Korean Cucumber Salad (aka Oi Muchim). Refreshing cucumbers dressed in a spicy sesame sweet sauce. A tasty Korean side dish that is ready in 5 minutes. This is also a vegan Korean cucumber salad.
The cool taste of the cucumber with that flavourful spicy sesame soy dressing is a match made in heaven. Before you know it, you would have finished half the salad! It’s that addictive.
Easy Korean Cucumber Salad
My Spicy Korean cucumber salad recipe is very easy to make at home! You are simply combining the sauce ingredients and then mixing it into your thinly sliced cucumbers. That’s it!
Popular Korean side dish
This authentic Korean cucumber salad is one of my favourite Korean “banchans” or side dishes. It’s so deliciously versatile you can have it with steamed rice and a protein of your choice.
How long does Korean cucumber salad last?
This oi muchim recipe will last up to 4-5 days in the fridge.
What you’ll need
The following Korean cucumber salad ingredients are required, please scroll down to the below Recipe card for full measurements:
- long English cucumber, or any seedless cucumber
- garlic
- regular soy sauce
- sesame oil
- gochugaru
- rice vinegar
- white granulated sugar
- sesame seeds
How to make Korean Cucumber Salad
Below are visuals to show you how to make oi muchim. Please scroll down to the recipe card below to find full instructions and details.
Cooking Tips
Below are tips on making Korean spicy cucumber salad recipe:
Combine sauce ingredients before mixing
Before adding your sauce ingredients to your cucumbers, mix it in a small bowl first. This will create a more even taste and makes the mixing process slightly easier.
Slice cucumbers thinly
By slicing them thinly, the sauce can penetrate the cucumber more thoroughly versus a larger piece.
For extra crunchy cucumbers
Sprinkle salt over the sliced cucumbers and let it sit for 5 minutes to remove excess water. Rinse the cucumbers under cold water and strain any excess liquid. Then mix in your sauce.
Chill cucumber salad for 10 minutes for best flavour
By chilling it for 10 minutes prior to consumption, this gives the dressing more time to absorb into the cucumbers.
FAQ
Below are frequently asked questions about this Korean cucumber salad spicy recipe:
Where can I find gochugaru & gochujang?
All Korean grocers will sell it and you may also find it at larger Asian supermarkets.
Can I freeze the leftover gochugaru?
Yes! Place the package in a resealable freezer bag and you can freeze it. It will last a very long time (up to a year!)
Can I use another type of cucumber?
Yes! Any seedless cucumber will work for this recipe.
What can I substitute soy sauce with?
Coconut aminos or tamari sauce are great replacements.
Is there a substitute for sesame oil or sesame seeds?
Unfortunately, not. I would suggest omitting these ingredients altogether and adjust the other ingredients to taste.
Can you freeze oi muchim?
No, I wouldn’t recommend that as the cucumbers will become mushy after thawing.
Other Korean recipes you may like!
If you enjoyed this Korean side dish, you may like these other Korean banchan recipes:
Korean Potatoes (Gamja Jorim)
Korean Spinach Side Dish
Gyeran Mari – Korean Egg Roll
Korean Tuna Cakes (Chamchijeon)
If you enjoyed the best Korean cucumber salad recipe, please share it with your family and friends or on social media! Take a picture of your re-creation and make sure to tag me @ChristieAtHome in your feed or stories as I would love to see it!
Christie
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Easy 5-min. Korean Cucumber Salad (Oi Muchim)
Ingredients
- 1 English cucumber sliced thinly
Sauce:
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp regular soy sauce (not light or dark sauce sauce)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp gochugaru
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp white granulated sugar
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Slice cucumber thinly, removing the ends. Transfer to a bowl.
- In a small bowl, mix Sauce ingredients as listed above. Pour sauce over cucumbers and mix well until cucumbers are coated in dressing. Enjoy!
What a refreshing way to use up cucumbers! Delicious!
Ooo saving this one for when summer cucumbers come back out here in NY!
I love English cucumbers. In fact, I always have at least 2-3 in my fridge at all times. Your salad is such a lovely compliment to the flavors of the cucumber.