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If you’re looking for a simple side dish with big flavor, this Spicy Smashed Cucumber Salad is worth adding to your summer menu.
Made with crisp cucumbers, garlic, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and a touch of heat from Sambal Oelek or chili garlic sauce, it’s refreshing, crunchy, and surprisingly addictive.
The secret is smashing the cucumbers before cutting them. It may seem a little unusual, but this extra step creates lots of craggy edges and surfaces that soak up the flavorful dressing, making every bite more delicious.
This easy cucumber salad pairs beautifully with grilled chicken, burgers, fish, Asian-inspired dishes, and summer barbecue favorites.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in about 15 minutes
- Light, crisp, and refreshing
- Packed with flavor
- Naturally low in calories
- Perfect for summer meals
- Easy to customize the heat level
- Great for cookouts and potlucks
- A fun twist on traditional cucumber salad
Ingredients & Substitutions
Rice vinegar – Adds bright acidity and balances the richness of the sesame oil.
Toasted sesame oil – Provides signature nutty flavor. A little goes a long way.
Sambal Oelek or chili garlic sauce – Adds heat and depth. Adjust to taste depending on how spicy you like your food.
Garlic – Fresh garlic adds bold flavor and works beautifully with the cucumber.
Salt – Helps draw out moisture and seasons the salad.
Persian cucumbers – My favorite choice because they’re crisp and have thin skins. English cucumbers work well too.
Sesame seeds – Add crunch and extra nutty flavor.
How Many Calories and WW Points?
According to my calculations, each serving has just 33 calories and 1 WW Point.
To see your WW Points for this recipe, track it in the WW App!
(You must be logged into WW on a smartphone or tablet.)
1 PointsPlus (Old plan)
How to Make Spicy Sesame Cucumber Salad
Step 1: Make the dressing
In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, sesame oil, Sambal Oelek, garlic, and salt.
Step 2: Smash the cucumbers
Trim the ends from the cucumbers.
Place a cucumber on a sturdy cutting board (affiliate link) and lay the flat side of a chef’s knife (affiliate link) over it. Press down firmly until the cucumber splits into several jagged pieces.
Repeat with the remaining cucumbers.
Step 3: Cut into pieces
Separate the smashed cucumbers and cut them into bite-sized chunks.
Step 4: Toss
Add the cucumbers to the dressing and toss until evenly coated.
Step 5: Chill (optional)
Serve immediately or refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
Step 6: Garnish
Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds just before serving.
Recipe Notes
Why smash the cucumbers?
Smashing breaks down the interior structure of the cucumber and creates lots of rough edges that absorb the dressing much better than smooth slices.
The result is a salad that’s more flavorful and more interesting in texture.
You can easily customize the recipe with additions such as:
- Thinly sliced green onions
- Fresh cilantro
- Fresh mint
- Crushed peanuts
- Red pepper flakes
- Thinly sliced radishes
For a milder salad, simply reduce the amount of Sambal Oelek or chili garlic sauce.
How to Toast Sesame Seeds
To toast your sesame seeds, add them to a small skillet and heat over medium heat until golden (stirring continuously to prevent burning), about 4 to 5 minutes.
Alternatively, you can place your sesame seeds in a small rimmed baking dish and heat in the toaster oven, or oven, until golden brown, stir
What to Serve with Spicy Smashed Cucumber Salad
This salad pairs especially well with:
- Burgers
- Grilled chicken
- Salmon
- Shrimp
- Steak
- Asian-inspired meals
- Rice bowls
- Sandwiches and wraps
It’s also a great addition to picnics, cookouts, and potluck gatherings.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
The cucumbers will soften slightly as they marinate but will remain delicious.
ring occasionally to keep them from burning.
If you’ve made this Chili Spiced Cucumber Salad, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Spicy Smashed Cucumber Salad
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2-3 teaspoons Sambal Oelek (or chili garlic sauce)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 pound mini Persian cucumbers
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted
Instructions
- Whisk the rice vinegar, sesame oil, Sambal oelek, salt and garlic in a medium mixing bowl.
- Place cutting board (affiliate link) on a solid, flat surface. Remove ends from one cucumber. Place flat edge of chef's knife over entire cucumber and press down hard (using both hands and full bodyweight, if necessary, being careful to avoid the knife slipping) until the cucumber breaks into 4 or 5 jagged lengthwise peices. Separate these piecess and crosscut them into 1-inch chunks. Repeat with remaining cucumbers.
- Combine the cucumber pieces with the dressing and toss until thoroughly coated.
- Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the top and serve.
- If not serving right away, cover and chill in the refrigerator.
- Before serving, sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds over the top.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Recipe Notes
Why smash the cucumbers? Smashing breaks down the interior structure of the cucumber and creates lots of rough edges that absorb the dressing much better than smooth slices. The result is a salad that’s more flavorful and more interesting in texture. You can easily customize the recipe with additions such as:- Thinly sliced green onions
- Fresh cilantro
- Fresh mint
- Crushed peanuts
- Red pepper flakes
- Thinly sliced radishes
How to Toast Sesame Seeds
To toast your sesame seeds, add them to a small skillet and heat over medNutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe source: Weight Watchers
