My Asian cucumber salad is the ultimate refreshing vegetable side dish to pair with your favorite Asian-inspired meals. It’s crunchy, spicy, herby, and packed with way more flavor than you’d expect from such a simple salad.
Why You’ll Love This Asian Cucumber Salad
While I love a classic cucumber salad for summer cookouts, this smashed Asian cucumber salad is what I find myself craving whenever I’m planning Asian-inspired dinners for the week. It’s savory, crunchy, and spicy, like a quick “kimchi-style” veggie side dish that pairs perfectly with mains like my fan-favorite fried rice, teriyaki chicken, Mongolian beef, and miso salmon (my favorite!). Here are a few more reasons why I make this salad often:
- It’s incredibly fast and easy. The whole dish comes together in just about 20 minutes.
- It’s loaded with flavor. Inspired by traditional Chinese smashed cucumber salads, this version adds extra green onion and cilantro for a bright, herby twist.
- You can adjust the spice. Just add more or less chili crisp to achieve the level of spice you prefer.
Asian Cucumber Salad Ingredients
- Persian cucumbers: These are ideal for smashing! They’re thin-skinned, crisp, and seedless. The smaller size also helps the flavors absorb better.
- Green onion and cilantro: Not traditional in classic Chinese cucumber salad, but I love the fresh, vibrant flavor they add.
- Sesame seeds: They add a nice nutty finish and visual appeal. Always a great topper for Asian veggie sides.
- Sesame oil, tamari soy sauce, and rice vinegar: This trio is a staple in Asian dressings. I use tamari soy sauce instead of regular soy sauce to keep it gluten-free.
- Honey: A touch of sweetness balances the tang and heat.
- Chili crisp or chili oil: I prefer chili crisp for its crunchy texture and layers of flavor from fried chili flakes, garlic, and onions. Though you could use chili oil as well. I linked my favorite brand in the recipe card below!
Scroll to the recipe card for the printable recipe with measurements and instructions.
How To Make Asian Cucumber Salad
Step one: Smash the cucumbers. Lay the side of your knife against the cucumber and gently press down with your hand until the skin splits. You can also use a meat mallet if you’d like. Then, slice the cucumbers on a diagonal and place them in a colander.
Step two: Sprinkle the cucumbers with salt and gently massage them in while tossing. Let them sit in the sink to drain for 10 to 15 minutes. Then rinse under cold water to remove excess salt and drain again thoroughly.
Step three: Transfer the cucumbers to a large mixing bowl. Add the green onion, cilantro, and sesame seeds.
Step four: In a small bowl, whisk together sesame oil, tamari soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and chili crisp. Pour over the cucumbers and toss to combine.
Storage Tips
This salad will keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days when stored in an airtight container. Just note that the cucumbers may soften a bit over time, so it’s best enjoyed fresh within the first day or two.
Common Questions
Yes, salting is an important step! It draws out excess moisture from the cucumbers, which helps keep the salad crisp and prevents it from becoming watery. Just salt for 10 to 20 minutes before rinsing and draining.
Yes, you can prep it a few hours in advance. In fact, letting the cucumbers marinate in the dressing for a bit enhances the flavor. Just note that the longer it sits, the softer the cucumbers will get. So if you prefer a super crisp texture, it’s best served within a few hours of making.
It has a mild kick from the chili crisp, but it’s not overwhelmingly spicy. If you’re sensitive to heat, start with a small amount of chili crisp and add more to taste. You can also skip it entirely for a milder version, though it does add amazing flavor and texture!
I love pairing this salad with all my Asian-inspired recipes. It adds a refreshing bite to dinners like miso salmon, teriyaki chicken, Mongolian beef, or chicken stir-fry. And you can also round out the table with my shrimp fried rice!
More Easy Salad Recipes
- Simple Kale Salad: The perfect fall side salad.
- Caprese Salad: A summer must-make.
- Greek Salad: A Mediterranean favorite.
- Or give these delicious salad recipes a try!
If you try this asian cucumber salad recipe, let me know how it turns out in the comments below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more healthy food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Description
Video
Equipment
- Glass Mixing Bowls Great for mixing a variety of things.
- Zwilling Chef's Knife My favorite chef's knife!
Ingredients
Cucumber Salad
- 6 medium Persian cucumbers
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds, toasted (plus extra for garnish)
Asian Dressing
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 to 2 teaspoons chili crisp, see notes below
Instructions
- Smash and slice the cucumbers. Lay the side of your knife on the cucumber and gently smash it with your hand, just enough to break the cucumber skin down the full length of it. You could also use a meat mallet. Then slice each cucumber on an angle and add to a colander.
- Salt and drain the cucumbers. Place the colander in your sink. Sprinkle the salt over the cucumbers, massaging it in as you toss, and let drain for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse the cucumbers in cold water, to remove the salt, and drain again.
- Make the salad. Place the cucumbers in a large mixing bowl. Add the green onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, tamari soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, garlic, and chili oil.
- Mix the salad together. Pour the dressing on top of the salad, and toss together. Garnish with extra toasted sesame seeds.
Lisa’s Tips
- Storage tip: This salad will keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days when stored in an airtight container. Just note that the cucumbers may soften a bit over time, so it’s best enjoyed fresh within the first day or two.
