Asian Cucumber Salad – The Big Man’s World ®

My Asian cucumber salad recipe combines crunchy cucumbers with classic Asian flavors to make a light and zesty salad. It’s a family favorite anytime we’re craving Asian fakeout!

Need more healthy salad recipes? Try my ramen cabbage salad, wedge salad, and green goddess salad next. 

I used to scroll past the cucumber salad when my family and I would go out for Asian food, but one day, I was feeling frisky, so I gave it a try. You guys, it’s the BEST salad ever. 

Ever since then, my family has been asking me to make it at home. To make it, I combined a handful of Asian staples for the dressing and tossed it with lightly smashed and sliced cucumbers. The result is a refreshing salad laced with savory and umami flavors. 

Why I love this recipe

• Simple ingredients. All you need are cucumbers and some straightforward Asian staples you could find at any grocery store. 
• Refreshing. Like summer rolls, this is the kind of light and fresh appetizer you could make for a hot day or as a cooling side to some spicy mains. 
• Healthy. It’s low-calorie, vegan, and filled with fiber from the cucumbers.  
• Quick. We’re talking 10 minutes in the kitchen, max!

Key ingredients

• Cucumbers. While any cucumber can be used, I prefer small Persian cucumbers because they’re crunchy, sweet, and have thin skin (so they don’t need to be peeled). Turkish or English cucumbers work well, too. 
• Soy sauce. Or tamari if you’re gluten-free.
• Vinegar. I used rice vinegar, but you could also use white vinegar. 
• Sweet chili sauce. Use your favorite store-bought brand.
• Sesame seeds. A must for a subtle nutty flavor and crunch. I usually buy them pre-toasted, but you can toast them yourself in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant. 
• Green onions. For fresh flavor. 

How to make an Asian cucumber salad

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Prep the cucumbers. Use a rolling pin to slightly flatten the cucumbers, then slice them. 

Make the dressing. Combine the Asian cucumber salad dressing ingredients in a bowl. 

Dress. Toss the cucumbers in the dressing to coat and set aside to marinate. 

Garnish. Sprinkle the salad with the sesame seeds and green onions. 

Arman’s recipe tips

• Low on time? Skip the marinade and serve right after dressing. If possible, I suggest scoring the cucumbers before slicing them so the dressing soaks in. 
• Salt the cucumbers. If I have time, I like to salt the cucumbers in a colander and let them sit for 5 minutes. Then, drain and rinse them with cold water and pat them dry before marinating. I find this gives them an extra crunchy bite.
• Make it ahead of time. Make the cucumber salad dressing, but keep it in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. When it’s time to eat, toss the smashed cucumbers in the dressing, marinate, garnish, and serve!

Frequently asked questions

More Asian side dish recipes 

Originally updated June 2023, updated and republished December 2024