Peanut Chili Crisp Cucumber Salad
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Here’s a recipe that will absolutely have you craving your daily crisp cucumber! This spicy cucumber salad is coated in an umami-packed sauce made with chili crisp, creamy peanut butter, garlic, soy, and sesame.
Some people (especially the “Cucumber Guy” on TikTok) say anything is good on a cucumber. But for me, nothing balances its cool crunchiness better than salty, hot and sweet flavors.
What I’m loving about this spiced-up Asian cucumber salad is how easy it is and how GOOD it tastes. It delivers bang for your buck, 100 percent!
Spicy cucumber salad ingredients
- Cucumber: Look for seedless English cucumber, also called “hothouse” cucumber. You can also use smaller Persian cucumbers. Either type has less seeds and thinner, more tender skin compared to your everyday garden cucumbers. I think they taste a bit sweeter too!
- Peanut butter: I tested the peanut dressing a few times and found that peanut butter with a looser texture produces a sauce with a perfect texture. Shop for the types that you have to stir up before spreading. You can use sweetened or unsweetened depending on your taste.
- Chili crisp: This spicy Chinese condiment is a flavorful blend of chilies, garlic, shallots (or onion), and sesame seeds blended with oil. It’s leveled up with lots of umami flavors. Depending on the brand of chili crisp, the heat level will vary from mild to very hot. This is my current favorite chili crisp.
- Fresh, grated garlic: Use a rasp grater (aka a Microplane) to grate a clove or two of peeled garlic. You’ll need about a teaspoon to add punchy flavor to the salad.
Recipe steps
1. Pro tip: I recommend slicing the cucumber about 1/4-1/2-inch thick. You can use a Japanese-style mandoline for precise cuts (not too thin). Be sure to use the guard to avoid injury! 2. The easiest way to slice is with a chef’s knife. Keep in mind that slightly thicker slices hold the sauce best and retain their crisp texture.
3. Make the spicy peanut sauce, which is the dressing for the salad. Whisk chili crisp with peanut butter, soy sauce, grated garlic, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar until it’s smooth. 4. The sauce can be prepped and refrigerated up to 5 days.
5. Put sliced cukes in a large bowl. Spoon the peanut sauce over. 6. Toss the cucumbers and sauce gently until the slices are evenly coated. 
7. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or chopped peanuts and serve.
Serve with:
The Asian cucumber salad pairs beautifully on its own, or serve it as a side dish with garlic-sauteed shrimp, gochujang-glazed chicken or salmon, along with a side of homemade coconut rice.
Peanut Chili Crisp Cucumber Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Spicy Peanut Sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) peanut butter, sweetened or unsweetened
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) chili crisp
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) rice wine vinegar, seasoned or unseasoned
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) tamari, or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh garlic
- ¼ teaspoon flaky salt, or kosher salt
Cucumber Salad
- 1 pound (450 g) seedless cucumbers, sliced into ¼-½-inch thick rounds
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) sesame seeds, or chopped roasted peanuts
Instructions
Make the peanut sauce
- Whisk the ingredients for the peanut sauce in a bowl, or shake together in a lidded jar until blended.
Make the salad
- Put the sliced cucumber in a large bowl. Drizzle the peanut sauce over and toss gently until the slices are evenly coated with the dressing. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds or peanuts and serve.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- The salad keeps up to 1-2 days in the refrigerator.
- To amp up the flavor even more, you can use sweetened peanut butter and seasoned rice vinegar.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
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No ginger root?
Tammy, I didn’t use fresh ginger, but it would be a great addition! I would use about 1 teaspoon of grated ginger.
This recipe is so simple yet so delicious. Would absolutely be making this again.
Double up on vinegar and cut sesame oil in half.
It’s OK. To me it seems like something is missing. It is spicy but really other than spice not much flavor
Hi! I just noticed that the ingredient list was missing one teaspoon of grated garlic. I just corrected it and I hope you try it again! Also, sweetened peanut butter is a nice flavor booster to balance the salty ingredients.
This recipe made a perfect cucumber salad! Love it so much!