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Asian Cucumber Salad is made with crisp cucumbers tossed in a flavorful garlic, sesame, soy, and chili crunch dressing. This easy cucumber salad is savory, tangy, a little sweet, and slightly spicy, with plenty of fresh cucumber flavor.
Inspired by restaurant-style Chinese cucumber salads like the popular cucumber appetizer at Din Tai Fung, this refreshing side dish is easy to make with simple ingredients.
Thick cucumber slices stay nice and crisp, while chili crunch adds a little heat and crunchy texture.
Why You’ll Love This Asian Cucumber Salad
- Fresh cucumbers make it crisp and refreshing.
- The garlic, sesame, soy, and chili dressing has lots of flavor.
- Salting the cucumbers first helps them stay crisp and keeps the dressing from becoming watery.
- It’s an easy side dish that can be made ahead a few hours and chilled until serving.
Asian Cucumber Salad Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this easy cucumber salad.
Persian Cucumbers or English Cucumber, Kosher Salt, Rice Vinegar, Low Sodium Soy Sauce, Granulated Sugar, Toasted Sesame Oil, Chili Crunch, Garlic, Sesame Seeds, Green Onion
What Kind of Cucumbers Are Best?
Persian cucumbers are a great choice because they are small, crisp, thin-skinned, and have very small seeds.
I often use English cucumbers as they are more readily available at my grocery store. Use about 1 pound and cut it into thick rounds just as you would the Persian cucumbers.
There is no need to peel either type of cucumber.
How to Make Asian Cucumber Salad
This salad is quick to put together and so delicious!
- Cut the cucumbers into about ½-inch thick rounds.
- Toss the cucumber slices with salt and place them in a colander. Let sit for 30 minutes to release excess moisture.
- While the cucumbers are salting, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Taste it and adjust seasonings, if desired.
- Rinse the cucumbers under cold water.
- Dry cucumbers with paper towels.
- Add the cucumbers to a bowl and toss with the dressing.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
- Serve chilled with sesame seeds, sliced green onion, and a little additional chili crunch, if desired.
TIP: Be sure to dry the cucumbers well after rinsing them. Excess water can dilute the dressing and make the salad less flavorful.
Variations & Substitutions
- Chili Oil: Regular chili oil can be used instead of chili crunch. Start with about 2 teaspoons and add more to taste.
- Less Spicy: This dressing isn’t very spicy, but you can use less chili crunch or spoon mostly the oil from the jar rather than the chili solids.
- Spicier: Add extra chili crunch or a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
- Less Sweet: If you like more savory, reduce the sugar from 1 tablespoon to 2 teaspoons.
- Cucumber Options: Persian cucumbers give you smaller restaurant-style rounds, but English cucumber works just as well.
How to Serve Asian Cucumber Salad
Serve this cucumber salad cold as a refreshing side dish or appetizer.
For a restaurant-style presentation, stack the thick cucumber rounds on a small plate or shallow bowl, then spoon some of the dressing and chili crunch over the top. Finish with a light sprinkle of sesame seeds and green onion.
It also works perfectly served more casually in a bowl.
Storage
Store Asian Cucumber Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
The cucumbers will continue to release moisture as they sit, so the salad is crispiest and freshest the day it is made.
More Fresh Salad Recipes
Creamy Dill Cucumber Salad
Fresh Asian Slaw
Blueberry Spinach Salad
Watermelon Feta Salad
Apple Cranberry Coleslaw
If you make this tasty Cucumber Salad recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment below with a star rating! 😊
Asian Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound Persian Cucumbers (or 1-2 large English Cucumbers)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Dressing
- 2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Toasted Sesame Oil
- 2 teaspoons Chili Crunch (or Chili Oil)
- 3 cloves Garlic (finely minced or pressed)
For Serving
- Sesame Seeds
- Sliced Green Onion
- Additional Chili Crunch optional
Instructions
- Slice the cucumbers into about ½-inch thick rounds.
- Place the cucumber slices in a colander and toss with the kosher salt. Let sit for 30 minutes to draw out excess moisture.
- While cucumbers are salting, make the dressing: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, chili crunch, and garlic.
- Briefly rinse the cucumbers under cold water. Dry very well with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel.
- Add the cucumbers to a bowl and toss with the dressing until well coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning or chili crunch, if desired. Serve chilled with sesame seeds, sliced green onion, and additional chili crunch.
Notes
- Persian cucumbers are ideal for making small, thick rounds, but English cucumber also works very well.
- Regular chili oil can be substituted for the chili crunch.
- For a less sweet dressing, reduce the granulated sugar to 2 teaspoons.
- Drying the cucumbers thoroughly after rinsing helps prevent the dressing from becoming watery.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very good. Crunchy and light. I took the leftovers to work and it was still good.