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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers/Sides

    Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad

    Modified: Jun 18, 2024 · Published: Nov 3, 2023 by Christie Lai · This post may contain affiliate links · 17 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Video

    Refreshing cucumber marinated in a delicious spicy garlic soy-based sauce. This quick and easy spicy smacked cucumber salad is a great vegetable side dish made with minimal ingredients and in 10 minutes! A great way to add fiber to your meals.

    Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients & Substitutes
    • Expert Tips
    • Instructions
    • Storage
    • Pairing Suggestions
    • FAQ
    • Other recipes you may like
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad (aka Spicy smashed cucumber salad) features crunchy cucumbers in a garlicky, savoury and sweet sauce with sesame oil and chili oil. It's packed with umami, sweet, savoury and spicy flavours!

    My Chinese spicy cucumber salad is a winner and it's best served with steamed rice, and your favorite protein. It's also made with simple pantry ingredients in only 10 minutes! Talk about simple.

    Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad

    This side dish is common way to eat cucumbers in Asia and there are many different variations, from garlicky to sweet. It's a great recipe for meal prep or for those busy weeks because you can quickly whip it out of the fridge to enjoy chilled.

    In addition, you can use store bought chili oil or try my homemade Chinese Chili Oil. If you're not keen on spice, feel free to omit the chili oil altogether or use less.

    Ingredients & Substitutes

    Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements. 

    • Mini cucumbers: or aka Persian cucumbers for that crunchy texture. Or substitute with English cucumber or any seedless cucumber with a thin skin.
    • Salt: table salt, sea salt or kosher salt will all work.

    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.
    • Sesame oil: toasted kind for that nutty flavor. Omit if you're allergic.
    • Chinese Black Vinegar: is this is a black colored mild vinegar made of fermented black glutinous rice and often used in Chinese cuisine. The brand I use is called "Chinkiang Vinegar" and it's sold at most Asian markets in a clear bottle with a yellow label. Or substitute with rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
    • Sesame Seeds: toasted kind or omit if you're allergic.
    • White granulated sugar: or substitute with honey or maple syrup.
    • Fresh garlic
    • Chinese Chili Oil: feel free to use store bought or check out my recipe for a homemade version here. Or substitute with chili crisp or red chili flakes like Gochugaru combined with 1 tablespoon of neutral oil.

    Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients or check Amazon.

    Expert Tips

    • Use fresh cucumbers that are vibrant in color and are not rotting. Older cucumbers will taste slightly bitter and they won't be as crunchy.
    • Smack the cucumbers hard because this breaks down the cucumber fibers allowing the cucumber to absorb the dressing better.
    • Don't skip salting the cucumbers because this makes them crunchier! The salt forces the water content out of the cucumbers through the process of osmosis.
    • Make sure to rinse the cucumbers of the salt otherwise the salad will be very salty!
    • Strain out any excess liquids after rinsing the cucumbers because the excess liquid will dilute the dressing.

    Instructions

    Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad:

    Slice the ends off the mini cucumbers. With the side of the knife, smash cucumbers a few times until they’re a bit flattened and broken down the centre.
    1. First slice the ends off the mini cucumbers. With the side of the knife, smash cucumbers a few times until they’re a bit flattened and broken down the centre.
    Slice cucumbers on an angle into 2-cm thick diagonal strips.
    1. Then slice the cucumbers on an angle into 2-cm thick diagonal strips.
    Transfer sliced cucumbers to a bowl. Add salt and massage the salt into the cucumbers. Allow cucumbers to sit in salt for 5-10 minutes to draw out excess liquids. Discard liquid.
    1. Next transfer the sliced cucumbers to a bowl. Add salt and massage the salt into the cucumbers. Allow cucumbers to sit in salt for 5-10 minutes to draw out excess liquids. Discard liquid.
    Rinse cucumbers under cold running water to remove excess salt or it'll be too salty.
    1. Then rinse the cucumbers under cold running water to remove excess salt or it'll be too salty.
    Strain the rinsed cucumbers removing as much excess water as possible.
    1. Next strain the rinsed cucumbers removing as much excess water as possible.
    Season strained cucumbers with sauce ingredients and mix well. Enjoy!
    1. Lastly season the strained cucumbers with sauce ingredients and mix well. Enjoy!

    Storage

    • Leftovers will last up to 2 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Note: over time the cucumbers will release more liquids into the sauce and will become saltier therefore this dish is best enjoyed same day ideally.
    • Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing this spicy smacked cucumber salad since the cucumbers will become mushy.

    Pairing Suggestions

    Spicy smacked cucumber salad serves well with:

    • starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, hot and sour soup
    • white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, fried rice, chow mein, lo mein, plain noodles, soup noodles 
    • protein dishes like Ginger Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Soy Garlic Tofu, Chinese Braised Tofu, Soy Sauce Chicken, Oven-Roasted Char Siu or Air Fryer Char Siu, or Chinese Roasted Pork Belly.

    FAQ

    Can I make this in advance? 

    This can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. However, I don't recommend making it any more in advance or the salad will be too salty.

    Which brand of store bought chili oil do you recommend?

    I recommend using a Chinese style chili oil. An excellent brand is one called “Lao Gan Ma”. It has a red label with a picture of a Chinese man on the label.

    How hard do I need to smack the cucumber?

    Hard enough to split the cucumbers in half but don't over smack it. Please watch my video to see how hard you would need to smack it.

