Spicy Asian Marinated Cucumbers
Learn how to make perfectly crunchy, salty, and spicy marinated cucumbers with this simple recipe. Just 7 ingredients and 15 minutes!
These cucumbers are my new favorite side dish/snack/salad addition. They’re reminiscent of spicy Korean cucumber salad — slightly spicy, garlicky, salty, and perfectly crunchy. The marinade also doubles as a dressing when you’ve eaten all the cucumbers, so nothing is wasted! (Radishes are also great for marinating, as you can see in the photos.)
Ingredients
These spicy marinated cucumbers require just 7 simple ingredients:
- Cucumbers ⟶ small, thin cucumbers like Japanese or Persian cucumbers turn out crunchier than large English cucumbers
- Radishes are a nice addition too!
- Gochugaru ⟶ Korean red pepper flakes
- Soy Sauce ⟶ use tamari for gluten-free
- Lemon Juice or Rice Vinegar
- Toasted Sesame Oil
- Garlic
- Maple Syrup ⟶ or other sweetener of choice
Tips & Tricks
- Thinly slice the cucumbers about 1/8″ thick. If they are too thick the marinade won’t soak up as well. If they are too thin, they’ll get too soggy and won’t be crisp.
- Opt for seedless cucumbers (not pictured) such as Persian or Japanese if available. English cucumbers still turn out delicious, but due to their seeds they are more watery and don’t get crisp in the center.
- Feel free to try adding in different veggies, such as radishes, onions, celery, bell pepper, etc. Think about hard, crunchy veggies.
More Tasty Sides!
- kinpira gobo (Japanese braised burdock root and carrots)
- vegan tofu gyoza
- miso glazed eggplant
- air fryer vegan korokke
If you try out this recipe, don’t forget to tag me in your photos on instagram @ellielikes.cooking and/or leave a comment down below and let me know how you liked it! I love seeing all of your tasty recreations 🙂 Happy cooking!
Spicy Asian Marinated Cucumbers
Ingredients
- 1 2 small Persian or Japanese cucumbers
- 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean red pepper)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Thinly slice cucumbers 1/8" thick. Add to a clean mason jar.
- Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over cucumbers. Cover jar and place in fridge. Let the cucumbers marinate at least 10 minutes before eating (the longer the better).
- Once all the cucumbers have been eaten, the leftover marinade can be used as a dressing.
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