra crunch too!
Thanks Sylvie!! Yes, they are such a small ingredient, but they are so packed with texture and flavour! Cheers
Very tasty and healthy salad and so easy to make! I love chicken but I love that you've given a vegan option too! For some people I'm entertaining this week, this would be the perfect salad to serve!
Awesome, great feedback, thanks Saima, appreciate that!!
Looks so delicious and healthy! Perfect for a balanced dinner!
Thanks Natalie, I agree!
Delicious! Fresh, tasty, healthy and easy - perfect combination! Love the colours. Beautiful presentation. Bet you're excited for your trip!
Thanks Alex. Great feedback. Very much so. It is only a matter of hours now!! Cheers
Love the colors and such a great salad for spring!
Thanks Matt! That is what I was thinking too. Cheers
I'be always preferred some tasty salads on lazy week nights! Surely trying my hands on this one.
Thanks Lola! Hope you LOVE it. Cheers
Such a lovely and fresh salad. Love the cucumber ribbons instead of slices. Delicious, light and quick supper. Love it!
Absolutely Jo!! You and I are on the same page.
Love the style used in chopping the Cucumber. This Salad is healthy and a total filler too. I am glad I have an other recipe to try this weekend.
Awesome, great feedback Veena. Hope you love it!
This is a great looking Chicken Salad. I am always a fan of a good, easy lunch and this looks right up my alley. Thanks for sharing.
No worries Ben. Hope you give it a go! Cheers
This looks delicious. I love anything with cucumber. And the capers sound like the perfect flavor booster for the more mild chicken and cucumber!! Can't wait to whip this up!!
Cheers Luci!! Hope you love it. It is a favourite in my home and is very easy to put together.
What a delicious looking chicken salad! Definitely a lunch option I will be considering this week!
Thanks Bintu! Hope you enjoy it. Cheers
This salad just screams garden party to me!! I am about rotisserie chicken and love how fresh and delicious this is!!
Great feedback Sues, thanks. I was going for fresh and delicious so glad it ticks that box! Cheers
This salad looks delicious! I love the look of the cucumber on this salad, I really need to ribbon my cucumbers more often. 🙂
Thanks Lisa! Yes, it gives to cucumber such a pretty style!!
YUM! This looks very colourful, and appearance great!!I like this Salad, I can’t wait to try this recipe, thank you!
No worries Mary!! Hope you love the recipe when you try it. Cheers!
I love this recipe!!! We do, indeed, buy a rotisserie chicken for hectic weeknights. I love that you included a tip for making this vegan or vegetarian. We're a "mixed diet" family... I could easily setup the ingredients for a chicken version for my family, and top it with leftover tofu or roasted veggies for me! Those cucumber curls are gorgeous... yummy!
Cheers Katie! I love your feedback. Thanks for your positive words and thoughts the tofu substitute sounds delicious!
I buy a rotisserie chicken once a week on grocery shopping day! I usually make some sort of side salad to go with it, but this salad using the chicken is so much easier! I can't wait to try it!
Thanks Pam, hope you love it!!
This salad is so refreshing and filling too. Love the combo of cucumbers and chicken!
Cheers Emily, me too!
This will make the perfect salad for a summer day. Our summer days are usually busy so I don't have much time to make a big lunch so this recipe is perfect.
Absolutely Kelly!! It doesn't take much time at all to prepare, cheers!
This looks so bright and healthy! I love that it can be thrown together in less than 15 minutes and is a great way to use a rotisserie (or BBQ) chicken!
Thanks Jenni! I love using chicken which is left over as it make the recipe so easy from the very start.
I am loving how pretty this is - those cucumber ribbons are gorgeous (they make me want to experiment with my peeler all day) and I'm also loving how easy this is too! Thanks for the inspo!
Thanks Shashi, just noticed your comment now. It is fun to make the cucumber ribbons!
I love that you used Cucumbers instead of lettuce or other leafy greens! This salad looks so refreshing!
Thanks Shanika! Yes, I try and find other ingredients to use so it is not always lettuce or leafy greens!!
This salad looks so green and inviting. Love how you were able to slice the cucumber, and the capers are just up my alley.
Awesome great to hear Geoffrey, not everyone likes capers, so I am happy to cross a like minded individual!!
What a great way to use cucumbers, I think I could even get my kids to eat this! Looks yummy!
Cheers Sarah, YES!! I think kids would love this recipe as well.
This salad sounds delicious and thanks so much for including a vegan and vegetarian option, I'll definitely try it with some roasted sweet potatoes.
Thanks Michelle! I think we all need to all eat less meat on occasion. Cheers
Love this fresh and healthy salad! Such a delicious recipe!
Thanks Kim, I love the freshness too! Cheers
Amazing recipe!! I love cucumbers too and use them in everything - salads, smoothies, casseroles. Love the addition of capers in this recipe for a bit of salty flavor.
Cheers Marlynn. I will have to try cucumber in my smoothies seeing you have suggested it. Thanks
Such a great way to serve up leftover chicken and I love how easy this is. Perfect for a light tasty weeknight dinner.
Absolutely spot on Stephanie!! Thanks