Crunchy Korean Cucumber Salad in 15 Minutes

Name: Korean Cucumber Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 pound mini cucumbers (or 2 to 3 regular cucumbers, about 4 cups sliced); ¾ teaspoon salt (for drawing water out of the cucumbers); 1 tablespoon soy sauce; 2 cloves garlic (grated or finely minced); 2 ½ tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar; 2 teaspoons chili oil (plus more for a spicier salad); 2 teaspoons honey (or sugar); 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil; 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (plus more for topping); 2 green onions (thinly sliced, plus more for topping); 1 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes, optional, for extra color and heat)

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This Korean cucumber salad is a cold, crunchy side that takes about 15 minutes and no stove time. Thinly sliced cucumbers get tossed in a sesame and chili dressing with garlic, rice vinegar, and green onion, and you can steer it sweet or spicy depending on how heavy your hand is with the chili oil.

It goes with just about anything off the grill, alongside rice bowls, or as part of a spread of Korean side dishes. It also works as a light vegetarian lunch on its own.

Why This One Works

The salt and rest step at the start is the whole trick. Pulling water out of the cucumbers before they hit the dressing keeps the salad crisp instead of watery, even after it sits.

The dressing is built to be adjusted. Two teaspoons of chili oil is mild, three has a real kick, and skipping it with a little extra honey gives you a sweet and sour version that kids will eat.

Everything comes together in one bowl for the dressing and one bowl for the cucumbers. No cooking, and no special equipment unless you want spirals.

🛒 Ingredients

Cucumbers – mini, Persian, or English cucumbers are best. Thin skin, small seeds, no peeling. One pound is about 4 cups sliced.
Salt – used to draw water out of the cucumbers first, then rinsed off. It is not really a seasoning here.
Chili oil – controls the heat. Use 2 teaspoons for mild, more for spicy, or leave it out for a sweet version. A teaspoon of gochugaru adds color and a little extra kick.
Rice vinegar and soy sauce – the tang and the savory base of the dressing.
Toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds – sesame oil for flavor in the dressing, seeds for texture and to finish.
Garlic, green onion, and honey – round out the dressing. Reserve a little green onion and sesame seed for topping.

👩‍🍳 You'll find the complete list of ingredients below the recipe card.

🥘 How To Make Korean Cucumber Salad Step By Step

Wash the cucumbers and pat them completely dry.
Set two chopsticks on the cutting board about a cucumber's width apart and parallel to each other, then rest a cucumber snugly between them. The chopsticks stop your knife before it cuts all the way through. No chopsticks? A spiralizer does the same job, and thin slices from a sharp knife work too.
Make thin, straight cuts down the length of the cucumber, letting the blade tap the chopsticks with each cut. Turn the cucumber over and cut again along the other side, this time at a 45 degree angle. Repeat with the rest of the cucumbers. Each one should stretch open into a loose spiral, like a slinky.
Put the cucumbers in a bowl, season generously with the salt, and gently rub it in. Let them sit for no more than 10 minutes to pull out some of the water.
While the cucumbers rest, make the dressing. In a small bowl, stir together the grated garlic, honey, most of the toasted sesame seeds, and most of the green onion. Pour in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil, and sesame oil, then whisk until smooth. Set a little sesame seed and green onion aside for topping.
Rinse the cucumbers under cold water, spread them on paper towels, and blot away the extra moisture. Move them to a serving bowl.
Pour the dressing over the cucumbers and toss until everything is coated. Sprinkle the reserved sesame seeds and green onion over the top, along with the gochugaru if you are using it, and serve cold.

🥡 Storage Instructions

🥡To Store. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Drain off the liquid and toss again before serving.
🕒To Make Ahead. Mix the dressing up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. Salt and rinse the cucumbers, then combine within a few hours of serving.
❄️Freezing. Not recommended. Cucumbers turn mushy once frozen and thawed.

📋 Important Tips Before You Start

Salt the cucumbers and let them rest before dressing – drawing the water out first is what keeps the salad crisp instead of watery. Rinse them well so they do not taste salty.
Start mild and add heat to taste – two teaspoons of chili oil is gentle. Add more, or a spoonful of gochugaru, if you want it spicy, or leave the chili oil out for a sweet version.
Use two chopsticks as a cutting guide – rest the cucumber between them and the knife stops before it goes all the way through, which is what fans each one out into a spiral. A spiralizer works if you have one.
Serve it the same day – the cucumbers keep releasing water as it sits, so drain and toss again before serving any leftovers.

❓FAQs

How do I make Korean cucumber salad less spicy?

Use 2 teaspoons of chili oil instead of 3, or leave it out entirely and add an extra teaspoon of honey for a sweet and sour version.

Why do you salt the cucumbers first?

Salting and resting the cucumbers pulls out excess water so the finished salad stays crunchy instead of getting watered down by the dressing. Rinse them afterward to remove the extra salt.

What cucumbers are best for this salad?

Mini, Persian, or English cucumbers. They have thin skin and small seeds, so there is no need to peel or seed them.