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    Home » Recipes » Appetizers/Sides » Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad

    Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad

    Last Modified: April 28, 2022 - Published by: christieathome - Comments: 3 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad. Refreshing cucumber marinated in a delicious spicy garlic soy-based sauce. Ready in just 10 minutes!

    Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad

    Easy to make!

    This smacked cucumber salad recipe is extremely easy to make and only takes 8 ingredients and takes less than 10 minutes to make! I share a video on how to make spicy cucumber salad below. It's great as a side dish and it's also vegan.

    What does it taste like?

    Imagine crunchy cucumbers marinated in a garlic savoury and sweet sauce with a hint of nuttiness from the sesame oil and a spicy kick from the Chinese chili oil. This concoction makes my Chinese spicy cucumber salad a winner!

    Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad

    Popular Way to Eat Cucumbers in Asia

    This spicy cucumber salad recipe is common way to eat cucumbers in Asia 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.

    Why my recipe?

    There are many spicy cucumber salad recipes online, but you’ll love mine because:

    • It’s packed with umami, sweet, savoury and spicy flavour
    • Easy to make
    • Made in less than 10 minutes
    • Only 8 ingredients!
    • Addictive and delicious!
    • You can omit the spice to make this not spicy
    Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad

    What You’ll Need

    You will need the following spicy cucumber salad ingredients:

    • mini cucumbers
    • salt, to drain water

    Sauce:

    • regular soy sauce, not light or dark soy sauce!
    • sesame oil
    • Chinese black vinegar
    • sesame seeds
    • white granulated sugar
    • garlic, minced
    • Chinese Chili oil, store bought or check out my recipe for a homemade version here

    How to make Smacked Cucumber Salad

    Below are brief steps on how to make this Chinese cucumber salad. For full measurements and details, please scroll down to the recipe card.

    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.

    On an angle, slice cucumbers into long diagonal strips.

    Transfer to a bowl. Add salt and massage. Allow cucumbers to sit in salt for 5 minutes (or ideally 10 minutes) to draw out excess liquids. Discard liquid.

    Rinse cucumbers under cold water to remove excess salt, to prevent it from competing with sauce.

    Strain the rinsed cucumbers.

    Season with sauce ingredients and mix well. Enjoy!

    spicy smacked cucumber salad
    spicy smacked cucumber salad

    Tips for making Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad

    Below are tips on how to make spicy cucumber salad:

    Source fresh cucumbers

    If you use older cucumbers, you’ll definitely taste that they’re not fresh and almost slightly bitter.

    Smack that cucumber

    Smack hard a few times with the side of a knife until the center of the cucumbers are broken down. This helps the cucumber absorb the seasoning better.

    Do not skip salting cucumbers

    This step is crucial to crunchier cucumbers. By allowing them to sit in the salt, this forces some of the water content out of the cucumber to make them crunchier in texture.

    Strain any excess liquids

    Strain out all the liquids as best as possible, so it does not interfere with the seasoning.

    Rinse the cucumbers of the salt

    Since our seasoning contains salt, rinsing the cucumbers off under cold water helps to remove any excess salt that may compete with the sauce.

    FAQ

    Below are frequently asked questions about this Asian cucumber salad:

    Can I omit the spice?

    Yes! Just remove the chili oil and it’ll taste just as delicious!

    How long does this cucumber salad last?

    It’ll last for 1-2 days in the fridge.

    Can I use normal cucumbers?

    Yes! Feel free to use long seedless cucumber for this recipe.

    Can I use store bought chili oil?

    Of course, but I would 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?

    Pretty hard and hard enough to split it. Please watch my video to see how hard you would need to smack it.

    Other recipes you may like!

    If you enjoyed this easy spicy cucumber salad, then you may like these recipes:

    Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad
    Korean Cucumber Salad
    Dill Cucumber Toast
    Japanese Crab Corn Salad
    Korean Potato Salad
    Watermelon Basil Salad

    Or check It's Not Complicated Recipes' Spicy Cucumber Pickles! She's my friend and she shares easy delicious no fuss recipes!

    Try it!

    Well, I hope you give my Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad a try! It always excites me when you make my recipes and I hope this is one you try and most importantly, enjoy.

    Sharing is caring

    If you enjoyed my smashed cucumber salad, 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!

    Did you enjoy it?

    If you genuinely enjoyed my crunchy Asian cucumber salad, please leave a 5-star review. I would appreciate it 🙂

    Take care,
    Christie

    *This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I also earn from qualifying purchases through additional affiliate programs

    10-min. Easy Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad

    christieathome
    Spicy Smacked Cucumber Salad. Refreshing cucumber marinated in a delicious spicy garlic soy-based sauce. Ready in just 10 minutes!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course dinner, lunch, Side Dish
    Cuisine Chinese
    Servings 2 as a side
    Calories per serving 222 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 6 mini cucumbers
    • ½ tsp salt to drain water

    Sauce:

    • 2 tbsp regular soy sauce not light or dark soy sauce!
    • 1.5 tbsp sesame oil
    • 1 tbsp Chinese black vinegar *can be omitted if you prefer not spicy
    • ½ tbsp sesame seeds
    • 1 tbsp white granulated sugar
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • 1 tbsp Chinese Chili oil store bought or homemade version here

    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.
    • On an angle, slice cucumbers into long diagonal strips.
    • Transfer to a bowl. Add salt and massage. Allow cucumbers to sit in salt for 5 minutes (or ideally 10 minutes) to draw out excess liquids. Discard liquid.
    • Rinse cucumbers under cold water to remove excess salt, to prevent it from competing with sauce.
    • Strain the rinsed cucumbers.
    • Season with sauce ingredients and mix well. Enjoy!

    Notes

    Best to consume within the same day or store refrigerated and consumed in 2 days.
    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!
    Copyright PolicyPlease do not copy and paste my recipes or use my photos in your own site/blog or social media. If you use my recipe for adaptation, please provide a link back to my recipe and re-write in your own words. Thank you.

    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
    Course dinner, lunch, Side Dish
    Cuisine Chinese
    Keyword asian spicy cucumber salad recipe, chinese cucumber salad, chinese smacked cucumber salad, chinese spicy cucumber salad, crunchy asian cucumber salad, easy spicy cucumber salad, how to make smacked cucumber salad, quick chinese cucumber salad, smacked cucumber salad recipe, smashed cucumber salad, smashed spicy cucumber salad, spicy chinese cucumber salad, spicy cucumber salad chinese, spicy cucumber salad recipes, spicy sichuan cucumber salad, spicy smacked cucumber salad
    « Kimchi Cream Pasta
    Chili Garlic Shrimp Noodles »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. 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
    2. 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

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    Christie

    Christie is an Asian Recipe Blogger sharing delicious recipes that you can make at home! Her goal is to make Asian cooking approachable and less intimidating. With a social media following of over 500k, she has been featured on Buzz Feed Tasty, Food52, The Kitchn and more! Christie's recipes have been made over and over again by her loyal readers.

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