Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad. A crispy, refreshing and spicy cucumber salad. Seasoned with soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, green onions, sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds and chili oil. This side dish is ready in 20 minutes!
What is Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad?
It's a refreshing spicy salad featuring crunchy cucumbers in a garlicky, soy, vinegar dressing with chili oil. A quick and easy side dish that serves well with rice and your favourite proteins. I enjoy making this dish for meal prep because it's easy and it lasts a few days in the fridge. So it's 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 spiralize the cucumbers - simply slice them thinly. Interestingly enough, my recipe went viral on social media gathering 12M views on Instagram alone with many enjoying it! I hope you enjoy it too.
Ingredients
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, or 6 Persian cucumbers: or substitute with regular cucumbers, English cucumbers or Japanese cucumbers. My personal preferences are to use Persian cucumbers because they have a refreshing crunch to them! If you're using kirby cucumbers, I wouldn't spiral them and instead smash and slice them because these are thicker.
- Salt: to drain excess liquid or the high water content in the cucumbers. By draining out the moisture content, you will have much crunchier cucumbers. Table salt, kosher salt, or sea salt will work for this.
Dressing:
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If youโre gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce of your choice.
- Plain rice vinegar: or aka rice wine vinegar. Or substitute with white vinegar, white wine 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, Korean chili flakes, spicy red pepper flakes, or red chili flakes.
- Sugar: or substitute with honey, maple syrup, or any sweetener of your choice.
- Sesame oil: Please avoid using olive oil or heavily scented oils in place of this. I would suggest substituting with a neutral oil like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil.
- Sesame seeds
- Green onions or spring onions
How to Make Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad
Prepare Cucumbers
First on a cutting board, place cucumber between two chopsticks that you donโt mind nicking up (like takeout chopsticks).
Then make thin diagonal slices on the top. Flip the cucumber over and do the same on the other side.
Then cut cucumber into halves. Transfer to a large bowl. Alternatively, thinly sliced cucumbers will work fine as well.
*Refer to video below for better visuals. Note: Do not cut them in on a straight angle or the spiral will not work.
Salting & Dressing Cucumbers
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.
Finally pour the dressing over cucumbers and gently mix. Enjoy!
Storage
This dish will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Keep in mind, with time, the cucumbers will become saltier because of the spicy dressing ingredients. So the next day, the cucumbers will taste more salty than the day you made them.
Expert Tips
- Use chopsticks to make spiral cucumbers. If you want to make your cucumbers into fun spirals (this is totally optional), use a pair of chopsticks that you donโt mind slightly nicking up, like takeaway chopsticks. Place the two sticks beside both sides of your cucumber and begin slicing on an angle with your knife (must be on an angle or it won't work otherwise). Then flip over and do the same on the other side. Do it slowly and with time youโll get faster!
- Combine the Sauce. For best results, combine sauce in a small bowl before adding it to the cucumbers. By pre-mixing, we are ensuring an even distribution of ingredients maximizing taste!
- Rinse salted cucumbers well! Because weโre adding more sodium, itโs 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.
FAQ
Can I slice the cucumbers thinly without the spiral?
Yes cucumber slices will work fine for this Asian spicy cucumber salad recipe! I just wanted to share a fun and creative way to showcase these mini cucumbers.
Substitute for sesame oil?
โUnfortunately, not one that provides a nutty flavor and aroma. I would simply substitute with any neutral oil but avoid olive oil, coconut oil or heavily scented oils.
Can I use other cucumbers?
โYes, any long slender seedless cucumbers will work.
Do I need to spiralize the cucumbers?
No, feel free to cut the cucumbers into slices.
Can I add other seasoning ingredients?
โYes, red onion or fresh ginger will work too!
Other side dish recipes you may like!
๐ 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 donโt 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.ย *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!
Suggested Equipment & Products
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Eti
Love it !!!
christieathome
I am so happy you enjoyed my recipe! Thanks for making it! ๐
Liz
Yum!
christieathome
So glad you enjoyed it Liz! Thanks so much for your review and for making my recipe!