    Other recipes you may like

    • Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad
    • Korean Cucumber Salad
    • Ding Tai Fung Cucumber Salad
    • Japanese Crab Corn Salad
    • Korean Potato Salad
    • Watermelon Basil Salad

    📖 Recipe

    10-min. Easy Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad

    Christie Lai
    Refreshing cucumber marinated in a delicious spicy garlic soy-based sauce. This quick and easy spicy smacked cucumber salad is a great vegetable side dish made with minimal ingredients and in 10 minutes! A great way to add fiber to your meals.
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Chinese
    Servings 2 as a side
    Calories per serving 222 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 6 mini cucumbers
    • ½ teaspoon salt to drain water

    Dressing

    • 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce
    • 1.5 tablespoon sesame oil
    • 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
    • ½ tablespoon sesame seeds
    • 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • 1 tablespoon Chinese Chili oil

    Instructions
     

    • Slice the ends off the mini cucumbers. With the side of the knife, smash cucumbers a few times until they’re a bit flattened and broken down the centre.
    • Slice cucumbers on an angle into 2-cm thick diagonal strips.
    • Transfer sliced cucumbers to a bowl. Add salt and massage the salt into the cucumbers. Allow cucumbers to sit in salt for 5-10 minutes to draw out excess liquids. Discard liquid.
    • Rinse cucumbers under cold running water to remove excess salt or it'll be too salty.
    • Strain the rinsed cucumbers removing as much excess water as possible.
    • Season strained cucumbers with sauce ingredients and mix well. Enjoy!
    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    • Santoku Knife
    • Cutting Board
    • Measuring Set
    • Sieve
    • Mixing bowl
    Nutrition
    Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 1591mg | Potassium: 258mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 108IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Millie

      December 04, 2024 at 11:07 pm

      5 stars
      Another keeper!! So flavourful. My new way favourite way of enjoying cucumbers

      Reply
      • Christie Lai

        December 04, 2024 at 11:25 pm

        So glad you liked it! Thank you so much for making it.

        Reply
    2. Tamara

      August 16, 2024 at 6:45 am

      5 stars
      Super easy and yummy, even though I made some substitution as I made do with what I had in my pantry: regular cucumber instead of mini, didn't salt the cucumber, just used them straight thinly sliced. Didn't have chili oil so used chirrata sauce and didn't add sugar since chirrata is already sweet.
      I added green onion cut thinly, and fresh steemed green beans cut in small pieces.

      Reply
      • Christie Lai

        August 26, 2024 at 4:20 pm

        Thank you so much for making my recipe and for sharing this review with substitutes! Glad it worked out well 🙂

        Reply
    3. Evylyn

      August 04, 2024 at 12:30 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • Christie Lai

        August 07, 2024 at 3:39 pm

        Thank you so much for making my recipe and for sharing your positive review with me!

        Reply
    4. Dave

      May 24, 2024 at 11:58 am

      5 stars
      I had this at a local place and it was so good. So found your recipe and oh my, pretty much spot on flavors to what I had. Thanks

      Reply
      • Christie Lai

        June 03, 2024 at 1:08 pm

        This made me so happy to read! Glad it hit the spot and is restaurant quality 🙂

        Reply
    5. Katy

      May 15, 2024 at 6:25 pm

      5 stars
      So good! Love the crunchiness of the cucumbers and the sauce just is perfect. For fun I tried Trader Joe’s Japanese multipurpose seasoning that has black and white sesame seeds, nori and kelp powder in, and it was also really great with these smashed cucumbers.

      Reply
      • Christie Lai

        May 15, 2024 at 8:34 pm

        Thank you so much for making my recipe, Katy! I'm so glad you enjoyed it with the seasoning as well!

        Reply
    6. Dale

      March 26, 2024 at 5:39 pm

      Not just this recipe, but I think I am going to enjoy you. I was a prairie meat & potatoes guy (and miss meat so much) I have a young E.Indian lad living in my home (I cook-he manages my property). Some of their spices are too strong for me - I love curry's. As I grew up, it was Chinese, Italian, Greek, eventually Thai etc - Indian is great - just not every day. Nick will eat chicken (protein need) but I yearn for a ribeye - just don't want to cook two dinners. I think your Kung Pao Chicken with rice will suit us both, this as a side dish - sounds really good to me. I will follow your other dishes. Sorry for my entire history - HaHa!

      Reply
      • Christie Lai

        March 27, 2024 at 3:58 pm

        Haha thanks for your comment and for sharing! I hope you enjoy my recipes specifically this one which is a hit on the blog!

        Reply
    7. Rory

      November 26, 2023 at 8:17 am

      5 stars
      So good, and so simple! We tend to double the recipe, they are just that good!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        November 28, 2023 at 4:02 pm

        Thank you so much for making my recipe in the past and glad you love it so much! Have a wonderful day, Rory!

        Reply
    8. Ben

      May 10, 2022 at 8:28 pm

      5 stars
      Incredibly flavourful and so easy to make! Thank you for this recipe Christie.

      Reply
      • christieathome

        May 10, 2022 at 8:42 pm

        Thanks for making my recipe! Glad you enjoyed it! ☺️

        Reply
    9. Heidi | The Frugal Girls

      June 07, 2021 at 3:52 pm

      5 stars
      Your idea to add some heat and some sweet to raw cucumbers is so good. This is the perfect way to dress up cucumbers for the summer!

      Reply

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    Christie

    Christie is an Recipe Blogger with an expertise on Asian recipes! She makes Asian cooking approachable with step-by-step pictures, ingredient & recipe tips and a helpful cooking video. Her quick and easy recipes have been featured on BuzzFeed Tasty, Food52, The Kitchn, The FeedFeed, Sur La Table, Yummly and more! With a following of over 1M+, her recipes are made repeatedly by her loyal readers.

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