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Tangy and sweet, this Asian cucumber salad is one of my go-to dishes when I want something bold and refreshing. Thinly sliced cucumbers get salted for extra crunch, then tossed in a dressing of rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and fresh ginger with cilantro, scallions, and a little heat from fresh chile. It’s ready in about 10 minutes of hands-on work, the perfect cool, crisp side for spicy mains, potlucks, or any busy weeknight.
5-Star Review
“Everyone loved it! Made it as a side with the Chicken Lo Mein Recipe which was excellent also.” -Donna
The Secret Behind This Salad’s Crunch and Flavor
Think of this salad as a little mashup. I borrowed a technique from one place and a flavor profile from another, and together they keep cucumbers from turning soggy. If you want the milder, creamier version of this idea, my classic cucumber onion salad is worth a look too, but this one takes things in a bolder, brighter direction.
The salting-and-draining trick comes straight from Japanese sunomono, the quick-pickled cucumber salad you’ll spot next to your sushi. You salt the cucumbers, let them sit, and the water drains out on its own. Skip this step, and you end up with a watery, sad version of this salad. Do it right, and the slices stay crunchy the whole time you’re eating, not just for the first few bites.
The dressing is where things go a little more Southeast Asian. Fresh ginger, garlic, a chopped chile, and a big handful of cilantro and scallion give it that bright, herby heat you’d find in a Thai or Vietnamese cucumber salad, rather than the simpler soy-and-rice-vinegar situation most Chinese-style versions go for. I’ve been making some version of this salad for years, for everything from backyard barbecues to easy weeknights when dinner needs to happen fast. This exact combo is why it disappears first every time. Crunchy like a Japanese pickle, but bright and fresh like a Southeast Asian slaw.
Now, about easy. I don’t throw that word around lightly. This is genuinely 10 minutes of hands-on work. You slice, salt, whisk, and toss, and you’re done. Yes, there’s an hour of hands-off waiting while the cucumbers drain, but that’s an hour where you’re doing literally anything else, not standing over a cutting board. If you’re truly in a hurry, you can skip the salting altogether. I’ll cover that swap below. Your cucumbers just won’t stay quite as crisp.
What’s In This Asian Cucumber Salad
The Dressing
The dressing is what turns plain sliced cucumbers into something you’ll want to make again. Rice wine vinegar brings the tang, honey rounds out the sharpness, sesame oil adds a toasty, nutty backbone, and fresh ginger and garlic give it real depth instead of just heat. I’ve tested this with bottled ginger paste in a pinch, and it works, but fresh ginger has a brighter, sharper bite that bottled versions lose. If you only make one substitution, don’t make it this one.
The Salad
Cucumbers are the star, but red onion, cilantro, scallion, and a fresh chile pepper are what make this taste like an actual salad instead of a jar of pickles. Slice the red onion as thin as you possibly can: a thick slice overpowers every bite, while a thin one just adds crunch and a little bite. The chile pepper is fully adjustable: use half for mild warmth, a whole one if you like heat, or skip it completely for a kid-friendly version.
Easy Swaps & What You Can Skip
- No fresh ginger? Use ½ teaspoon ground ginger. The flavor will be milder, but it works.
- Want it vegan? Maple syrup swaps in for honey with almost no change in taste.
- Don’t love cilantro? Leave it out. The dressing carries plenty of flavor without it.
- Want it milder? Skip the chile pepper, or remove the seeds and ribs before chopping to cut the heat without losing the flavor.
- Out of rice wine vinegar? Apple cider vinegar or plain white vinegar work in a pinch, though the flavor turns sharper and less rounded.
Tips for Beginners
- Adjust the heat to your crowd. Start with less chile pepper than you think you need. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out.
- Don’t skip the salting step. It pulls excess water out of the cucumbers so your salad stays crisp instead of pooling liquid at the bottom of the bowl.
- Slice thin and even. A mandoline gets every piece the same thickness, so everything absorbs the dressing at the same rate.
- Taste the dressing before you toss it. Rice vinegar brands vary in sharpness, so add honey a little at a time until the balance tastes right to you.
- Serve it fresh. This salad is best within an hour of tossing, while the cucumbers are still crisp and the flavors are bright.
Serving Suggestions
This salad works because it’s the opposite of whatever it’s sitting next to: cool, crisp, and bright against something warm, rich, or a little sweet. Here’s how I like to pair it. Firecracker salmon is one of my favorite matches, since its glaze is sweet, sticky, and has real heat, so the cold, vinegar-forward crunch of this cucumber salad cuts right through it and resets your palate between bites. Korean BBQ chicken is another good one for the same reason. The gochujang glaze is deep, sweet, and a little spicy, and this salad’s acidity keeps the whole plate from tasting one-note. If you’re serving something saucier and more neutral in heat, like teriyaki chicken, the salad adds fresh crunch and tang that a sticky glaze doesn’t have on its own.
