This asian cucumber salad is the perfect blend of crunchy, spicy, savory, a little sweet, and is oh-so refreshing! We love to have this alongside any takeout-style dinner, and it comes together quickly.
This is one of my Side Dish recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
As the weather starts to warm up, I start craving refreshing dishes, like this Asian cucumber salad!
These types of salads have been all over social media the last year or so, but this is the one I return to time and time again.
It’s the perfect blend of savory, sweet, spicy, and tangy, all with the delicious refreshing crunch of fresh cucumbers!
Why you’ll love this recipe!
- Quick – the longest part of this recipe is salting the cucumbers, and that’s mostly hands off!
- Customize-able – don’t want this dish too hot? I’ve detailed multiple variations in the post below so you can truly make this dish your own.
What do I need to make this recipe?
- Cucumbers – I find that the best cucumbers for this recipe are the mini or Persian ones. The next best thing would be an English cucumber.
- Salt – this recipe was tested using kosher salt.
- Rice vinegar – there are usually two options, seasoned and natural. You can use either in this recipe, although I typically use natural.
- Honey – a mild, floral sweetness works well with the other strong flavors. Feel free to adjust the amount to your taste.
- Garlic – fresh garlic is preferred, but garlic paste can be used. I would use about 2 tsp.
- Chili garlic sauce – this thick textured sauce is a great blend of spice and garlic. I like Huy Fong brand.
- Sesame oil – sesame oil is a classic oil used in Asian-style recipes. The toasted variety has the best flavor.
- Ginger – fresh ginger is preferred, but you can also use a ginger paste (Gourmet Garden is the brand I like most), and use an equal amount.
- Green onions – the mild onion flavor blends well in this recipe.
- Sesame seeds – this for a garnish, so you can skip it if you’d like. I like the crunch it adds.
How to make asian cucumber salad:
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Salt cucumbers. Sprinkle salt over the sliced cucumbers in a mixing bowl and let them sit for about 20-30 minutes.
- Rinse and dry. Rinse the cucumbers with cold water, then pat very dry.
- Make sauce. No fancy tools needed, just a whisk or fork.
- Add cucumbers. To the same bowl with the sauce, add the sliced cucumbers and toss to combine well.
Helpful Tip!
I know it’s tempting, but don’t skip the step of salting the cucumbers and letting them sit. The salt draws excess liquid out of the cucumbers, which allows the sauce to really cling to them and keep them as crisp as possible.
Variations of this recipe
- Spicier – if you love spicy recipes, you can increase the amount of chili garlic sauce, add chili crisp, or add sliced Thai peppers.
- More mild – you can certainly reduce the amount of chili garlic sauce to make this dish less spicy.
- Sweeter – the amount of honey can be increased if you like a sweeter cucumber salad.
- Cucumbers – some varieties of this recipe that I’ve seen involve smashing the cukes before cutting them, or spiral-slicing them. You can certainly do this is you’d like, I just like the ease of a simple thin slice.
- Other garnishes – in addition to the sesame seeds, you could try some crushed peanuts, sliced Thai peppers, or chili crisp.
FAQ’s
Not at all, this is just my take on a popular side dish.
I prefer to use the mini (sometimes called Persian) cucumbers, but if you can’t find those, an English cucumber is a good alternative. Those are the super long ones that typically come wrapped in cellophane at the grocery store.
Making cucumber salad ahead of time
I find this salad tastes best when made fresh, but you can make the sauce ahead and keep it refrigerated in an airtight container. The cucumbers can also be sliced and kept refrigerated for up to a day.
Storage
Leftover salad should be refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoyed within 1-3 days. The cucumbers will lose the crispness the longer they’re refrigerated.
My Favorite Mandoline!
This is the easiest way to get the sliced cucumbers to be an even thickness, and the built in guard helps you keep all your fingers!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
- 6 mini cucumbers (about 5" long) thinly sliced
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar I prefer natural
- 1 1/2 Tbsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic grated or finely minced
- 2 tsp chili garlic sauce
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 2 green onions sliced
- sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
Salt cucumbers
- To a large mixing bowl, add 6 mini cucumbers (sliced) and 3/4 tsp kosher salt. Toss to combine.
- Set aside and let sit for 20-30 minutes.
Rinse
- Rinse cucumbers off in cool water, then pat very dry. Wash and dry the mixing bowl.
Make sauce
- To the now clean mixing bowl, add 2 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar, 1 1/2 Tbsp honey, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tsp chili garlic sauce, 2 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp grated ginger, and 2 green onions. Stir/whisk well to combine.
Combine
- Add the dry cucumber slices to the mixing bowl with the sauce and toss to combine.
Serve
- Garnish with sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- I’ve estimated this recipe serves about 5, but the exact serving size and number of servings are up to you.
- For changes to the recipe, scroll up into the body of the post under the heading “Variations of this recipe”.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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