ThatTeowonna
Very good! This was my first time using chili oil. This one had whole peanuts in it. Pretty darn good. Since Iโve recently fallen in love with avocado, I add a whole avocado after the sauce soaked into the cucumbers. Very good! Creamy, crunchy, sweet, and savory. Thanks for this awesome recipe. A great addition to Korean night at our house.
christieathome
I am so happy to read this and glad you enjoyed it! How exciting for your first time using chili oil, isn't it such a wonderful ingredient. The avocado addition sounds amazing as well! Thanks for making my recipe ๐
Nancy
How do you make this ahead?
christieathome
You can make it one day ahead but just note that there will be more water content the next day since the soy sauce is high in sodium forcing more water out from the cucumber as days pass.
Elly
so yummy and best of all easy to make!!!
christieathome
Thrilled to read this! So glad you enjoyed it and thanks for making my recipe Elly!
Sylvia
Hi! Really want to try this but worried it might be too spicy ๐ is there anything I can use to substitute for the chilli oil? Thanks!
christieathome
Hi there! I would recommend omitting the chili oil altogether and if needed, add more soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar to your sauce prior to adding to the cucumbers. Hope this helps!
D. Jay
The allure of this dish was instant. I was looking for a side dish to accompany some marinated (lime juice, smashed garlic cloves and sea salt) chicken thighs I was going to grill and โbangโ this was it. So easy to make and delicious! Even the chili oil went unnoticed by a partner who usually avoids spicy food. Make it, enjoy it. Itโs a winner!
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe and I'm so glad you enjoyed the ease and deliciousness of this dish! I truly appreciate your kind review on my blog and I hope you have a fantastic day ๐
Michael
Made this following your recipe (no fancy cut) just thin sliced. Took me literally 5 minutes minus the salt and rinse time. Perfect! Thank you! Will be making this on a regular basis. Love it.
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe, Michael! So glad you enjoyed my simple recipe ๐
J L
Mmmm, so good!
Happy to find this recipe.
christieathome
Thank you for making my recipe! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Have a lovely day.
Veronica
Absolutely delish!!! I knew Iโd love it so I doubled the recipe. GONE! Now I need more cucumbers! Thanks for the recipe! ๐
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe! So glad you enjoyed it well ๐
LLL
I made this for the first time today and it was a big hit with my kids. My 12 year old son asked when he can have it again. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
christieathome
I'm so glad you and your kids enjoyed it! Thank you so much for making my recipe ๐
Lizzie
Delicious!!! Very easy to make. I did half sugar and left out sesame oil because my boyfriend doesnโt like it - and it is addicting!
christieathome
Hi Lizzie, thank you so much for making my recipe and I'm so glad you enjoyed my cucumber salad! Have a great day! - Christie
Trina
Made this with zucchini was fantastic. I also added some diced Asian pear. My new fav salad.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe Trina! So glad you enjoyed it!
Renee
Made this to have with some pan fried gyoza. Itโs absolutely delicious! so full of flavour, especially with homemade chilli oil. Will make this again and again. Thank you!
christieathome
So happy to read this kind comment! Happy to hear you enjoyed it with some delicious gyoza, Renee! Thanks for making my recipe ๐
Atlas
Absolutely amazing! Talk about an explosion of flavors in your mouth, the sugar balances the spic e from chili oil perfectly. My husband loved it so much, that he drizzled the sauce over his grilled chicken as well. Thank you for sharing Christie, we canโt wait to try more of your recipes.
christieathome
Thanks so much for sharing your kind review Atlas! So glad you and your husband both enjoyed my recipe so much! I hope you enjoy my other recipes as well ๐ Have a lovely day!
tay
can you make this with regular sized cucumbers?
christieathome
Yes ๐
Kim
So easy and absolutely DELICIOUS! This will be a staple in my house going forward. Easy to take to the office for a quick snack/lunch and it stays great for a couple of days.
christieathome
So glad you enjoyed it ๐ Thanks for making it!