Asian Cucumber Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups cucumbers thinly sliced
- 2¼ tsp kosher salt divided
- 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger root minced
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp honey maple syrup works too
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ cup red onion thinly sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ½ chile pepper finely chopped, add more or less to taste
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Thinly slice the cucumber and place them in a colander set over a large bowl. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt, then set aside to drain for 1 hour.4 cups cucumbers, 2¼ tsp kosher salt
- Rinse remaining salt off cucumbers under cold water, then pat dry.
- In a small bowl, whisk together rice wine vinegar, ginger, sesame oil, honey, garlic, and remaining kosher salt.3 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp fresh ginger root, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tsp honey, 1 clove garlic
- In a large bowl, place drained cucumbers, onion, cilantro, chile pepper, and scallions.4 cups cucumbers, ½ cup red onion, ¼ cup cilantro, ½ chile pepper, 2 scallions
- Drizzle the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve immediately.1 tbsp sesame seeds
Becky’s Tips
- Skipping the salt step means extra water pools in the bowl and dilutes the dressing within minutes.
- Ground ginger works in a pinch, but fresh ginger gives noticeably better flavor.
- Use less chile pepper for a mild version, or skip it for kids. Heat is fully adjustable.
- Maple syrup swaps in for honey with almost no change in flavor, if you want it vegan or don’t have honey on hand.
- This salad is best the day you make it. It doesn’t hold up well overnight.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Make Asian Cucumber Salad Step by Step
Gather your ingredients.
Slice and salt the cucumbers: Thinly slice 4 cups of cucumber and place them in a colander set over a large bowl. Sprinkle with 2 tsp kosher salt and set aside to drain for 1 hour. You’ll notice liquid pooling in the bowl below almost immediately. That’s the salt doing its job. By the end of the hour, the slices should look slightly translucent and feel noticeably less watery when you press one between your fingers. Rinse the remaining salt off the cucumbers under cold water, then pat them completely dry with a clean towel. Any extra moisture left on the slices will water down your dressing later.
Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp fresh ginger, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tsp honey, 1 clove garlic, and the remaining ¼ tsp kosher salt. The dressing should turn a pale golden color and look slightly cloudy once the honey fully dissolves. If it still looks separated, keep whisking for another 15 seconds. It should hit sweet, tangy, and savory all at once, with the sesame oil rounding out the back end.
Combine and dress: In a large bowl, add the drained cucumbers, ½ cup red onion, ¼ cup cilantro, ½ chile pepper, and 2 scallions. The bowl should already smell fresh and a little sharp from the raw onion and cilantro. That’s normal, and it mellows out once the dressing goes on. Drizzle the dressing over the vegetables and toss until every slice looks glossy and coated, not just wet, but visibly shiny. Taste and adjust: more honey if it’s too sharp, more vinegar if it tastes flat.
Garnish and serve: Sprinkle with 1 tbsp sesame seeds and serve immediately, while the cucumbers are still cold and crisp. The seeds add a light, toasty crunch the dressing alone can’t give you.
How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Expect some liquid to pool at the bottom as the cucumbers continue to release water. Just drain it off and give the salad a quick toss before serving again.
Make Ahead
Slice and salt the cucumbers up to a day ahead, then store them (drained and patted dry) in the fridge until you’re ready to toss. Make the dressing ahead too. It keeps well in a sealed jar for up to 3 days. Just don’t combine everything until right before serving, or the salad turns watery.
More Cucumber Salad Recipes to Try
- Cucumber Onion Salad: This is the simple, classic version this recipe is a spicier riff on. Just cucumbers, red onion, and a homemade vinegar dressing. It’s the one to make when you want that same crisp, tangy crunch without the ginger, chile, or sesame oil.
- Creamy Cucumber Salad: This one swaps the vinegar dressing for a creamy mayo-based one, and adds crisp apples and radishes for extra crunch. It’s a great pick for potlucks and family dinners where you want a salad that feels a little more indulgent, without any of the heat from the Asian version.
- Cucumber Tomato Salad: If you’re craving something bright but want a Mediterranean flavor profile instead of an Asian one, this salad tosses cucumbers with cherry tomatoes, red onion, and feta in a lemon olive oil dressing. It’s an easy side for grilled meats or a light lunch on its own.
Like the recipe and love your layout of your recipe! Thank you for putting the ingredient and measurements and line with the instructions.
Thanks Shari! So glad you loved this asian cucumber salad!
Everyone loved it! Made it as a side with the Chicken Lo Mein Recipe which was excellent also.
What a great combo!
In list of ingredients you list 2 1/4 salt to be divided. However, you in mention 2 1/4 in both step 1 and 3. Which is it?
Use 2 teaspoons of salt in step 1 and the remaining ¼ teaspoon in step 3! The ingredient list under each step automatically shows the entire ingredient, unfortunately.
These are the leftovers for later! Super tasty and I will for sure make this again soon. 🤤 😋
Looks amazing!
Pretty and fun to make! Added sugar snap peas for extra Spring appeal!
Looks delicious!!