Asian Cucumber Salad TikTok Recipe (2024)

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This Asian cucumber salad TikTok recipe features crunchy cucumber springs tossed in a sesame soy dressing. It’s fun, easy, and absolutely delicious!

Make an impressive cucumber salad by cutting them like a slinky and marinating them in an Asian-style sesame soy dressing.

No one would be able to guess that this tasty Asian cucumber salad recipe is incredibly easy to make!

The viral TikTok recipe presents cucumbers in a unique and fun way. Instead of slicing them into discs, the cucumbers are cut into spirals, like cute accordions marinating in a savory, sweet, and spicy Asian-style dressing.

The slinky shape is not only fun to grab with chopsticks, but it also allows the flavors of the marinade to cover and soak the crispy cucumbers for the perfect bite!

What Is Asian Cucumber Salad?

Asian cucumber salad is made from marinating cucumbers in a dressing of sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil, salt, garlic, and green onions. However, the viral TikTok recipe takes the simple dish up a notch by cutting the cucumbers at angles to form an accordion-like shape.

These spiraled cucumbers may look like they’ll require the knife skills of a Masterchef, but it’s super easy using chopsticks! (More about that later. 😉)

And best of all, most of the ingredients for this Asian cucumber salad are likely already in your pantry. You’ll also learn a crucial step for keeping the cucumbers nice and crunchy for the salad.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

We all know that cucumber salads are refreshing and tasty, but the typical vinegar-sugar marinade can get boring. Why not try cucumber springs tossed in an umami dressing with some tanginess, sweetness, and kick in every bite?

Here are the best things about this cucumber salad recipe:

• Impressive: These fun spiraled cucumbers are surprisingly easy to do! Just place the cucumber between chopsticks and make angled slices!
• Flavorful: The Asian marinade for the Internet’s favorite cucumber salad is savory, tangy, sweet, and spicy. Serve it as a side or enjoy it on its own for a delightful main.
• Versatile: Modify and adjust the ingredients to tailor the Asian cucumber salad recipe to your taste. Make it extra garlicky, sweeter, or spicier!

What Does The Asian Cucumber Salad TikTok Recipe Taste Like?

It’s not surprising that TikTok’s Asian cucumber salad recipe quickly became viral, not only because of the unique cucumber accordions but because of the sesame soy dressing.

The Asian-style marinade is the best thing about this TikTok recipe. It’s garlicky and savory with a touch of sweetness, tanginess, and spiciness. 🤤

You can thank the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, chili oil, garlic, green onions, sugar, salt, and sesame seeds for the amazingly complex flavor this dish offers.

The crunchy cucumber slinkies also soak up the marinade nicely to make the perfect Asian cucumber salad you have always dreamed of!

Is Asian Cucumber Salad Healthy?

Cucumbers are good for you because they’re about 95% water! Not only is this beneficial for hydration, but these crunchy vegetables (or fruits, for all you botanists out there 😅) are also very filling, even if a cup is just around 16 calories.

This is why this Asian cucumber salad is ideal as a side with proteins or rice, but it can also be a main dish if you want something that will keep you full without being too heavy.

You can even make it more nutritious by using extra garlic and green onions, which benefit heart health and immunity.

But with any dish packed with flavors, the tasty sesame soy dressing of this Asian cucumber salad TikTok recipe can be high in sodium.

Manage your portions accordingly, or use alow-sodium soy sauce.

What Are The Benefits Of The Asian Cucumber Salad Recipe?

Unlike most people I know, I’m not a fan of cucumbers because I find the crunchy and watery texture unappealing for some reason. It’s like eating something that doesn’t want to be a vegetable or fruit. 🤣

But coming from a cucumber skeptic, trust me when I say this Asian cucumber salad recipe is a must-try!

You will love how the marinade has a complex flavor profile. You’ll get savory, sweet, spicy, and even some tanginess with each bite of the refreshing and crunchy cucumber springs.

I like my cucumbers extra garlicky and spicy, so feel free to adjust your seasonings as well.

Not into TikTok’s cucumber-cutting trend? This tasty recipe will also work on normally sliced cucumbers (aka cucumbers cut into rounds.)

