Asian Spicy Sesame Cucumber Salad Recipe (2024)

105K Shares

This post may contain affiliate links (disclosure).

This Asian spicy sesame cucumber salad is so crunchy and addictive! The dressing is simply mouthwatering!

Asian Spicy Sesame Cucumber Salad Recipe (1)

Once you taste one of these thin spicy marinated cucumber slices, you’ll automatically reach for more! When the spicy red pepper flakes and the crunchy sesame seeds hit your mouth, you’ll rejoice in unique flavor of this Asian cucumber salad!

Asian Spicy Sesame Cucumber Salad Recipe (2)

The authentic Asian dressing of sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and sugar permeates the thin cucumber slices, making them taste truly marinated and so unique! The taste is so complex, with a combination of sweet, sour, salty, tangy, spicy and crunchy – more, please!

Asian Spicy Sesame Cucumber Salad Recipe (3)

I love to get this cucumber salad in Japanese restaurants as an appetizer before sushi :) Making the cucumber sesame salad yourself costs a fraction of what you pay in a restaurant! The restaurants serve you a puny bowl for around $5… you can get enough cucumbers to feed a crowd for this much! Since the cucumbers are sliced so thin in this salad, one cucumber really goes a long way!

Asian Spicy Sesame Cucumber Salad Recipe (4)

I like to make this cucumber sesame salad spicier than a typical restaurant version. They just sprinkle a few red pepper flakes mainly for the show and you can barely taste them. Since you are the one making the salad, you can control how much pepper you are getting and how much sesame too! I like to be generous with the red pepper flakes and sesame seeds because that’s exactly how I like it – spicy and crunchy! When you make food yourself, you are the boss!

Asian Spicy Sesame Cucumber Salad Recipe (5)

This spicy Asian cucumber sesame salad is super easy to make. All you need to do is slice the cucumbers as thin as possible, then dress with a simple dressing and sprinkle with red pepper flakes and sesame to taste. If you have a mandoline slicer, this would be a good time to put it to use. If not, just use the knife and slice the cucumbers as thin as you can. I own a mandoline but was too lazy to take it out, so I used the knife – that’s why my slices on the pic are not as thin as they could have been, but who cares :)

Asian Spicy Sesame Cucumber Salad Recipe (6)

Another great thing about this cucumber sesame salad is that you can make it as few hours ahead. Most salads have to be eaten immediately, but this salad actually benefits from a few hours of marinating. If not eating right away, just cover and put in a refrigerator, so the dressing will truly permeate the cucumber slices, yum!

Asian Spicy Sesame Cucumber Salad Recipe (7)

If you like this spicy Asian cucumber sesame salad, you will also love these recipes:

Homemade California Sushi Rolls Recipe (make California rolls at home to go with this cucumber salad!)

Middle Eastern Tomato And Cucumber Salad (so colorful and refreshing!)

Easy Cucumber Dill Salad (another way of getting your cucumber fix!)

(restaurant-style dipping sauce at home!)

Click Here To Pin This Recipe

Asian Spicy Sesame Cucumber Salad Recipe (8)

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

5 from 4 votes

This Asian spicy sesame cucumber salad is so crunchy and addictive! The cucumber slices taste so marinated and mouthwatering! Super easy to make, this sesame cucumber salad is always a hit!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Total Time5 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Asian

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 68kcal

Author: MelanieCooks.com

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Slice the cucumbers as thin as possible.

  • Put the dressing ingredients in a cup: rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar. Whisk with a fork to combine.

  • Put the cucumber slices in a bowl, pour dressing over them and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and red pepper flakes and toss to combine.

NEVER MISS A RECIPE!I publish a new recipe several times per week. Want the new recipes in your inbox? Sign up for FREE notifications!

Nutrition

Calories: 68kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 221mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 182IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg

Save This Recipe

Save this for later on your social media:

105K Shares


Get Melanie's FREE Recipes In Your Inbox!

You also need these yummy recipes in your life:

105K Shares

Asian Spicy Sesame Cucumber Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is Asian cucumber salad made of? ›

Place cucumber slices in a colander and sprinkle with salt; set aside to drain for 1 hour. Whisk vinegar and sugar together until sugar is dissolved. Add sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and sesame seeds; stir. Rinse salt off cucumber slices by running under cold water; place in a large bowl with sliced red chile peppers.

How do you keep cucumber salad from getting soggy? ›

Salt: The secret to the best cucumber salad is to salt your cucumbers. The salt makes the cucumbers taste better and removes excess water, diluting the dressing. I use sea salt, but any salt will do. Vinegar: I love apple cider vinegar in this dressing, but distilled or white wine vinegar also works nicely.

