A Zingy, Refreshing Cucumber Salad That Brightens Any Meal

If you’re craving something fresh, crunchy and full of zing, these Quick Pickled Asian Cucumbers are about to become your new go-to. They’re sweet, tangy, lightly spicy and incredibly refreshing — the perfect side dish for rich curries, stir-fries, grilled meats or any saucy Asian-inspired meal.

Quick pickled Asian cucumber salad in a bowl with chilli and coriander

The best part? They take minutes to throw together and the fridge does the rest. So easy, so tasty, so addictive.

Why You’ll Love This Cucumber Salad

This cucumber salad is bright, crunchy and incredibly refreshing. It comes together in under fifteen minutes and has the perfect balance of sweet, tangy and lightly spicy flavours. It’s great with Asian dishes, BBQ meats and simple rice bowls. You can also use it as a topping for bao, banh mi, tacos or noodles. It’s budget-friendly, uses simple ingredients and is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. It’s one of those little sides that instantly lifts the whole meal.

What Do I Serve This Cucumber Salad With?

These quick pickled cucumbers pair beautifully with so many dishes. They’re perfect with satay chicken or beef, Coriander & Hoisin Chicken Wings, grilled salmon, prawns or crispy pork belly. They also work well with BBQ chicken, sticky Asian ribs, rice bowls, bao buns and banh mi. The flavours suit Thai, Vietnamese and Malaysian meals, adding a bright contrast to richer dishes. They’re also dangerously snackable straight from the bowl.

cucumbers that have been peeled with a peeler

chopping board with onion, chilli, cucumber and coriander in piles for the quick pickled asian cucumbers

Tips for Perfect Pickled Cucumbers

Use Lebanese cucumbers for the best crunch.
Let them chill — even 15 minutes in the fridge improves flavour.
Deseed for texture — no soggy centres.
Adjust heat — remove chilli seeds or use chilli flakes instead.

Storage

This salad is best eaten on the same day for maximum crunch, but you can store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours if needed. The flavour will deepen as it sits, although the cucumbers will soften slightly over time.

More Recipes You May Love

Coriander & Hoisin Chicken Wings
Chilli Garlic Crisp Oil
Crispy Pork Belly Bahn Mi
Ultimate Butterflied Satay Grilled Chicken

Pickled cucumber salad in bowl with napkin underneath and chopsticks

Ingredients

⅓ cup water
¼ cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
3 Lebanese cucumbers
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 long red chilli, thinly sliced (deseeded for less heat if desired)
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

Instructions

Place caster sugar, water, rice wine vinegar and salt into a small saucepan. Bring just to the boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
Meanwhile, roughly peel the cucumbers then slice in half lengthways. Using the teaspoon, drag it along the centre of each cucumber half to deseed them, discarding the seeds. Once deseeded, cut into slices.
Add the cucumber, red onion, chilli and coriander to the pickling liquid and stir to combine. Cover and chill until required.

Notes

MEASUREMENTS
We use Australian metric measurements. 1 teaspoon = 5ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml and 1 cup = 250ml
We use extra large eggs weighing approximately 59g each
THE CUCUMBER
You can use any cucumber you like here. I just prefer the taste and texture of a Lebanese cucumber. But you could try with continental, regular or baby cucumbers too.
If you need to make a larger quantity, just “up” the cucumber (and the red onion). There is quite a lot of pickling liquid so it can easily take it.