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Smashed Cucumber Salad
The viral crunchy, garlicky, spicy cucumber situation.
WORTH ITFive minutes of work for the best thing on the table - the 500M views are deserved.
tested 2026-07 Verified the salt-and-drain step is non-negotiable - skipping it waters the dressing down in minutes.
Ingredients
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- 4 Persian cucumbers (or 2 English cucumbers)
- 1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for draining)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1-2 Tbsp chili crisp or chili oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- Sesame seeds for garnish
- Fresh cilantro (optional)
Instructions
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- Place cucumbers on cutting board. Using the flat side of a knife or cleaver, smash each cucumber firmly until it cracks and splits. Cut into rough 1-inch pieces.
- Toss cucumber pieces with salt in a colander. Let drain to draw out excess water. This keeps the salad from getting soggy.
- While cucumbers drain, whisk together garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili crisp, and sugar.
- Pat cucumbers dry with paper towels. Transfer to serving bowl.
- Pour dressing over cucumbers and toss well, making sure sauce gets into all the cracks and crevices.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro. Serve immediately for maximum crunch.
Notes
- Smashing is better than cutting - the rough edges absorb more sauce.
- Salting and draining is crucial. Skip this and you get a watery salad.
- Best eaten within 30 minutes. The cucumbers will continue to release water.
When it goes wrong
- Watery puddle in the bowl → skipped the salt-drain, or it sat too long; drain 15 minutes and eat within 30.
- Not crunchy → wrong cucumber; Persian or English only - regular slicers are all seeds and water.
- Too fiery → chili crisp overload; start with 1 Tbsp, and know the oil spreads heat more than the flakes.
Chinese pai huang gua