Asian Spicy Cucumber Salad

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Super crunchy and packed full of flavor, this Asian spicy cucumber salad makes for a great refreshing vegan side dish to try this summer.

When I have some extra cucumbers lying in my refrigerator, I almost always find myself putting this salad together.

It's either this or my all-time favorite spicy pineapple and cucumber salad.

Spicy cucumber salad topped with sesame seeds served in a bowl.

Inspired by the viral TikTok recipe, I decided to do my own take on this cucumber salad recipe, and I had to say, this one really knocked my socks off!

This cucumber salad with Asian flavors is a great recipe to put together if you like spicy food and are looking for an easy recipe to make with just some pantry essentials.

Teamed up with a simple Asian-style soup like Napa cabbage soup or Tom Yum Gai, this salad can be a great side dish that needs minimal effort to put together.

Jump to:

What's So Great About the Recipe?
Ingredients For the Asian Spicy Cucumber Salad Recipe
Substitutions
How to Make the Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad
Variations
💭Top Tip
How to Store the Leftovers
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
How to Serve the Spicy Cucumber Salad
Recipe FAQs
More Salad Recipes
Asian Spicy Cucumber Salad

What's So Great About the Recipe?

What I love the most about this crunchy and spicy cucumber salad recipe is the fact that it pairs so well with almost any other main dish.

The salad has bold flavors, which means I could pair it with any subtle-tasting meal, or any Asian-inspired rice or noodle dish I’m putting together. And of course, you can adjust the spice level to your liking.

It is perfect for the warmer months of the year, and comes together super quick too!

Ingredients For the Asian Spicy Cucumber Salad Recipe

This spicy cucumber salad features some simple ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.

Persian cucumbers: I would highly recommend using English cucumbers or Persian cucumbers for this recipe. You don’t need to peel the skin, which gives them a nice crunchy texture that you totally want for this recipe, and they’re less watery than other varieties too.

Spring onion: Freshly chopped green onions are another absolute must, because they lend so much flavor to the salad, and bring a touch of freshness too.

Garlic: Chopped garlic really elevates this salad to the next level. The little bits and pieces of pungent garlic complement the rather bland cucumbers.

Sesame seeds: Sesame seeds lend the salad a beautiful zippy crunch and a bit of texture too. For some extra flavor, you can use toasted sesame seeds.

Soy sauce: I’ve used dark soy sauce, but you can stick to using low sodium or light soy sauce if you want to. This just adds a nice bit of umami flavor to the salad.

Vinegar: Vinegar brings some tanginess to the salad. I used white vinegar, but you could also choose to use lime juice, balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, or apple cider vinegar instead.

Cilantro: Chopped cilantro can brighten up the salad and lend it some extra freshness. You can use chives or Thai basil too!

Gochugaru: Gochugaru is a simple Korean chili powder/paste that lends the salad that bright red color and the kick of heat. Use Gochujang if you can’t find Gochugaru.

Chili flakes: Just a pinch of red pepper flakes or Korean chili flakes can add some flaky, peppery deliciousness to the salad.

Sesame oil: Sesame oil can be a great base for the salad dressing. While you can always use extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil has a better, Asian flavor. I love using toasted sesame oil for a more pronounced Asian flavor.

Sugar: A bit of sugar really helps tie all the flavors together, and keeps the salad from being overly spicy. Use brown sugar if you want a deeper flavor.

See recipe card for quantities.

Substitutions

If you’re looking to make a gluten-free version of this salad, swap the soy sauce for tamari or gluten-free soy sauce.
If you don’t have the sesame seeds or are looking for another crunchy addition to this salad, consider roasted and crushed peanuts. That's actually exactly what I did when I was making my Thai crunchy cucumber salad.
If you don’t want to use sugar to sweeten the dressing for this salad, you can add a dash of honey or some maple syrup instead.
Remember to adjust the amount of salt in the dressing before you pour it over the assembled salad. Ingredients like soy sauce already have quite a bit of salt added in.
Don’t have Gochugaru? Use any simple chili garlic sauce instead.

How to Make the Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad

Ready to make this spicy cucumber salad? Here's how you need to do it.

Spicy garlic mixture for the Asian cucumber salad.

Step 1: In a small bowl, combine Gochugaru, sesame oil, sesame seeds, sugar, chili flakes, cilantro, vinegar, soy sauce, and chopped garlic.