- You can use chili crisp or chili oil. I prefer chili crisp in this salad as it’s a bit more complex flavor-wise with fried chili flakes, garlic, and onions, and it has a crunchy, crispy texture. Chili oil is a smoother blend of usually just chili peppers and oil. Both add great flavor to the salad, so feel free to use what you have on hand. Though if you’re buying one, I recommend the chili crisp linked in the ingredients!
- Make sure to give the chili crisp a stir for a new jar. All the yummy bits will be at the bottom.
Nutrition
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Behind The Scenes
The first time I made this salad I was a bit overly aggressive in smashing the cucumbers, lol. They had lots of cracks on the outside, but when I sliced them up, I found that they broke into smaller pieces in the bowl after stirring. So just know that you don’t have to really smash them that hard. A gentle hit with the edge of your knife or even just pressing down on the knife will still create those internal cracks for the dressing to settle. And you can save any extra energy (or daily aggression) for the gym! ;)
Defiantly on repeat! This was a great treat.
Glad you loved this Asian cucumber salad, Melissa!
Just a quick question, please: I detest cilantro. Would it work to substitute basil for the cilantro in this yummy-looking recipe? Thanks, Lisa!! :-)
Hi Anne – You can just omit the cilantro in this recipe! I’m not sure how basil would taste in this salad with all the other flavors.
I really like the recipe, trying to add more veggies in my meals and this one will be going in to my rotation menus.
This is such a simple way to add more veggies to your meals. Enjoy, Agustina!
Love this refreshing ,spicy, crunchy salad. So quick and easy and a flavor bomb in your mouth. It is also great with a sunny side egg on top.
Thrilled you loved this refreshing Asian cucumber salad, Kelly!
I tried this recipe yesterday for lunch and it was really really good!! It was even better by dinner, and I even poured the leftover dressing over some rice & finished it all. So tasty
Amazing! Glad this cucumber salad was such a hit for your lunch and dinner, Loan.
My husband is preparing the salad right now.
We love your recipes.
Greetings from Greece.
I hope you both loved this salad, Maria!
Hi Lisa, Could you post a picture of the chili crisp jar? I am in Canada and the link takes me to a page with a whole bunch of options and I have no idea which on is your fav. Thanks Ann
Hi Ann – The link should take you right to the Momofuku chili crisp (by David Cheng). Hope that helps!
Thumbs up
Glad you enjoyed this cucumber salad, Kelley!
This was a great side dish to Korean beef stir fry recently! My whole family loved the cucumbers, but my 6yo asked me to make it slightly less spicy next time. So I won’t be using quite as much chili crisp. Other than that, it was a hit!
Glad this cucumber salad was the perfect side dish to pair with your stir fry, Jennifer!
This is the most delicious cucumber recipe, I really like it, the Asian style makes it so much tastier, I love it 🥰, thank you for sharing 🥰🥰🥰
I’m so glad you loved this Asian cucumber salad, Lucy!
Love this! Combo of Sweet And spicy is perfected only by the toasted sesame seeds.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying this flavor combination, Ursula!
First of all thank you for the recipes, I love this recipe it is simple but delicious!
Happy to hear you’re loving this Asian cucumber salad, Julie!
This was a nice change from my regular ACV cucumbers – very enjoyable!
Great to hear you’re loving this Asian cucumber salad, Alison!
Love this easy recipe. Such a fresh salad to add to any Asian meal and marinated steaks.
Absolutely! Happy to hear you’re loving this salad, Kathy.
We were surprised at how delicious this salad was! It went well with our king salmon recipe high has a little Asian flair. Found the chili seasoning in our local high end grocery Lazy Acres.
So glad you ended up loving this cucumber salad, Elisabeth!
This turned out great. I didn’t have cilantro and can’t have garlic, so I used gochujang powder to make the chili crisp. We like spice so I used a tablespoon. We used this salad as a topper for ramen bowls with mukimame and shredded carrots. A nice way to mix up our ramen nights. Thanks!
Love the way you served this cucumber salad, sounds delicious! Enjoy, Dawn!
This looks so good!
The flavors are incredible. Enjoy, Jeanne!
You are always the one my husband and i check out before starting a New recipe…
Why, well because your recibes are perfect.
We have recommended you to so many of our friends!
Happy Birthday!!!
Gosh only 49 years old… so many more years to keep coming left.
We are both 77 ….
Bob and Lisa
Aw, I’m so glad you’re loving Downshiftology recipes, Lisa!
I loved this recipe. My husband usually hates cucumbers but he enjoyed this one. Lasted several days. Thank you.
Sounds like you can now make a cucumber salad your husband can enjoy, lol!
This is awesome and will make again… HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎂 🥳 🎉 TO YOU
Thrilled you loved this cucumber salad, and thanks for the birthday wishes!
Delicious & easy! Definitely will be making again in the future & gave the recipe to my friend who asked for it.
Thrilled this Asian cucumber salad was such a hit, Haley!
Simple and tasty! I was surprised at how much flavor this dish had when it really didn’t require many ingredients. Honestly, I didn’t even have the chili crisp or cilantro on hand, and even without it was delicious. I imagine it would be even better if I actually made it correctly, haha! Super refreshing and took almost no time to make, will be making again!
Hi Patty – Glad this cucumber salad still tasted amazing without the cilantro and chili crisp!