Ranch Cucumber Salad With Bacon

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This creamy ranch cucumber and bacon salad is the ultimate side dish for your next summer cookout or backyard BBQ. The combination of crisp cucumbers, bacon, cheese, and zesty red onion with the savory ranch dressing is a fabulous twist on a loaded potato salad. It’s a refreshing take on a summer favorite that holds up perfectly at any potluck.

My version is packed with flavor. The ranch dressing mixture gets its savory flavor from a combination of mayonnaise and sour cream, along with fresh chopped dill to double down on the herb flavor and add a bright green pop of color.

What I Love About This Salad

• The flavor profile. Ranch dressing is always a hit with my friends and family. The freshness of the cucumbers, along with the tangy ranch flavor and satisfying cheese and bacon, makes it a winning summer side.
• Ease of preparation. Cooking the bacon in the oven is nearly hands-free, and chopping is minimal. Just mix and enjoy!

Ingredient Notes

• Cucumbers – A large English cucumber, about 14 to 16 ounces, or about 5 to 7 Persian—or mini—cukes. You should have about 4 cups of slices. If you use mini cukes, slice them into rounds.
• Bacon – The bacon is baked in the oven, leaving plenty of time for the cucumbers to stand in the salt mixture.
• Cheddar cheese – The bacon and cheddar together give the salad that loaded ranch potato salad profile.
• Dressing – The dressing is made up of sour cream, mayonnaise, ranch seasoning, and dill. The tangy mixture strikes the perfect balance. Taste and adjust as needed with more ranch if you like.

How to Make the Ranch Cucumber Salad

1. Bake the bacon until the fat is rendered and the edges are a deep, golden brown.
2. The secret to this salad is the 20-minute salting step. By drawing out excess water from the cucumbers before they meet the dressing, we ensure the salad stays creamy and crisp, rather than watery, for hours. Plus, the red onions become more mellow.
3. Combine the dressing ingredients, tasting and adding extra seasonings, as needed.
4. Drain the cucumbers and onion, pat them dry, and add them to the dressing mixture. Add the cheese and chopped bacon and transfer to a serving bowl.
5. If desired, garnish with dill fronds or extra coarsely chopped dill.

Recipe Variations

• Use a different variety of cucumber. Use 5 to 7 Persian or mini cucumbers, sliced into thin rounds. If using a cucumber with large seeds, slice it horizontally and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds before slicing into half-moons.
• Try using Greek yogurt. Replace the sour cream with Greek yogurt.
• Add texture. Adding thinly sliced radishes can add crunch and a peppery flavor.
• Tomato upgrade. Adding seeded, diced grape or plum tomatoes adds a sweet, acidic note that cuts through the ranch’s creaminess. Removing the seeds prevents the salad from becoming too watery.
• Garden herbs. Replace the dill with chives and parsley or add them to the salad along with the dill, for a more herb-forward salad.
• Everything bagel seasoning. Garnish the finished salad with bagel seasoning. The flavors complement the ranch flavors perfectly and add extra texture.
• Toasted seeds. A small handful of toasted sunflower seeds or pepitas adds an earthy, nutty dimension that complements the sharpness of the cheddar.
• Cheese twist. For a more gourmet vibe, use smoked Gouda or smoked cheddar, or make it zestier with pepper jack cheese.

How to Store and Food Safety

• Refrigerate: Cover the bowl, or transfer the cucumber salad to an airtight container, and refrigerate. It will be at its best within 24 hours. You can store it for up to 48 hours, but the dressing will likely become watery because the cucumbers will continue to release moisture.
• Serving at a Cookout: For the best flavor and safety, keep this salad chilled. If serving outdoors, nestle your serving bowl in a bed of crushed ice or keep it in a cooler until ready to serve.
• Food Safety Note: To maintain quality and safety, the salad should not sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. If the ambient temperature is 90°F or higher, limit exposure to no more than 1 hour.