Asian Cucumber Salad
Published June 15, 2022 • Updated February 28, 2026
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Fresh cucumber cut like an accordion and soaked in a spicy sesame soy dressing, this keto cucumber salad is one I make on repeat all summer. Serve it over cauliflower rice or on its own as a low carb side dish.
I first made this Chinese cucumber salad after watching it blow up on TikTok, right alongside the Jennifer Aniston salad, baked feta pasta, and dalgona coffee. I figured it would be one of those things that looks cool on camera but disappoints in person. I was wrong. The crunch, the tang, the heat from the red pepper flakes, it all comes together in a way that makes you keep reaching back into the bowl.
What makes this salad so good is how little effort it takes. The marinade is just pantry staples: soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, and a pinch of brown sugar substitute. I mix everything right in the bowl with the cucumbers. No cooking, no fuss. It’s naturally low carb, so it fits a keto meal plan without any swaps or modifications.
The one thing that makes this recipe stand out is the accordion cut. You place the cucumber between two chopsticks and slice at alternating angles, which gives you this slinky-like shape that soaks up the dressing in every fold. I’ll be honest, my first attempt looked rough. By the third cucumber I had the rhythm down and they were coming out clean. (Fun fact: cucumber is technically a fruit since it has seeds, but I’m not about to start calling this a fruit salad.)
I’ve also made this as a smashed cucumber salad, which is actually the more traditional Chinese method. You take the flat side of your knife, give the cucumber a good whack, and tear it into rough pieces. The jagged edges grab even more dressing than the accordion cut. Both techniques work, so use whichever you prefer.
One thing I learned the hard way: salt your cucumbers for about 20 minutes before adding the dressing. This draws out excess moisture so the marinade doesn’t get watered down. I skip this step when I’m in a rush, but the texture is noticeably crunchier when I don’t.
I pair this with keto sushi or a poke bowl most of the time. It’s also great next to a Thai chicken salad with peanut sauce if you want to go all-in on the Asian flavors. For something heartier, I’ve served it alongside my chef salad or broccoli chicken salad for a two-salad spread that covers all the textures.
How to make this viral cucumber salad
- Cut the ends off two cucumbers.
- Place one cucumber between two chopsticks. The chopsticks prevent you from slicing all the way through.
- Cut down the length at a 45 degree angle, about 0.5 to 0.75 cm spacing.
- Flip the cucumber over and cut straight (perpendicular). Line up each cut with the previous mark to get that slinky shape.
- Add minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, toasted sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, and brown sugar substitute to the bowl. Mix and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Key ingredients and swaps
- Cucumber – I’ve used regular waxy cucumbers, Persian, Turkish, and English cucumbers for this recipe. English cucumbers have smaller seeds and thinner skin, which I prefer. Small pickling cucumbers work in a pinch too. I always keep the skin on since it’s packed with fiber and beta-carotene.
- Garlic – I mince fresh garlic for the best punch, but garlic paste or jarred minced garlic works when I’m short on time.
- Soy sauce – For a gluten-free option, I use tamari. If you have a soy sensitivity, liquid aminos or coconut aminos are solid swaps.
- Sesame oil – Use toasted sesame oil, not the light or plain kind. I use Kadoya brand, but anything that smells nutty and has a dark amber color works. This makes or breaks the dressing.
- Rice vinegar – Every good marinade needs acid to brighten it up. I reach for rice vinegar first, but apple cider vinegar or white vinegar work as substitutes.
- Sesame seeds – Toasted or untoasted, both are fine. I sometimes throw in black sesame seeds for the contrast.
- Red pepper flakes – Crushed red pepper gives a hint of heat. I use about half a teaspoon, but adjust to your spice tolerance.
- Brown sugar substitute – For a touch of sweetness, I use brown sugar substitute. Sugar free maple syrup also works.
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Ingredients
2 medium cucumbers -
2 cloves garlic, minced
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2 tablespoons soy sauce, tamari or liquid aminos
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1 tablespoon sesame oil
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1 tablespoon rice vinegar
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1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
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1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
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1 teaspoon brown sugar substitute
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Cut cucumbers
Cut the ends off each cucumber. Place a cucumber in between a pair of chopsticks. This will keep you from slicing all the way through the cucumber. Cut at a 45 degree angle about 0.5 – 0.75 cm spacing along the cucumber.
