Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad (拍黄瓜)

Name: Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad (拍黄瓜)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 3 cucumbers ((3 medium or 2 large)); 4 cloves garlic ((finely chopped)); 3/4 tsp sugar ((or to taste)); 3/4 tsp salt ((1/4 tsp for the sauce and 1/2 tsp to marinate)); 1 tbsp light soy sauce ((or to preference)); 2 1/2 tbsp black vinegar ((or to preference)); 1 tbsp sesame oil; 2 tsp chili oil ((or to preference; we use a homemade version))

Bring excitement to the table with our Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad! Enjoy crisp cucumbers bursting with flavor from a spicy vinaigrette made using vinegar and homemade chili oil. The smashing technique cracks the fruit open so the sauce drizzles through for maximum flavor!

Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad on a plate with chopsticks holding some up.

Make it at home for the complete experience

I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for ordering Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad whenever it’s available at a restaurant. It’s refreshing, wonderfully light and packed with so much crunch that every bite is exciting.

Even the name itself is fun! Can you imagine children giggling as they help to smash the cucumbers? Then the surprised gasps as each fruit bursts open with fresh aromas?

Even as an adult, I love the whole experience!

And that’s what you get when it’s homemade. Not just the amazing tangy and savory taste, but the complete experience – smashing, mixing then eating.

Unlike pickled vegetables that are made to balance a meal, this salad can complement dishes AND be the star of a celebratory banquet.

For a dish so exciting, you won’t believe it comes together in just 12 minutes. Give it a go to see what I mean!

Why do you smash cucumbers?

When you have a Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad, one of the best things is enjoying all the textures. There’s a soft inside where the seeds are and there’s also the signature crunch on the outside.

One way of getting the fruit open is to slice or dice it. This will produce clean lines and even pieces. However, what you’d miss out on is the texture of all the grooves and crevices.

That mouthfeel can only be achieved by smashing the cucumbers so they break and crack at different points.

The uneven surface also gives any flavoring (chili oil in our case) more to hold onto. That means that when you bite down, you’ll get a kick of aromas!

Which cucumbers do I use?

For the Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad that we made, we used Persian or Lebanese cucumbers. They’re easily available in Australian supermarkets and are great on their own to complement dishes like Cá Kho Tộ (Vietnamese Braised Fish), Tôm Rim Thịt (Vietnamese Caramelized Shrimp and Pork) or Saliva Chicken (Sichuan Chicken in Chili Oil 口水鸡).

Persian cucumbers are firm enough to stay crunchy after being soaked in liquid for some time. They’re also sweet and juicy, which means you’ll get to enjoy the signature cucumber flavor.

English cucumbers are also a fantastic choice for this recipe. You’ll find that they’re much crunchier and the skin isn’t as thick.

If crunchy is what you’re after, then the Kirby cucumber is another option. These are often used in pickling recipes. They’re on the smaller end with little bumps on the skin, but they’ll stay extra crisp for some time.

Which chili oil should I use?

A dish of homemade chili oil next to a jar of Lao Gan Ma chili oil.

We mixed our salad with a homemade Sichuan Garlic Chili Oil, but you can save yourself those extra steps by buying your own. Lao Gan Ma has a chili condiment loaded with textural ingredients like peanuts and will work wonderfully with this recipe.

I personally prefer to make my own because I can control the flavor and ingredients that go into the sauce. But with whichever option you go for, you’ll still get to add tons of aromatic spice to the dish!

Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad on a plate surrounded by chopsticks, a spoon and dishes of chili oil and peanuts.

Why this recipe works

Cutting the cucumbers diagonally means there’s more surface area for the sauce to coat.
Adding a homemade chili oil lets you control every layer of flavor.
Marinating the cucumbers in salt draws out moisture so the vinaigrette isn’t too watery.

What you’ll need

A plate of cucumbers along with dishes of chili oil, black vinegar, light soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, sugar and chopped garlic.

About the ingredients

We used Chinkiang black vinegar for this recipe. If you prefer the dish more sour, add more of the vinegar or use less soy sauce. Likewise, if you like it less tangy, use less vinegar or add more soy.

This is a simple version of the dish, but you can jazz it up by adding sliced chili, coriander/cilantro, spring onions/shallots, peanuts or sesame seeds.

How to make this recipe

Cucumbers on a chopping board with the ends cut off.

Cut off the ends of each cucumber.

A cleaver on top of smashed cucumbers on a chopping board.

Use a large flat utensil like a cleaver or meat mallet to smash the cucumbers one at a time. You want to smash them until they’ve collapsed into themselves. Avoid over-smashing because they’ll turn into mush.

Cucumbers cut diagonally on a chopping board.

Slice them diagonally, roughly 1cm (0.4″) thick.

Place each cut piece into a large bowl and mix 1/2 tsp salt through. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the light soy sauce, black vinegar, garlic, sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, sesame oil and chili oil.

Cucumber pieces and chili oil sauce in a bowl.

After the 5 minutes of sitting, pour the cucumber liquid out of the bowl so you’re left with just cucumbers.

Stir through the sauce and serve immediately as is!

Recipe FAQs

How long will this keep for?

This recipe is best eaten straight away. The longer the cucumbers are left in the vinaigrette, the softer it will become. I would suggest keeping it refrigerated for no longer than a day if there are leftovers.
Alternatively, make just enough for everything to be eaten, then make a new batch when you want more.

Can I peel the cucumbers?

You definitely can! Some recipes partially peel the skin whereas some keep it all on. If you prefer to have it all off, then do what works best for you.

How do you keep cucumber salad from getting soggy?

We salt the fruit to draw some liquid out so the sauce isn’t too watered down, but that could lead to a softer cucumber. Instead, you can skip the salting but work quickly and serve immediately.

Tips for the best results

Mash some garlic. Use a mortar and pestle to mash half of the garlic so it can infuse better into the sauce. Leave the other half finely chopped for texture.
Add vinegar a little at a time. The tang in black vinegar can go from mild to sour very quickly. Pour in a little at a time and taste as you go to get the perfect balance for you.
Make this dish just before serving. The longer the fruit sits with the sauce, the more time it has to soften and lose its crunch.
Use firm cucumbers. These will stay crisp compared to the softer ones.
Leave the excess sauce behind. Mix the ingredients together, then scoop just the cucumbers and aromatics out to serve. Leave the vinaigrette in the bowl so it doesn’t turn the fruit into mush.

Close up of Chinese Smashed Cucumber Salad on a plate.

What to serve it with

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (鹽酥雞) will pair nicely with the fresh salad.
Complement the spice with a Sichuan Mapo Tofu with Pork Mince (麻婆豆腐).
Load your rice bowl with Egg and Tomato Stir Fry (番茄炒蛋) or smother it generously over some Scallion Oil Noodles (葱油拌面).
Dried Vegetable Soup (菜乾湯) is an easy and comforting way to nourish the body.
Keep everything refreshing by finishing the meal off with some sweet Ching Bo Leung (清補涼)!

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