However, I think the slinky shape makes the dish taste better. Hear me out:

The accordions create the perfect bite by enhancing the crunch of the cucumbers and allowing the sesame soy dressing to marinate deeply into the cucumbers. 😋

Ingredients For Asian Cucumber Salad

• Cucumbers – You can use any regular cucumbers you like for this TikTok cucumber salad recipe.
• Granulated white sugar – The sweetness balances the delicious flavors of the sesame soy dressing.
• Sesame seeds – For added texture and nutty aroma.
• Garlic – Use fresh garlic for a boost of flavor and aroma on your Asian cucumber salad.
• Green onion – For texture and aromatic onion flavor on the cucumber salad marinade.
• Soy sauce – Us Asians have a joke that when it comes to soy sauce, the sodium is worth it! 🤣 (Of course, no one will arrest you if you use the less-sodium variant over a regular soy sauce!)
• Rice vinegar – A staple in Asian cuisine, rice vinegar is sweeter than regular vinegar but still adds a delicious tang to the dish.
• Chinese chili oil – Spicy lovers can use as much chili oil as they want!
• Sesame oil – A versatile must-have in your kitchen pantry. Sesame oil also adds a nutty flavor and aroma that pairs deliciously with the saltiness and spiciness of this Asian cucumber salad dressing.
• Salt – We’ll salt the cucumbers for a few minutes before tossing them in the dressing. This will draw out the excess moisture for the perfect crunchy spiral accordion cucumber.

Tools Needed To Prepare Asian Cucumber Salad

• Mixing bowl for mixing the Asian cucumber salad ingredients
• Knife for slicing the cucumbers
• Chopsticks for making the cucumber springs

Ingredient Additions & Substitutions For Asian Cucumber Salad

White sugar

If white sugar is unavailable, you can use any sweetener for your Asian cucumber salad. I found out that maple syrup also tastes good with the sesame soy marinade!

Red pepper flakes

You can add more kick to your cucumber marinade with red pepper flakes. I can imagine how a spicy sesame cucumber salad will be the perfect pair to fatty meat cuts like pork belly. 😋

Cauliflower rice

For an easy but wholesome meal, serve this Asian cucumber salad cauliflower rice!This antioxidant-packed rice alternative is not only healthy, but its tender texture will be absolutely delicious with the sesame soy cucumber springs.

How to Make The Asian Cucumber Salad TikTok Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 pcs cucumbers
• 3 tsp granulated white sugar
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp garlic, crushed
• 2 to 3 tbsp green onion, chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tsp rice vinegar
• 3 tsp Chinese chili oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 3 tsp salt

Tools you need:

• Mixing bowl
• Knife
• Chopsticks

Instructions:

STEP 1: Gather all the ingredients for the Asian cucumber salad.

STEP 2: Mix sugar, sesame seeds, crushed garlic, and chopped green onion in a bowl.

STEP 3: Stir in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil, and sesame oil. Set aside.

See Also

Classic Spinach Dip Recipe

STEP 4: Cut both ends of each cucumber. Place the cucumber between a pair of chopsticks to hold it in place and prevent the knife from slicing all the way through.

STEP 5: To achieve the spiral shape, make diagonal cuts down the length of the cucumber. Then, flip it over with the smooth side facing you and create perpendicular cuts. Repeat on all the cucumbers.

STEP 6: Place the cucumber spirals in a bowl and sprinkle them with salt. Massage the salt onto the cucumbers and let them sit for 8 to 10 minutes.

STEP 7: Rinse the cucumbers with cold water.

STEP 8: Pour the Asian marinade over the cucumbers and mix until evenly coated. Enjoy!

What To Serve With Asian Cucumber Salad

One of the best sides for this Asian cucumber salad is cauliflower rice because it soaks up the sesame soy dressing nicely.

Alternatively, you can just serve this Asian cucumber dish with plain white rice for a filling and easy dinner.

If you’re craving meat dishes, the umami, sweet, slightly tangy, and spicy cucumber accordions will pair deliciously with teriyaki salmon or braised chicken wings in oyster sauce.🤤 (I can just imagine the mouthwatering smell of Asian flavors in the kitchen!)

You can also try other viral TikTok recipes for easy and unique dishes!

For example, serve this Asian cucumber salad with leveled-up ramen noodles or soft-boiled eggs in seafood boil sauce!