Flip & cut
Flip the cucumber over. This time make 90 degree cuts (or perpendicular to the cucumber). Line up each cut with the previous cut mark to make the perfect slinky shape. Repeat with other cucumber. Place cucumbers in a small bowl.
Make marinade
To the bowl, add minced garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes and brown sugar substitute. Mix until coated. Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight to allow the marinade to soak into the cucumber.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to spiralize the cucumber?
Not into the accordion cut? I get it. When I'm in a rush, I just slice my cucumbers into coins or half-moons and the dressing still coats them well. You can also try the smashed method, which is actually the more traditional Chinese technique. I take the flat side of my knife, give the cucumber a firm whack, then tear it into rough pieces. The jagged edges grab more dressing than clean slices.
Do I need to peel the cucumbers?
I never peel mine. The skin has fiber and vitamin A, and I like the color contrast it adds. If you're using a waxy grocery store cucumber with thicker skin, you can peel strips in an alternating pattern so you get some skin for nutrition but it's not tough to chew. With English or Persian cucumbers, I always leave the skin fully on.
Can I use regular cucumbers instead of English or Persian?
I've made this with every type of cucumber I can find. Regular waxy cucumbers from the grocery store work fine, but they have larger seeds and thicker skin. I scoop out the seeds with a spoon if they're especially watery. English and Persian cucumbers are my go-to because they're crunchier with fewer seeds, but I've used what's on hand plenty of times.
How do I keep the cucumbers from getting soggy?
I salt my sliced cucumbers and let them sit in a colander for about 20 minutes before adding the dressing. This pulls out the excess water so the marinade stays concentrated instead of getting diluted. I learned this after my first few batches turned watery by day two. It makes a real difference in crunch.
Can I make this ahead of time?
This is one of my favorite meal prep recipes. I cut the cucumbers and mix the marinade separately, then combine them the night before. By morning the flavor is incredible. For a party, I keep them separate and toss everything together about 30 minutes before serving so the cucumbers stay extra crispy.
What's the difference between smashed and accordion-cut cucumber salad?
I make both versions regularly. The accordion cut gives you that pretty slinky shape and each fold catches dressing, which is fun to eat and looks great on the plate. Smashed cucumbers have rough, jagged edges that soak up even more marinade. I reach for the smashed version when I want bolder flavor and the accordion cut when I'm trying to impress someone at dinner.
Can I use tamari instead of soy sauce for gluten-free?
I use tamari as a straight swap whenever I'm cooking for friends who avoid gluten. The flavor is nearly identical, maybe a touch richer. Coconut aminos or liquid aminos also work if you're avoiding soy entirely. I've tried all three and they each taste slightly different, but the salad is good with any of them.
I don't own chopsticks. Can I still make this recipe?
I've used the handles of two wooden spoons when my chopsticks were in the dishwasher. Two spatulas or butter knives work too. Anything that sits flat on each side of the cucumber to stop your knife from going all the way through. Or skip the fancy cut entirely and just slice the cucumbers into rounds. The dressing is the star here.
Does the full teaspoon of red pepper flakes make it really spicy? I'm sensitive to heat.
I've made this eight or nine times, and the batch that changed how I think about it was one I threw together the night before a dinner. Just left it in the fridge overnight instead of the usual hour. The texture shifts completely: the cucumber softens just slightly, and the dressing actually gets into the accordion folds instead of coating them. What tastes sharp and bright at an hour kind of mellows into something more put-together. The sesame seeds change too. After a full night in the sesame oil they stop sitting on top, the nuttiness just becomes part of it. If I'm bringing it somewhere I always make it the night before now. I do add a small handful of fresh seeds right before serving, you want some snap against the softened ones. One thing that surprised me: the accordion cut matters even more for overnight batches. The extra surface area keeps the cucumber from waterlogging while still letting the dressing penetrate.
No chopsticks so I can't do the accordion cut, would regular diagonal slices still let the dressing soak in, or does the scoring actually matter for flavor?
