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    Home » Recipes » Salad

    Asian Cucumber Salad

    Published: Mar 7, 2025 by Maria Doss · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    pinterest image.

    This Asian Cucumber Salad will completely transform how you eat cucumbers! With its perfect balance of crisp, sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors, it’s the ideal side dish, appetizer, or complement to any of your favorite Asian meals. Ready in under 20 minutes!

    Jump to Recipe

    My top tips - Use thin-skinned cucumbers with no seeds, and adjust the amount of chili crisp to your taste to control the level of heat. Continue for more!

    spiced sliced cucumbers in a round white bowl along with a spoon.

    👉 This spicy Asian cucumber salad recipe has been a personal favorite since I first shared the recipe in 2022. It was updated with new photos and more details in March 2025.

    Cucumber salads are a staple in our home, but this spicy version has completely won me over. Every time I make it, I can't help but polish off the entire batch on my own—whether as a quick lunch or a satisfying snack.

    The perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and tangy dressing paired with the crisp cucumber makes this one of the best ways to enjoy cucumbers.

    The Asian cucumber salad went viral on TikTok because it's simple, refreshing, and easy to make, yet incredibly delicious. It's quick, effortless, and a perfect way to showcase cucumbers in a bright, flavorful way.

    This recipe is inspired by the TikTok salad but with a slight twist, making it even easier to prepare—no need to slice the cucumbers into spirals or drain them after salting.

    Jump to:
    • Best type of cucumber to use
    • Best spicy sauce to use
    • How to make Asian Cucumber Salad?
    • Why do you smash cucumbers?
    • How to eat?
    • Make it your own
    • Recipe tips
    • More sweet and spicy food ideas
    • Asian Cucumber Salad

    Best type of cucumber to use

    The best cucumbers to use are thin-skinned varieties, like English or Persian cucumbers.

    English cucumber: They have a mild, subtly sweet flavor and a thin, delicate skin that doesn’t require peeling, making them ideal for fresh salads.

    Persian cucumber: They are typically smaller, about 4 to 6 inches long, and with a flavor profile similar to English cucumbers—sweet with a slight crunch—but are more flavorful than the common slicing cucumber.

    Avoid cucumbers with seeds that require peeling. The skin adds fiber, texture, and color contrast, while also helping the slices hold up well even after salting.

    Best spicy sauce to use

    For this recipe, I used a blend of red pepper flakes and chili crisp. The chili crisp adds a delightful crunch with crispy chili bits in vibrant red oil, but it’s not as spicy as it might seem. To amp up the heat, I added some extra red pepper flakes. Here are a few other delicious alternatives you can try.

    Chinese or Thai chili oil: It adds a smoky, spicy flavor and a vibrant red color. When combined with red pepper flakes, it provides the same texture and rich color as chili crisp.

    Gochujang: The spicy Korean chili paste is spicy, slightly sweet, and adds depth and umami flavor.

    Sriracha: The popular Sriracha sauce adds a smoother heat and is perfect if you want a slightly sweet, garlicky kick to your salad.

    Chili garlic sauce: It’s spicy with a bold, garlicky kick—perfect for those who love a strong garlic flavor. You might also love our round up post of more than 16 garlic recipes.

    How to make Asian Cucumber Salad?

    a hand smashing one green cucumber placed on a wooden board.
    Step 1 - Gently smash the cucumber with a meat mallet.
    two hand cutting one green cucumber into slices using a knife.
    Step 2 - Slice into ¼ to ½ inch thick slices.

    👩‍🍳 Pro tip: Gently smash the cucumber until it slightly flattens, being careful not to crush it open.

    sliced green cucumbers placed in a glass bowl along with a wooden spoon.
    Step 3 - Add the sliced cucumber into a bowl.
    sliced green cucumbers placed in a glass bowl along with a wooden spoon.
    Step 4 - Toss with ¼ teaspoon salt and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes.

    👉 The salt draws out moisture from the cucumber, which helps keep it crunchy while enhancing their flavor.

    red chili paste sprinkled on sliced green cucumbers placed in a large glass bowl.
    Step 5 - Add all the dressing ingredients.
    a hand mixing spicy Asian cucumber salad in a large glass bowl using a wooden spoon.
    Step 6 - Toss to combine.

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    spiced sliced cucumbers in a round white bowl along with a spoon.

    👩‍🍳 This salad is best when served immediately!

    Why do you smash cucumbers?

