Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad Recipe (Oi Muchim 오이무침)
Add Preferred Source
The perfect summer side dish, our refreshing Korean Cucumber Salad is crisp, tangy, with a kick of spice. This recipe is a delectable blend of humble ingredients that dance on your taste buds, transporting you to the vibrant streets of Seoul. Quick, easy, and explosively flavorful, this salad adds a delightful crunch to any meal!
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, if you purchase through those links, I earn a small commission. Thank you!
Why you’ll love making crunchy Korean Cucumber Salad
- This is such an easy recipe to throw together. All you have to do is toss thin slices of cucumber with salt and let it drain. Mix the other ingredients together, coat the cucumber, and voila! Dig in!
- We love that this recipe is ready in just over 30 minutes, and most of it is hands-off! While the cucumber is draining, you can work on the main dish like a Korean Stir Fry, or Korean barbeque, and then finish the salad off at the end.
- Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad recipe (Oi Muchim) goes with just about anything! Pair it with your favorite Korean meal, stir-fries, or fried rice dishes, or serve it as a side salad at your next potluck or BBQ.
- Slightly sweet with a slightly crunchy texture, this delicious cucumber salad recipe has so much going on! It’s a flavor explosion of umami, and is mildly spicy with a satisfying crunch.
Ingredients you’ll need
You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.
How to make Korean Cucumber Salad with step-by-step instructions
A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.
Prepare the cucumber
Thinly slice the cucumbers and toss them gently with salt in a small bowl. Set the sliced cucumbers aside for 25 – 30 minutes. We recommend placing them in a colander over the sink to let any liquid drip down the drain.
Make the salad
Drain any excess moisture, and gently toss the cucumber slices in a large mixing bowl with gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes or powder), chopped scallions (green onion), sugar, minced garlic, rice vinegar (or rice wine vinegar), toasted sesame seeds, and sesame oil, ensuring that the sliced cucumber is evenly coated. Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 Korean cucumbers any thin cucumber will work
- 1 tbsp Gochugaru Korean red chili flakes
- 1 Scallion sliced
- ½ tsp Sugar
- ½ tsp Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Sesame seeds
- 1 tsp Sesame oil
Instructions
- Thinly slice the cucumbers and toss them gently with salt, and set them aside for 25 – 30 minutes.1 tsp Salt
- Drain excess fluid, and gently toss with gochugaru, scallion, sugar, garlic, rice wine vinegar, sesame seeds, and sesame oil, ensuring that the cucumbers are evenly coated. Serve and enjoy.2 Korean cucumbers, 1 tbsp Gochugaru Korean red chili flakes, 1 Scallion, ½ tsp Sugar, ½ tsp Garlic, 1 tsp Rice wine vinegar, 1 tsp Sesame seeds, 1 tsp Sesame oil
Notes
- Gochugaru: These are spicy Korean chili flakes that can be found in Korean markets, some Asian markets, and online. It’s essential for this simple Korean cucumber salad, but you’ll also find Korean red chili flakes in other dishes like kimchi. If you can’t find Gochugaru try regular chili pepper flakes, chili powder, or chipotle powder instead.
- Cucumber: Korean cucumbers are long, thin, crunchy cucumbers that are great for pickling and making side dishes such as this Korean cucumber salad recipe. Other fresh cucumbers would work perfectly as well, like English cucumber, Persian cucumbers with their thin skin, Kirby cucumbers, or pickling cucumbers. Make sure they are thinly sliced so that the excess liquid is easier to drain.
- Vinegar: If you don’t have rice vinegar on hand, use white vinegar instead. Add half of the amount in the recipe with a splash of soy sauce for some umami.
- Sugar: You can use maple syrup or honey instead of sugar for another layer of flavor.
- Toast sesame seeds: We highly recommend toasting the sesame seeds before adding them to the Korean Spicy Cucumber Salad. It really brings out their nutty flavor and adds a slight crunch. All you have to do is pop the sesame seeds in a skillet over low-medium heat, and stir them with a wooden spoon until they turn golden brown. It takes about 2 minutes!
Nutrition
Recipe notes and expert tips
- Gochugaru: These are spicy Korean chili flakes that can be found in Korean markets, some Asian markets, and online. It’s essential for this simple Korean cucumber salad, but you’ll also find Korean red chili flakes in other dishes like kimchi. If you can’t find Gochugaru try regular chili pepper flakes, chili powder, or chipotle powder instead.
- Cucumber: Korean cucumbers are long, thin, crunchy cucumbers that are great for pickling and making side dishes such as this Korean cucumber salad recipe. If you can’t find them at the grocery store, then other fresh cucumbers would work perfectly as well, like English cucumbers, Persian cucumbers with their thin skin, Kirby cucumbers, or pickling cucumbers. Make sure they are thinly sliced so that the excess liquid is easier to drain.
- Vinegar: If you don’t have rice vinegar on hand, use white vinegar instead. Add half of the amount in the recipe with a splash of soy sauce for some umami.
- Toast sesame seeds: We highly recommend toasting the sesame seeds before adding them to the Korean Spicy Cucumber Salad. It really brings out their nutty flavor and adds a slight crunch. All you have to do is pop the sesame seeds in a skillet over low-medium heat, and stir them with a wooden spoon until they turn golden brown. It takes about 2 minutes!
- Sugar: You can use maple syrup or honey instead of sugar for an extra layer of flavor.
How to store leftover Korean cucumber salad
Store any leftover spicy cucumber salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Drain off any excess liquid before consuming. To freshen it up, toss in a teaspoon of sesame oil and sprinkle some fresh green onions over it.
What to serve with Korean cucumber salad (oi muchim)
This Korean cucumber side dish is absolutely delicious with our Vegetable Stir Fry main course over a bed of cooked rice (brown or white rice)! Served cold, the refreshing crunch compliments the cooked vegetables in our stir fry perfectly.
This Oi Muchim recipe can also be served as a refreshing side dish at your next cookout. This delicious salad is great with burgers like our Easy Black Bean Burger, Quick Chickpea Burger, Seitan Burger, or Veggie Indian Street Burger.
More easy salad recipes for you to try
- Easy Waldorf Salad Recipe
- The BEST Caprese Salad
- Pizza Salad Recipe
- Beet and Halloumi Salad Recipe
- Quick and Easy Fruit Salad
You may also like…
Tabbouleh
Fresh, bright, and full of clean herby flavor from the parsley, mint, and lemon dressing. Tabbouleh is the kind of salad that makes you want to eat the whole bowl.
Southern Mashed Potatoes
So rich, smooth, and buttery with cream cheese folded all the way through and sautéed garlic and onion in every bite. The creamiest mashed potatoes you will ever taste.
So pleased to hear this!
Ahhh it’s perfect with rice!
I love this cucumber salad and had never salted cucumber but love the flavor from doing that. I used Kirby cucumbers and the salad was delicious, totally love the crunchy toppings. I served this as a side with my stir fry.