Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad. Refreshing cucumber marinated in soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, and sugar. A delicious way to have cucumbers. Easy to make. Great as a side dish for dinner or lunch. Ready in just 15 minutes with just 6 ingredients. It's also vegan!
Cucumbers are probably one of my favourite vegetables to eat raw. There is something so refreshing about the taste and texture of them. But when you season them with soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil and sugar – it is cucumber heaven! The slight kick from the chili oil and the salty sweet umami flavour from the soy sauce with the nuttiness from the sesame oil really make this Chinese spicy cucumber salad a winner!
This spicy cucumber salad recipe is popular way to eat cucumbers in China and there are many different variations of it from garlicky to sweet. But I want to make mine spicy since I had a lot of homemade Sichuan chili oil left that I needed to use up. You can of course use store bought chili oil if you have it! If you’re looking for a recipe for homemade Chinese Chili Oil, check out my recipe here.
Lately I’ve decided to get back to my roots and study food from my dad’s origin, China. It’s been so interesting learning the kinds of foods he and my grandparents would eat. Chinese cuisine is very simple, but so flavourful and delicious. It’s not overwhelmed with sauces or ingredients either which is something I love about Chinese cuisine. They take advantage of the aromatics like green onions, ginger or garlic to enhance the flavour profile so the dependence on sauces is lessened.
Easy to make!
This smacked cucumber salad recipe is extremely easy to make and only takes 6 ingredients! In fact, I share a video on how to make spicy cucumber salad below.
First you’ll smack the cucumber with the flat side of a knife a few times on each side. Next you’ll slice it lengthwise into four strips and slice the strips diagonally into 0.5 thick pieces or bite size chunks. Then sprinkle the salt and mix. Allow this to rest for 10 minutes. This helps makes the cucumber crispier. Once 10 minutes has passed, you will rinse the cucumber under cold water and strain it. Transferring the strained cucumber into a mixing bowl.
Lastly you’ll season it with the remaining ingredients with a good mix. And enjoy! You can add more chili oil on top of this Chinese cucumber salad if you wish!
Watch how I made this!
Tips for making Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad
Below are tips on how to make spicy cucumber salad:
- Source fresh cucumber for this recipe. The fresher the better!
- Smack that cucumber hard a few times on each side so it loses a bit of its hard texture. Its best to use the flat side of a cleaver or a wide knife.
- Do not skip salting and allowing the cucumber to sit in the salt. This process forces some of the water content from the cucumber and makes it crispier.
- Rinse the cucumber under COLD water well.
- Strain the cucumber well, we don’t want so much water content in the salad.
FAQ
Can I use English cucumbers?
Sure, but if it has hard seeds, I would recommend cutting around that for this quick spicy cucumber salad.
Can I use store bought chili oil?
Of course, but I would recommend using a Chinese style chili oil.
How hard do I need to smack the cucumber?
Pretty hard but not so hard that you’re splitting it. You just want to bruise the outer texture. Please watch my video to see how hard you would need to smack it.
Other Salad recipes you may like!
If you enjoyed this easy spicy cucumber salad then you may like these salad recipes:
KOREAN CUCUMBER SALAD
DILL CUCUMBER TOAST
JAPANESE CRAB CORN SALAD
KOREAN POTATO SALAD
WATERMELON BASIL SALAD
ASIAN SALAD WITH SESAME LEMON DRESSING
ASIAN STEAK SALAD
Or check It's Not Complicated Recipes' Spicy Cucumber Pickles or these Cucumber Salmon Bites! She's my friend and she shares easy delicious . no fuss recipes!
For this recipe
You will need the following spicy cucumber salad ingredients:
- 1 long American cucumber
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp black Chinese vinegar
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp chili oil, store bought or homemade
- Optional: 1 tsp garlic, minced (not shown in video)
How to make Smacked Cucumber Salad
- First smack the cucumber with the flat side of a knife a few times on each side. Next slice it lengthwise into four strips and slice the strips diagonally into 0.5 thick pieces or bite size chunks.
- Then sprinkle the salt and mix. Allow this to rest for 10 minutes. This helps makes the cucumber crispier.
- Once 10 minutes has passed, rinse the cucumber under cold water and strain it. Transfer the strained cucumber into a mixing bowl.
- Lastly season it with the remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve cold and enjoy! Optional: You can add more chili oil on top of this Chinese cucumber salad if you wish!
Give it a try!
Well, I hope you give my Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.
Thanks for visiting my blog! If you enjoyed my recipe for spicy cucumber salad, please share it with your family and friends or on social media!
Take a picture if you've made my recipe and tag me on Instagram @ChristieAtHome in your feed or stories so I can share your creation in my stories with credits to you!
Made this recipe and loved it?
If you could leave a star rating for my Chinese spicy cucumber salad, I would greatly appreciate it 🙂 Thanks so much!
Take care,
Christie
*This post for my Chinese spicy cucumber salad recipe contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I also earn from qualifying purchases through additional affiliate programs
Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 American cucumber unpeeled
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp black Chinese vinegar or Chinkiang Vinegar
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tsp chili oil store bought or homemade
- Optional: 1 tsp garlic minced (not shown in video)
Instructions
- First smack the cucumber with the flat side of a knife a few times on each side. Next slice it lengthwise into four strips and slice the strips diagonally into 0.5 thick pieces or bite size chunks.
- Then sprinkle the salt and mix. Allow this to rest for 10 minutes. This helps makes the cucumber crispier.
- Once 10 minutes has passed, rinse the cucumber under cold water and strain it. Transfer the strained cucumber into a mixing bowl.
- Lastly season it with the remaining ingredients and mix well. Serve cold and enjoy! Optional: You can add more chili oil on top of this Chinese cucumber salad if you wish!
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!