Hadn't thought about my mom's cucumber salad in years. She did rice vinegar and sesame oil, nothing fancy. This one's better, which feels wrong.
Rice vinegar and sesame oil is the whole base. The garlic and chili just made it louder. I get the feels-wrong part, Jordan.
the sesame-soy came together. can I swap rice vinegar for lime?
Lime works. It'll be brighter and more citrusy, rice vinegar is a lot mellower. I'd start with 2 teaspoons instead of the full tablespoon since lime hits harder. Different vibe but still good.
Sweetener in a sesame soy dressing made zero sense to me, almost skipped it. Dumbest instinct I've had all week. One teaspoon of brown sugar sub is somehow why the whole thing works.
4.2 net carbs made me actually stop and read the recipe. The accordion cut took me two tries to figure out, but once I got it the dressing coats everything. One thing: the sweetener doesn't dissolve in cold sesame dressing, so I mix it with the oil first before adding the vinegar.
Oil first, always. The sweetener won't dissolve in cold sesame oil, you just get grit. Two tries on the accordion cut is about right, that angle is weird until it clicks.
Something about the sesame oil did it. There was a Korean deli near my old office with cucumber salad in a cold refrigerator case, always garlicky, always spicy, and I bought it every week until I went keto. Told myself certain things just get left behind. The brown sugar substitute is doing exactly what I assumed only real sugar could.
Andre, that 'certain things just get left behind' feeling is why I spent so long testing this one. The brown sugar substitute doesn't sweeten it, just takes the edge off the vinegar. Closest thing to that cold deli case I've found.
Salted the cucumber slices for 20 minutes before adding the dressing and they stayed crisp for two days in the fridge instead of going watery. The marinade also concentrated way better once I patted them dry. Docking one star only because I had to learn this the soggy way first.
Yeah this is in my FAQ and I should have led with it. Salt, let sit, pat really dry. The marinade is so much better when it's not fighting diluted cucumber water.
Made this last Sunday and my daughter who won't eat anything with vinegar ate half the bowl before I even sat down. The accordion cut makes it look interesting enough that she wanted to try it, and then the sesame oil must have won her over because she kept going back. Used the chopstick method and it was weirdly satisfying to make. Double batch next week.
She ate half the bowl before you sat down. Kids who won't touch vinegar seem to find a way when sesame oil is involved.
I used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce because that's what I had, and it's a tiny bit sweeter but works SO well with the sesame oil and red pepper flakes. The accordion cut looked intimidating but the chopstick trick made it way easier than I expected. Taking off one star only because I think my cucumber-to-marinade ratio was off the first time, but that's on me, not the recipe.
Yeah coconut aminos are sweeter, and a little extra rice vinegar helps offset it. The chopstick trick converts people every time.
Thought I'd just accepted that a good cucumber salad wasn't really a keto thing. The sesame soy marinade here brings back what I used to get from the Chinese place I ordered from every Friday, and the accordion cut lets the garlic and red pepper work into every single bite.
The garlic and red pepper soaking into those folds is everything. Give it a full hour in the fridge if you can.
Two years keto and I still mourned that cucumber salad every time I drove past my old Chinese spot. Made this and ended up eating it straight from the bowl before it even made it to a plate.
Two years is a long time to mourn a cucumber salad. And eating it out of the bowl means you got all the extra dressing that pools at the bottom, so that's the right call.
Brought this to a cookout last weekend and the accordion cuts on the cucumbers got people asking questions before anyone even tasted it. The sesame dressing was gone before the burgers came off the grill.
The accordion cut is half the show before anyone even gets a fork in. And yeah, that dressing disappears fast.
Tried this with coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and added a teaspoon of fresh grated ginger alongside the garlic. The ginger creates this slight brightness that plays off the sesame oil really well, much more interesting than I expected from such a small addition. I also found that letting it sit in the fridge for 45 minutes before serving makes a real difference, the accordion cuts absorb all the way through instead of just picking up surface flavor. One thing worth adjusting: the red pepper flakes mellow out quite a bit during the marinade, so if you want actual heat, hold half of them back and add right before serving.
Fresh ginger with the sesame oil is one I haven't tried in this one. Going in next batch. And holding half the pepper flakes until right before serving - smarter than just piling more in.