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.

Cucumber salad with spicy peanut dressing in a serving bowl, with chopsticks resting on the side.

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

Ingredients for preparing spicy cucumber salad, including a whole English cucumber, and bowls of peanut butter, chili crisp, grated garlic and sesame oil.
  • 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

  • A plastic mandoline with a slicing guard and sliced cucumbers arrayed on top of a cutting board.
    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!
  • Thick-sliced English cucumber and a chef's knife on a cutting board.
    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.
  • Peanut butter and chili crisp sauce whisking in a glass measuring cup.
    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.
  • A bowl of peanut chili crisp sauce in a bowl.
    4. The sauce can be prepped and refrigerated up to 5 days.
  • Sliced cucumbers topped with spicy peanut sauce in a mixing bowl.
    5. Put sliced cukes in a large bowl. Spoon the peanut sauce over.
  • Sliced cucumbers combined with spicy peanut sauce in a mixing bowl.
    6. Toss the cucumbers and sauce gently until the slices are evenly coated.
  • Sliced cucumbers in a bowl with peanut chili sauce and sesame seeds on top.
    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.

Spicy cucumber salad tossed with chili oil and peanut butter dressing served in a bowl.
4.25 from 4 ratings

Peanut Chili Crisp Cucumber Salad

Karen Tedesco
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 crunch, creamy peanut butter, garlic, soy, and sesame. The salad keeps for days in the refrigerator for your snacking pleasure.
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Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

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

Equipment

Instructions
 

Make the peanut sauce

  1. Whisk the ingredients for the peanut sauce in a bowl, or shake together in a lidded jar until blended.

Make the salad

  1. 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.

Notes

  • 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.
This recipe was inspired by TikTok creator Logagm

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 139kcal Carbohydrates: 6g Protein: 3g Fat: 12g Sodium: 338mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 3g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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