This keto-friendly cucumber salad with spicy peanut sauce is deliciously sweet, spicy, savory, and perfect as a refreshing summer side.

This ultra-flavorful cucumber salad with spicy peanut sauce, adapted from NYT Cooking's Cucumber Salad with Roasted Peanuts and Chile, is a refreshing, rich, and addictive Asian-style salad.

Crispy cucumber slices get tossed with a spicy peanut dressing that's nutty, creamy, and just a little spicy from sambal. Roasted peanuts add crunch, while fresh cilantro brightens up the salad.

This low-carb, keto-friendly cucumber salad is made with natural peanut butter, soy sauce, fish sauce, vinegar, and a hint of allulose for sweetness. It’s salty, sweet, a little spicy, and sure to please any peanut butter lover!

And this salad is super simple. No cooking required—just whisk the dressing, slice the cucumbers, and toss it all together. It comes together in minutes and makes a great side for most main dishes including grilled meats or other Asian-inspired dishes.

Key Ingredients

Cucumbers: We recommend using English or Persian cucumbers due to thinner skins and minimal seeds.

No-added sugar peanut butter: We use Santa Cruz Organic Light Roasted Creamy Peanut Butter since it has no added sugar. However, you could use another sugar-free peanut butter of choice.

Fish sauce & soy sauce: Together they bring salty, umami flavor. You can substitute Tamari or coconut aminos for the soy sauce.

Sugar-free sweetener: We use allulose since it mimics sugar without any aftertaste or cooling effect. However, monk fruit or erythritol work too.

Sambal oelek: We use 1.5 teaspoons of sambal for a medium level of spice. For less or heat, start with 1 teaspoon and add more to taste.

Roasted peanuts: Add to the crunch and flavor. Almonds can be used in a pinch.

Cilantro (optional): Although it's optional, cilantro brightens the salad with a fresh, herbal flavor. You could swap with chopped mint or basil if you're not a cilantro fan.

Preparation Steps

Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, fish sauce, rice vinegar, sambal, and allulose until smooth and creamy. If it’s too thick, add 1 to 2 teaspoons of water to loosen.

Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, toss sliced cucumbers with the peanut dressing until evenly coated. Add the crushed peanuts and chopped cilantro and gently mix to combine.

Serve: Serve immediately or chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips

This cucumber peanut salad is best served fresh, but it can be prepped ahead with a few tweaks:

• Make the dressing in advance: Whisk the peanut dressing and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Give it a stir before using, and add a splash of water if it thickens too much.
• Slice cucumbers ahead: You can slice the cucumbers a few hours ahead and store them in the fridge, wrapped in paper towels to help absorb moisture and keep them crisp.
• Assemble just before serving: For the best texture, toss the cucumbers with the dressing, peanuts, and cilantro right before serving. If you mix everything too early, the cucumbers may release water and the salad can get soggy.

Leftovers: If you do have leftovers, store them in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 1 day. The salad will still taste great, but the cucumbers may soften slightly.

More Keto Cucumber Salads

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear your feedback! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag @lowcarbsimplified on your photo of this recipe on Instagram or Facebook. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

Recipe