Chili Crisp Cucumber Salad
This simple, cucumber salad is anything but boring! Crunchy cucumber tossed with soy sauce, rice vinegar and zippy chile crisp delivers big flavor and texture in every bite.
This spicy cucumber salad is refreshing and flavorful, thanks to a special ingredient; chili crisp. Chili crisp is an infused oil condiment with crispy bits of chili, garlic, and onion. It adds delicious crunch, tingling heat and garlicy flavor to the cool, snappy cucumbers.
Chili Crisp Cucumber Salad is crunchy, spicy (but not too spicy), and versatile enough serve alongside a variety of dishes like; Sheet Pan Honey-Soy Sticky Chicken, Quinoa Fried “Rice” or Miso-Honey Salmon.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Scroll to the bottom of the recipe card for ingredient notes and substitutions.
Recipe Step by Step:
Step 1. Salt the Cucumbers
Slice the cucumbers then toss them with a bit of salt to draw out the excess moisture. Let them hang out for 5-10 minutes in a colander or on a plate lined with a clean kitchen towel.
Step 2. Make the Chili Crisp Dressing
Whisk together the dressing ingredients; chili crisp, vinegar, soy sauce, scallion and sesame seeds. Flavors will vary depending on the brand of chili crisp you use – taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Step 3. Toss and Serve
Toss the salted cucumbers with the dressing. Serve right away.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Chili crisp is a Chinese condiment made with chili peppers, garlic, onion, and other aromatics, fried in oil. It has a mild to moderate heat and a crispy texture. Lao Gan Ma is a popular brand of chili crisp, but there are many others available – Trader Joe’s has a version too. You can find chili crisp in Asian markets, with other Asian condiments at the supermarket, or online.
This cucumber salad holds up well for a day or two as it marinates in the fridge. Beyond 2-3 days it will go a bit soggy so try and enjoy it as soon as possible.
Check Out More Delicious Asian-Inspired Recipes:
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Chili Crisp Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 8 persian cucumbers quartered lengthwise into thin spears, then cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
- 3 tbsp chili crisp or chili oil
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 2 green onion trimmed and thinly sliced
- salt
Instructions
- Toss the sliced cucumber with ½ teaspoon kosher salt in a colander. Set aside to drain.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the chili crisp, vinegar, soy sauce, scallions and sesame seeds. Transfer the salted cucumbers to the bowl with dressing and toss to coat.
- To serve, transfer the cucumber to a large plate or platter, drizzle the remaining dressing on top. Serve right away.
Notes
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- Chili Crisp: Chili crisp is a Chinese condiment made with chili peppers, garlic, onion, and other aromatics, fried in oil. It has a mild to moderate heat and a crispy texture. Lao Gan Ma is a popular brand of chili crisp, but there are many others available – Trader Joe’s has a version too. You can find chili crisp in Asian markets, with other Asian condiments at the supermarket, or online.
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- Rice Vinegar: If you don’t have rice vinegar on hand any mild, white vinegar will do – white wine, champagne, even apple cider would be just fine.
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- Soy Sauce: Tamari or Liquid/Coconut Aminos are a good substitute for soy sauce.
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- This salad holds up well for a day or two as it marinates in the fridge. Beyond 2-3 days it will go soggy so try and enjoy it as soon as possible.
