A crispy, refreshing and spicy Asian cucumber salad seasoned with soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, green onions, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds and chili oil. This easy side dish is ready in 20 minutes with simple and minimal ingredients!
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What is it
Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad features crunchy cucumbers seasoned in a tasty garlicky, soy, vinegar dressing with chili oil. This simple side dish serves best with rice and your favourite proteins making it easy to work into a weekly rotation.
I enjoy making this Chinese dish for meal prep because it's easy and it lasts 3-4 days in the fridge. Perfect for those busy weeknights when I need a fast vegetable side dish. The best part is that it requires no reheating!
This cucumber recipe is inspired by my traditional Chinese smashed cucumber salad. You also don't have to make spiral the cucumbers - simply slice them thinly.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
Note: Most Western or Asian grocers will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.
- Mini cucumbers (aka Persian cucumbers): I recommend these cucumbers as they have a refreshing crunch! Or substitute with English cucumbers or Japanese cucumbers. Avoid cucumbers with seeds, like American cucumbers.
- Salt: to drain excess liquid in the cucumbers to make them crunchier!
Dressing
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce of your choice.
- Rice vinegar: Or substitute with white vinegar, apple cider vinegar or Chinese black vinegar
- Chili oil: store bought or check out my homemade Chili Oil recipe for spicy flavors! Or substitute with chili garlic sauce, gochugaru, or red chili flakes.
- Sugar: or substitute with honey, maple syrup, or any sweetener of your choice.
- Sesame oil: if you're allergic, omit altogether or substitute with more chili oil.
- Sesame seeds: omit if you're allergic
- Green onions
Expert Tips
- Short on time? Thinly slice the cucumbers and skip the spiral!
- Use chopsticks to make fun spiral cucumbers (optional). Use a pair of chopsticks that you don’t mind slightly nicking up, like takeaway chopsticks. Make sure to slice the cucumbers on an angle or you won't get the spiral effect.
- Rinse salted cucumbers well! Because we’re adding more sodium, it’s super important to rinse off the salt from the cucumbers after they have been sitting in it. This step is crucial, or you will have very salty tasting cucumbers.
- Combine the sauce before adding cucumbers. By pre-mixing, we are ensuring an even distribution of ingredients maximizing taste!
- For more flavor, let the cucumbers marinate for another 10 minutes in the sauce in the fridge before enjoying.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make spicy Asian cucumber salad:
Prepare Cucumbers
First on a cutting board, place cucumber between two chopsticks that you don’t mind nicking up (like disposable takeout chopsticks).
Then make thin diagonal slices on the top on angle. Flip the cucumber over and do the same on the other side. Do not cut them in on a straight angle or the spiral will not work. Alternatively, thinly sliced cucumbers will work fine as well.
Then cut cucumber into halves.
Now you have spiral cucumbers. Transfer to a large bowl. Refer to video below for better visuals.
Salt Cucumbers and Make Dressing
Next sprinkle salt over cucumbers and gently massage into them. Let cucumbers sit in the salt for 5 minutes at room temperature to remove excess moisture (no more than 10 minutes or they will break down). Rinse with cold water at least 3-4 times to completely remove the salt. Strain excess water and set aside.
Then in a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients.
Dress Cucumbers
Finally pour the dressing over cucumbers and gently mix.
Serve and enjoy!
Storage
- Leftovers will last up to 3-4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Please note with time, the cucumbers will become saltier due to the dressing.
- Freezer friendly? I would not suggest freezing this cucumber salad as the freezer air over softens the cucumber texture.
Pairing Suggestions
This serves best with egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice or fried rice, Mongolian Chicken, Honey Sesame Chicken, Bang Bang Shrimp, Gochujang Chicken, Soy Garlic Tofu and more!
FAQ
Yes, thin cucumber slices will work fine for this spicy cucumber salad! I just wanted to share a fun and creative way to showcase these mini cucumbers.
Yes, any long slender seedless cucumbers will work.
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📖 Recipe
Easy & Quick Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 6 Mini cucumbers or Persian cucumbers
- 2 teaspoon Salt to drain water
Dressing:
- 1 tablespoon Regular soy sauce
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Rice vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Chinese chili oil
- 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon Sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoon green onion finely sliced
Instructions
- Wash cucumbers and cut off the ends.
- Place one cucumber between two chopsticks that you don’t mind nicking up (like takeout chopsticks). Make thin diagonal slices on the top. Then flip the cucumber over and do the same on the other side. Then cut cucumber into halves. Repeat for remaining cucumbers. Transfer to a large bowl. Alternatively, you can thily slice your cucumbers too. *Refer to video below for better visuals. Note: Do not cut them in on a straight angle or the spiral will not work.
- Sprinkle salt over cucumbers and gently massage into them. Let cucumbers soak in salt for 5 minutes (no more than 10 minutes or they will break down). Rinse with cold water at least 3-4 times to completely remove the salt. Strain and set aside.
- Combine dressing ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Pour dressing over cucumbers and gently mix. Enjoy!
Angeld.
Very tasty alternative cucumber salad to serve with Asian food! Did not find it spicy though but definitely a keeper. Just marinaded for 1/2 hr before serving and was still yummy. This is a keeper. 👍
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for the positive review! Feel free to add more spice to your liking for next time 🙂
Steph P
So yum and lasted a couple of days too!
Christie Lai
Amazing! Thanks so much for making my recipe and glad it lasted you a couple more days!
Vicky W
Absolutely delicious! This is the best Asian Cucumber Salad I have ever had. I didn't have Persian cucumbers so I used the two English cucumbers I had on hand. I doubled the dressing but only used one tablespoon of the Chili Oil. I have probably eaten the equivalent of two servings before I put it in the fridge! Thank you!!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe! So glad you enjoyed it with the English cucumbers 🙂
Amber
So yummy! I used white vinegar and chili flakes instead of rice vinegar and chili oil, but it was still delicious and easy! Will become a regular side dish from now on. Thank you!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and so glad it'll become a regular side dish from now on!
Patti
Soooooo good!! I added chili oil because why not!!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and so glad you liked it with the chili oil!