Skip to Content

Marinated Cucumbers Onion & Vinegar Recipe (Cucumber Salad)

Sharing is caring!

Once late May hits in the south, the cucumbers start ripening on the vine. It is the time to enjoy one of the best summertime side dishes. Marinated cucumbers onion & vinegar is a great dish that is so simple and easy to make and a great way to use up those fresh veggies.

You can only eat cucumbers in so many ways. Fresh, cut up on salads, in pasta salad, and there aren’t many more ways to enjoy them. That is why this easy cucumber salad is such a treat. Whip up this quick vinegar mixture and place them in a serving bowl and you are in business!

Marinated Cucumbers Onion & Vinegar

It gives you another option to use up all those fresh crisp cucumbers you have coming off the vines. There truly aren’t many things better on a hot summer day.

The Taste of Cucumbers and Vinegar

The sweetness of the fresh cucumbers combined with the tart and acidic nature of the white vinegar. Cut up a sweet onion and add a little bit of sugar to help cut the acid in the vinegar and you have the basic recipe.

You could stop right there and you would have an easy cucumber salad recipe, but we like to add in a few fresh herbs to heighten the flavor. Below we will go over all the ingredients we like to use for the best results for this simple recipe. 

If you love this recipe, you are going to love Spicy Cucumber salad. It is a slightly different take on this recipe. It adds a tangy dressing and the kick of red pepper flakes.

Recipe Ingredients- What you will need to make this Marinated Cucumbers, Onion, & Vinegar Recipe. 

4 Medium Cucumbers

I suggest using fresh, vine-ripe regular cucumbers. Fresh cucumbers tend to have the best flavor right out of the garden. If you are growing your own, you know how you tend to get a lot at one time. If you do not grow your own, try searching out a local farmers’ market or produce stand in your area. 

picture of a bunch of cumcumbers.
Cucumbers |Photo by Karolina Grabowska

Another great alternative is to buy English Cucumbers from your local grocery store. 

English Cucumbers have thinner skin and fewer seeds. They also tend to be slightly sweeter.  You can leave the skins on these since they have thin skins versus homegrown cucumbers. You can also adjust the number of cucumbers to 2 large English cucumbers. They generally only come in one size.

1 Large Onion

white onions sitting on a table.
Onion | Photo Courtesy of Pixbay

I like to use sweet onions, such as a Vidalia Onion. These are typically seasonal, at least the true Vidalia onions are. My second choice would be red onion as It gives the dish a strictly beautiful contrast of color. Red onions tend to have a sharper bite to them. My last choice would be white onion if I couldn’t find the other two varieties. Don’t let the onion choice stop you from making this dish though. Any type of onion will do.

1 Cup of White Vinegar

I like to use white vinegar when I make this dish. You could use apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar if you wish. Both will alter the flavor slightly but will work as well. 

1 cup of Water

I like to cut the vinegar half in half with water. So if you use 1 cup of vinegar, I like to use 1 cup of water. 

1 Teaspoon of Dill Weed

Traditional pickles will have dill weed as the dill pickle flavor. I like to keep fresh dill growing in my AeroGarden on my kitchen countertop to use in dishes such as this or fish dishes. Dill is not a potent herb but it adds a hint of fresh flavor to the dish. 

1 Teaspoon of Sugar

You can use white sugar or Organic Cane sugar. Sugar helps to cut the acid of the vinegar. Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar to your liking.  

½ teaspoon of Salt

I like to use Kosher or sea salt. Salt is the star of just about every dish you make. Without salt, the dish is flat. We recommend using Kosher salt or Sea Salt. Regular table salt, also known as iodized salt, can be too salty and sometimes can affect the taste. 

Salt is one of those things that is very subjective with people. Some like more or a little less. We will give you guidelines and you can adjust as you see fit. It is really about personal preference for salt.

½ teaspoon of Black Ground Pepper

Like salt, Black pepper is two of the most common reasons you will find in most dishes. Pepper carries some heat to it so if you don’t like a real spicy blend, you can back off of the cayenne and black pepper to suit your needs.

Using fresh black pepper is best. If you have a grinder and peppercorns, this adds so much more flavor than just using already-ground pepper. This seasoning is almost always bought from the grocery store

Optional Ingredients:

½ of a fresh Lemon, Squeezed. 