Step 2: Now add in the chopped spring onions and mix everything well.

Chopping cucumbers for the Asian spicy cucumber salad.

Step 3: Rinse the cucumbers and cut them into small wedges using a sharp knife. You can also choose to salt the cucumbers and remove the excess moisture if you want to.

Step 4: Combine everything in a large bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, covered in cling wrap.

Top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and the Asian spicy cucumber salad is ready to serve!

Variations

While I made this spicy Asian cucumber salad with diced cucumbers, you can also choose to cut the cucumbers into slices if you want to. Just remember to slice the cucumber into thin strips.
To get the perfect thin slices, you can use a mandolin slicer.
Another great version you can try out is a nice Chinese smashed cucumber salad.
If you have a little extra time and love spicy food, you can also make cucumber noodles using a spiralizer, and top the noodles with the spicy sauce.
I also like to add a dash of Chinese black vinegar to this Asian cucumber salad recipe.
To bring some extra tanginess into the salad, you can add some tamarind paste.
To make this Asian cucumber salad more flavorful, you can also add a dash of fish sauce to the dressing.

💭Top Tip

To make the cucumbers soak up all those spicy flavors, you can also consider scoring them with a fork before cutting them.

How to Store the Leftovers

Just like most other salads, this Asian spicy cucumber salad tastes best on the day you make it. If you have some leftovers, you can always store them for up to 2 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

Storing any salad beyond that point will cause all the veggies to become watery, and mushy and lose their texture. Freezing the salad is also a big no-no.

That said, you can prepare the homemade chili oil in advance and store it for weeks in the refrigerator.

Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe

Think you're ready to nail this spicy Asian cucumber salad recipe? While making this cucumber salad is so easy, you might want to note down these little tips and tricks too.

While cucumber is the hero ingredient in this dish, you can always add more veggies of your choice to add more nutrition and healthy goodness to the salad.
Carrots, bell peppers, and red cabbage taste wonderful when put together and tossed in this delicious spicy dressing. You can julienne them or cut them into small pieces.
I love the idea of adding some bean sprouts to the cucumber dish too. This really helps make them crunchy and nutritious- a lot of Asian recipes call for it to be added in.
If you want the salad to have a protein punch, you can add pan-fried tofu or shrimp to it too!
To get the best flavor, let the cucumbers marinate in the dressing for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator before you serve.
Once you get it out of the refrigerator, give it a quick mix again to redistribute the seasonings and dressing.

How to Serve the Spicy Cucumber Salad

This sweet and spicy Asian cucumber salad is best served with your Asian recipes and culinary creations.

Here are a few good ideas to get you inspired.

With a Grilled Meat

This refreshing salad can be an excellent side dish or appetizer to serve with any of your grilled meats and summer main dishes.

Salmon, chicken, and shrimp are all great proteins you can pair the salad with.

On a Rice Bowl

I like to serve it with my honey sriracha shrimp rice bowl with a topping of some spicy red pepper flakes for some extra flavor.

With Noodles

This delicious Asian salad can also liven up any simple noodle dish and lend it some more deliciousness. Serve it with your soba or udon noodles to make it a complete meal.

Inside a Sandwich or Wrap

Your leftover Asian cucumber salad that has slightly watery cucumber can be used as a filling for your wraps and sandwiches too!

Recipe FAQs

What can I use instead of Gochugaru?

If you don’t have Gochugaru, you can use any red chili paste or hot oil as an alternative. I like to use my crunchy chili crisp, but you can also use some Sriracha if nothing else works for you.

Can I use regular cucumbers to make the salad?

You can! Just remember that you will need to peel these cucumbers first before using them. If you can get your hands on some mini cucumbers or Japanese cucumbers, you can use them too.

How do I make spiral cucumbers?

To do this, you’ll need to place one cucumber between two chopsticks and make diagonal cuts on the entire surface. Then, flip the cucumber and do the same on the other side too. Make sure you don’t cut all the way to the other end. You’ve just ended up with the perfect TikTok-inspired spiral cucumber.

Do I need to salt the cucumbers?

It is best to draw water from the cucumbers before you use them to make this spicy salad. To do this, you’ll need to salt and rinse the cucumbers, but if you’re on a time crunch skipping this step is always an option.

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