Jade
This is absolutely amazing!! Just ate two whole cucumbers with it cant wait to use the sauce for other things as well!! To die forrrr!!!
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for leaving such a raving review, Jade! Glad it hit the spot!
Anna
Super lecker ๐ nur mit den Mengenangaben haben wir ein wenig variiert... und nachher noch viel sauce รผbrig gehabt um andere tolle Sachen damit zu toppen.
Vielen Dank ๐
christieathome
Vielen Dank, dass Du mein Rezept gemacht hast! Ich schรคtze es wirklich. Ich hoffe, diese Google-รbersetzung ist auch richtig geworden ๐
Storm
Awesome! I added some avo and a smidge of kewpie mayo and itโs amazing !
christieathome
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it and thanks for making it!
Natasha
Light and refreshing!
I used cayenne pepper since I honestly did not feel like making chili oil and I ran put of my jar. I also used just a tiny squirter of stevia liquid instead of sugar but I may omit it altogether next time! This is a great recipe and a good way to eat your cucumbers. It is a lower calorie option then plain or with hummus and I can't eat dairy so dressing is not something I am going to use so this was perfect!
Thank you for sharing it!
christieathome
Thanks for making my recipe, Natasha! So happy you enjoyed it with stevia and cayenne pepper!
Jessica
Got super lazy tonight and decided to make something easy. Let me tell you, this salad takes the cake! The whole thing took me about ten minutes. At first, I was a little nervous to make it with the spirals but I decided to give it a go. I didnโt have chopsticks on hand so I used straws and it worked out just great. The final result was amazing and I would definitely recommend making it.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Jessica! Happy it all worked out for your! Glad it takes the cake.
Lisa
Nice fresh change of pace from the traditional mac and potatoe salad sides for summer!
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe, Lisa! Happy it's a nice change for a summer side. Have a lovely day!
MK
Wonderful quick and healthy side dish. Sometimes when I'm in a rush I just slice the cucumber on a mandoline and it comes out perfect. Thanks!
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, MK! It truly is such a tasty and healthy side dish when time is of the essence.
Weronika
Thank you so much, it is so delicious! Iโll make more of the dressing and use it as a dipping sauce for dumplings and other things ๐
christieathome
The pleasure is all mine, Weronika! So happy you enjoyed my recipe ๐ A great idea to serve the dressing as a dipping sauce too!
JoeBKS
Delicious recipe! Super easy.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making this and sharing your review with me! ๐
Cinde
This was delicious! I was out of chili oil so used olive oil and chili flakes. Thanks!
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Cinde! Happy it worked out with the substitutes ๐
Sharla ๐ซ
Aloha ๐บ ,
When I first saw Your recipe I couldn't Believe it ๐ ! M'y mouth wanted to taste it Right Away ! I Have sent it to 20 other people ๐.. You Have Brought a ๐ light on the the Table !
Mahalo ๐ด ,
All of US ๐
christieathome
Aloha! Thank you so much for the kind comment and I appreciate you sharing my recipe with others ๐ Have a lovely day!
Barbara
Just made this with my homegrown Pickling Cucumbers...Oh My Goodness...this is Fire!! Thanks for the deliciousness!
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Barbara! So glad to hear that it worked well with pickling cucumbers. Have a great day!
Logan
My favorite snack!!
christieathome
I am so pleased to hear this, Logan! Thanks for making it and glad it's a favorite!
Na
This was so incredible I canโt stop eating it!!
christieathome
I am so thrilled to read this, Na! Thank you so much for making my recipe and for this kind review ๐
jeffrey
This was a bit hit at thanksgiving, and I have saved it under 'crowd pleaser.' I've cobbled together versions without a recipe in the past, but following a professional's guide made all the difference. Thank you, Christie! ๐
christieathome
I am so pleased to hear this, Jeffrey! Thank YOU so much for making my recipe and for sharing this positive kind review ๐ It really made my day! Have a wonderful weekend ahead!