Creamy Cucumber Salad with Dill

This creamy cucumber salad with dill is easy to make for summer gatherings. Made with sliced cucumbers, red onion, and a tangy sour cream dressing, it’s light, refreshing, and always a hit.

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A Summer Side Dish You’ll Make On Repeat

Cool, crisp, and loaded with fresh dill, this creamy cucumber salad is everything you want in a refreshing summer side. The sour cream dressing gives it just the right amount of tang, and it only takes a few minutes to toss together.

If you love easy dishes like this cucumber tomato salad or my orzo salad, you’ll definitely want to add this one to your list. It’s also a go-to pick from our top recipes to bring to a BBQ—simple, fresh, and just like grandma used to make!

Recipe Ingredients

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• Cucumbers: I prefer English cucumbers for their thin skin and mild flavor. Garden or field cucumbers work too—just peel them and scoop out the larger seeds if needed.
• Red onion: If red onion is too sharp for your taste, soak the slices in cold water for a few minutes to mellow the flavor. You can also swap in white onion if you prefer.
• Sour cream: This gives the salad its creamy, tangy base and helps bring everything together.
• Dill: Fresh dill adds the classic herby flavor and pairs so well with the creamy cucumbers.
• Lemon juice: A squeeze of fresh lemon brightens up the dressing. Red wine vinegar is a good alternative if that’s what you have on hand.
• Sugar, salt, and pepper: A pinch of sugar helps balance the tangy flavors, while salt and pepper bring out the freshness of the ingredients.

How to Make Creamy Cucumber Salad

Combine dressing ingredients including sour cream, fresh dill, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine.

Thinly slice fresh cucumber and red onion. For thin cucumber slices I love to use sharp knife, but a mandoline also works. Place cucumber and thin slices of red onion in a large bowl and add creamy salad dressing.

Stir cucumber salad recipe to combine and serve immediately or chill and cover for a few hours until ready to serve.

Recipe Tips

• Prevent a watery salad: Cucumbers hold a lot of water, which can thin out the dressing. To avoid this, sprinkle them with salt and let them rest on paper towels to release excess moisture before mixing.
• Use fresh dill: Fresh dill really makes the flavor pop in this salad. Dried dill just doesn’t have the same brightness—save it for something like homemade ranch dressing!
• Sour cream swaps: For a lighter dressing, you can use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream, or even do a 50/50 mix of sour cream and mayonnaise. Just be sure to use real mayo—not Miracle Whip—for the best flavor.
• Taste and adjust: I always recommend tasting the dressing before adding it to the salad. You can adjust the salt, pepper, or lemon juice to your liking—or even add a pinch of garlic powder for extra flavor.