The fresh lemon gives the dish some brightness. If you don’t have it no need to worry. 

up close picture of lemons.
Lemons

Celery seed

This is another ingredient that adds a bit of flavor but again, you don’t have to add this. 

Olive Oil

You could also add a little olive oil or even vegetable oil to the marinated cucumbers onion & vinegar recipe.

Directions- How To Make it

Step 1: Slice cucumbers up into thin slices. You can use either a sharp knife or a mandoline slicer. Both will work great for this process. Set to the side.

Step 2: Slice the onions up into thin slices. You can use either a sharp knife or a mandoline slicer for this process as well. Set to the side. 

Step 3: In a medium-sized bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Try to dissolve the sugar and salt. 

Step 4: Next, add the cucumber slices and onions to the bowl. 

Step 5: Place the cucumber onions and vinegar recipe into the refrigerator until they are chilled. Once they have chilled, they are ready to be eaten. 

What Does the Marinated Cucumbers, onions, and vinegar recipe go with?

There are many dishes that you can serve this cucumber salad dish with, really it goes well with any type of protein:

  • Fried chicken
  • Smoked Chicken
  • Baked Chicken
  • Steaks
  • Fried fish
  • Cajun Blackened Fish
  • Cornbread and Pinto Beans
  • Hot Dogs
Cucumber salad in a Pyrex bowl sitting on a table for pintrest.

FAQ’s

Is this dish healthy?

Yes, this is a healthy dish. If you want to make it, even more, healthier, you could eliminate the sugar. 

How long do you soak the cucumbers in vinegar? 

Technically you could eat them right away after you have combined the ingredients. I like to let them get chilled as I think it is best that way. The longer you let it soak, the stronger the flavor will be in the cucumbers and onions.

Can I make this a Creamy Cucumber Salad?

Yes. You could make a creamy version of this dish by making a base of sour cream or mayo, herbs, salt, and pepper. Then mix it in the cucumbers and onions. This also makes a great side dish as well. 

Can I Store the leftovers?

You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. The longer they store, the stronger the flavor will be and the cucumbers will start to lose their crispness. 

Is this dish keto-friendly?

If you leave out the sugar, the dish will be keto-friendly. 

What Vinegar is best to use for this dish?

I prefer white vinegar but you could use apple cider or red wine vinegar as well. Some people even use rice vinegar but I don’t have any experience with that type of vinegar.

What Other Names Does This Dish Go By?

This dish goes by a few different names depending on where you live. Some call it Quick Pickles or Overnight Refrigerator Pickles. It may also go by the name Cucumbers and Onions in Vinegar. You may also see it called Cucumber and Onions with Vinegar and Sugar or Cucumber Salad. After watching a YouTube video for this recipe for many years, I discovered that this dish is very popular in the Philippines as well. In that country, it may be called Ensaladang Pipino, Pipino with Suka recipe, or Asian Pickled Cucumber.

What about other Cucumber Salad Variations?

If you are looking for a Cucumber Salad Variation, try this Spicy Cucumber Salad. It is very quick and easy to make as well.

I hope you really enjoyed this article on Marinated Cucumbers Onion & Vinegar Recipe. Please leave me feedback and let me know what you think!

-Ronnie | Let’s Get Food Junked

Also, check out one of these recipes:

Marinade for Smoked Beef Jerky
Chicken Bog | A Traditional South Carolina Dish
Southern Food Junkie Chili
Brunswick Stew
Home

Yield: 6 People

Marinated Cucumbers Onion & Vinegar Recipe (Cucumber Salad)

This image shows a closeup of Cucumbers Onions & Vinegar recipe also known as Cucumber Salad.

The sweetness of the fresh cucumbers combined with the tart and acidic nature of the white vinegar. Cut up a sweet onion and add a little bit of sugar to help cut the acid in the vinegar and you have the basic recipe.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 cucumbers
  • 1 onion
  • 1 cup vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon dill weed
  • 1 teaspoon Sugar
  • 1/2 fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  1. Slice Cucumber. If you prefer you can peel them as well.
  2. Slice onion
  3. mix water, vinegar, sugar, lemon juice, dill weed, salt, and pepper in a bowl
  4. Add in onions and Cucumbers
  5. Set in the refrigerator for an hour or two before eating.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1 grams

Amount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Skip to Recipe

Sharing is Caring

Help spread the word. You're awesome for doing it!