    Cucumbers have a naturally slippery texture, which makes it difficult for the dressing to adhere. Smashing it breaks down the cell walls, creating an uneven surface that absorbs the dressing more effectively and also allows ingredients to cling better to the vegetable.

    Tools to smash: A meat mallet is an excellent choice, as it lets you gently smash the cucumber without breaking it apart. Alternatively, a heavy-bottomed skillet, such as a cast iron skillet, or a rolling pin also work well for the task.

    How to eat?

    You’ll find that the longer this salad sits around, the more water is drawn out of the cucumbers. So it is best to enjoy it right away. The dressing is more intense flavoured . The longer it sits, the dressing is diluted from extra water drawn from the cucumber and the cucumber loses it's crisp texture as well.

    👉 Eat with a spoon! Unlike most salad recipes that are typically eaten with a fork, this spicy cucumber salad is best enjoyed with a spoon, allowing you to scoop up some of the dressing with every bite. That’s the best part—it’s absolutely delicious!

    Love fiery foods? We have an extensive collection of spicy dinner recipes and spicy snack ideas that you might love.

    spiced sliced cucumbers in a round white bowl along with a spoon.
    spiced sliced cucumbers in a round white bowl along with a spoon.
    ©Image Credit: Kitchen At Hoskins

    Make it your own

    Although this recipe is titled an Asian cucumber salad, feel free to customize it to your taste. Make it Korean by adding Gochujang paste, or go Thai by adding chopped cilantro, mint, red onions, toasted peanuts, and Thai bird’s eye chilies for an extra kick.

    Recipe tips

    • Use English cucumber variety.
    • Adjust the spice level to suit your taste!
    • Eat the salad right away!
    • Make sure to scoop up some of the dressing with every bite—it’s the best part!

    spiced sliced cucumbers in a round white bowl along with a spoon.
    spiced sliced cucumbers in a round white bowl along with a spoon.

    More sweet and spicy food ideas

    • red colored Asian cauliflower in a sheet pan.
      Asian Roasted Cauliflower and Cashews
    • one glass jar of hot honey along with one wooden stick.
      Hot Honey Recipe
    • yellow cornbread muffins topped with green jalapeno slices in a white tray.
      Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
    • stir fried firecracker shrimp in a black skillet.
      20 Minute Firecracker Shrimp

    spiced sliced cucumbers in a round white bowl along with a spoon.

    Asian Cucumber Salad

    This Asian Cucumber Salad will completely transform how you eat cucumbers! With its perfect balance of crisp, sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors, it’s the ideal side dish, appetizer, or complement to any of your favorite Asian meals. Ready in under 20 minutes!
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: Asian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 Servings
    Calories: 24kcal
    Author: Maria Doss

    Ingredients

    • 1 large English cucumber
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt

    Dressing

    • ¾ tablespoon sugar
    • ½ tablespoon soy sauce
    • ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds toasted
    • ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon chili crisp refer notes for more options
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Place cucumber on a cutting board and smash it lightly along its full length using a meat mallet until it cracks lightly.
      👉 Gently smash the cucumber until it slightly flattens, being careful not to crush it open.
    • Cut into ½-inch thick slices, transfer to a large bowl and mix gently with salt, until thoroughly combined. Leave aside for 10-15 minutes.
    • Combine all the dressing ingredients and toss well. Taste the sauce and adjust the heat, sugar, or vinegar to your preference.
    • This salad is best when served immediately!
      Eat with a spoon, scooping up some of the dressing with every bite. That’s the best part—it’s absolutely delicious!

    Notes

    Don't have chili crisp? Use chili oil, Gochujang paste or chili garlic sauce.
    Use English cucumber variety.
    Adjust the spice level to suit your taste!
    Eat the salad right away!
    Make sure to scoop up some of the dressing with every bite—it’s the best part!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 24kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 204mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.3mg

    Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.

    Did you make this recipe?Mention @KitchenAtHoskins or tag #kitchenathoskins!

    Did you make this recipe? I’d love your feedback! Please let me know by leaving a comment or review below or snap a photo and share on Instagram.

    Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Thank you for supporting kitchenathoskins.com.

    All contents and images are my original work, unless and otherwise mentioned. Please do not use my recipes or images without linking back to www.kitchenathoskins.com. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite in your own words and don’t forget to include a link back to the original recipe.

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    Hi, I'm Maria! I'm excited to share with you creative twists on classic Indian, American, and global dishes—perfect for easy family meals or unique dishes to impress guests!

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