• Best Viral TikTok Recipes
• Easy TikTok Ramen Noodle Recipe
• The Famous TikTok Egg Boil Recipe Made Easy

Tips About Making Asian Cucumber Salad

The only thing that takes some time in this viral Asian cucumber salad is making the cucumber springs. Here are some tips for perfecting the crunchy cucumber spirals:

• Place each cucumber between chopsticks to hold it in place and keep the knife from slicing the cucumber completely. Make angled cuts, with 45-degree slices on one side and perpendicular cuts on the other, for the perfect accordion shape.
• The secret to crisp cucumbers is to salt them! But to ensure that your cucumbers are not overtly salty, rinse them under cold water twice or thrice before mixing in the dressing.
• You can make this cucumber salad tastier by letting it sit in the fridge for an hour before serving. If you’re having this dish at a party, you can make it a day ahead for overnight marinating. 😋

How To Store Asian Cucumber Salad

To be honest, I recommend eating this Asian cucumber salad fresh. Or if you have leftovers, eat them as soon as possible after using these storage tips:

• Fridge: Transfer the Asian cucumber salad to an air-tight container and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days. Since cucumbers are watery, you don’t want to store them for too long, or the flavor and texture of the salad won’t be as satisfying.
• Freezer: Again, cucumbers are mostly water, so freezing and thawing them will just lead to an unappealing texture and taste.

How Do You Spiral Cut Mini Cucumbers?

It’s very easy to make the viral cucumber springs from TikTok! All you need is a pair of chopsticks you don’t mind nicking, like those in your Asian takeouts.

Slice the ends of a cucumber and place it between a pair of chopsticks. Then, make diagonal slices along the length of the cucumber.

Flip the cucumber over so the smooth side faces you, and slice diagonally again.

Voila, you’ve just made the fancy cucumber accordions using chopsticks!

Do You Rinse Cucumbers After Salting?

Yes! Don’t forget to rinse your cucumbers after salting, or you’ll end up with very salty cucumbers, like what happened to me. 😭

How Do You Spiralize A Cucumber Without A Spiralizer?

It’s possible to create a slinky shape on a cucumber without a spiralizer using the humble kitchen knife. Just place your cucumber between a pair of chopsticks and make angled slices on both sides.

FAQ About Asian Cucumber Salad

Asian Cucumber Salad

Yield: 3

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

This Asian cucumber salad TikTok recipe features crunchy cucumber springs tossed in a sesame soy dressing. It's fun, easy, and absolutely delicious!

Ingredients

• 5 pcs cucumbers
• 3 tsp granulated white sugar
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp garlic, crushed
• 2 to 3 tbsp green onion, chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tsp rice vinegar
• 3 tsp Chinese chili oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 3 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Gather all the ingredients for the Asian cucumber salad.
2. Mix sugar, sesame seeds, crushed garlic, and chopped green onion in a bowl.
3. Stir in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil, and sesame oil. Set aside.
4. Cut both ends of each cucumber. Place the cucumber between a pair of chopsticks to hold it in place and prevent the knife from slicing all the way through.
5. To achieve the spiral shape, make diagonal cuts down the length of the cucumber. Then, flip it over with the smooth side facing you and create perpendicular cuts. Repeat on all the cucumbers.
6. Place the cucumber spirals in a bowl and sprinkle them with salt. Massage the salt onto the cucumbers and let them sit for 8 to 10 minutes.
7. Rinse the cucumbers with cold water.
8. Pour the Asian marinade over the cucumbers and mix until evenly coated. Enjoy!

Notes

• Always make the cuts on the cucumbers at an angle, or you won’t achieve the spiral shape.
• Soak the cucumbers in salt to make them crispier. Then, remove the excess saltiness by rinsing the cucumber spirals in cold water up to three times.
• After straining the cucumber spirals, toss them in the marinade and refrigerate for an hour or longer before serving to help the flavors soak into the cucumbers.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 3Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 7Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 8mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g

* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for the most accurate results.

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Conclusion

This Asian cucumber salad TikTok recipe proves that cucumber salads don’t have to be plain and boring.

Turn cucumbers into fun, crunchy springs marinating in a sesame soy dressing. It’s unbelievably easy, including the viral cucumber cutting technique.

Just place the cucumber between chopsticks and make diagonal slices!

So next time you have extra chopsticks from your takeout, don’t throw them out because they can help you make cucumber slinkies.😉

If you like this TikTok cucumber salad, you’ll love these easy but tasty recipes:

• Best Viral TikTok Recipes
• Nigerian Salad Recipe
• Apple Pear Slaw with Caramel Cider Vinaigrette
• How to Make the Best French Pickled Garlic

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