What is Chinese cucumber? ›

Overview. Chinese cucumber is an herb. People use the fruit, seed, and root to make medicine. Chinese cucumber ROOT is taken by mouth or injected for HIV/AIDS, cough, cancer, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

What does a cucumber salad contain? ›

Ingredients
  • 1 to 2 large cucumbers (or 4 to 5 smaller cucumbers)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, basil, or Thai basil (see Recipe Note)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar.
  • Salt and pepper to taste.

What are the ingredients in a cucumber? ›

Raw cucumber (with peel) is 95% water, 4% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and contains negligible fat. A 100-gram (3+1⁄2-ounce) reference serving provides 65 kilojoules (16 kilocalories) of food energy. It has a low content of micronutrients: it is notable only for vitamin K, at 16% of the Daily Value (table).

What can you put on cucumbers to make them taste good? ›

Salt – It draws moisture out of the cucumbers, giving them a crisp, pickle-like texture. It also makes the flavors in this salad pop! Fresh dill and chives – Dill is a classic ingredient in a cucumber onion salad, as its sour flavor pairs perfectly with the sweet and tangy vinegar dressing.

Why is my cucumber salad bitter? ›

Cucumbers—and other members of the pumpkin and gourd family—produce a compound called cucurbitacins that can impart a bitter taste. The amount of cucurbitacins a cucumber contains is increased when the plant faces adverse growing conditions, like a lack of water or excessive heat.

What is the main vitamin in cucumber? ›

Cucumbers are packed with them. In just a single cup of cucumber slices, you'll get 14% to 19% of the vitamin K you need for the day. You'll also get vitamins B and C along with minerals like copper, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium.

Should I peel cucumber for salad? ›

Armenian, Persian, and English cucumbers all have thin skin, so you actually don't have to peel them. I do peel them, but you can make that call. If you get garden cucumbers, they have thick skin and are sometimes waxed, so I always peel those. There isn't a right or wrong way to peel your cucumbers.

Why are Japanese cucumbers so good? ›

Japanese cucumbers are an excellent source of nutrients and low in sodium and cholesterol. It's rich in vitamin C, which helps strengthen the immune system, vitamin K to assist in faster wound healing, vitamin E, to protect the cells against free radical damage, and vitamin A, for faster wound healing.

Which color cucumber is best? ›

Lemon Cucumbers

It is properly named for its yellow skin color and round shape once it reaches maturity. ​They have a strong but sweet cucumber flavor when eaten fresh or when cooked as a side vegetable in a summer dish. Despite their thin skin, they have a hardy texture that allows them to be pickled, also.

What is the difference between a Korean cucumber and a regular cucumber? ›

Korean cucumbers are light in color, slender, and bumpy with thin skin. They are less seedy, very crispy and tasty. I might be a little biased, but I think they are the best of all cucumber varieties.

What is the Asian cucumber looking vegetable? ›

Bitter melon: Bitter melon looks like a cucumber with light green, warty, wrinkled skin.

What is the difference between Japanese cucumbers and regular cucumbers? ›

The Japanese cucumber has several advantages over common cucumbers. It is slender, thin-skinned, void of developed seeds, never bitter and entirely edible. The average harvested length is about four inches, while the cucumber is still young. Its skin is forest green and smooth with longitudinal grooves.

How many calories are in an Asian cucumber salad? ›

Nutrition
  • Serving Size: 1 cup.
  • Calories: 89.
  • Sugar: 6.4 g.
  • Sodium: 404.5 mg.
  • Fat: 4.8 g.
  • Saturated Fat: 0.7 g.
  • Carbohydrates: 11.5 g.
  • Fiber: 1.4 g.
Jun 9, 2021

What is Chinese old cucumber? ›

Old cucumbers are developed from cucumbers that have been left on the vine to fully mature and somewhat harden. Many experts believe Old cucumbers are the mature form of the Chinese yellow cucumber. Today Old cucumbers are primarily localized to markets in Southeast Asia, China, and Korea.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Frankie Dare

Last Updated:

Views: 5913

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (73 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Frankie Dare

Birthday: 2000-01-27

Address: Suite 313 45115 Caridad Freeway, Port Barabaraville, MS 66713

Phone: +3769542039359

Job: Sales Manager

Hobby: Baton twirling, Stand-up comedy, Leather crafting, Rugby, tabletop games, Jigsaw puzzles, Air sports

Introduction: My name is Frankie Dare, I am a funny, beautiful, proud, fair, pleasant, cheerful, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.