These Asian Marinated Cucumbers are so good, they pair great with fish, chicken, or work well as just as a snack on their own. We toss them in salt first so they absorb all of the flavor of the delicious honey soy marinade.

asian marinated cucumbers in a long square white dish with sesame seed garnish

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Asian Marinated Cucumber Recipe

One of my favorite restaurants, Din Tai Fung inspired this recipe. We used to go there about every weekend. One of the best dishes they have (in my opinion) are the marinated cucumbers! I wanted to make my own at home. While these aren’t exact, they’re a close second, and I modified this recipe to use ingredients most home cooks already have at home to keep it easy on the chef.

Ingredients to make Asian Cucumbers

Cucumbers: I like using Persian. They’re crunchy and bite size.
Salt: We salt the cucumber slices to get rid of some of the natural moisture so they reabsorb the marinade.
Soy Sauce: Coconut aminos works well, too.
Honey: Agave works as well.
Rice Vinegar: This is important, it’s a much sweeter flavor than apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.
Garlic: Fresh is best. No jar-lic here! Mince finely.
Ginger: Fresh, minced.
Sesame Oil: Trader Joe’s is where I buy mine. Less expensive and great quality.
Sesame Seeds: For garnish. Green onions work well, too.

Salting & Marinating Cucumbers

Slice cucumbers into 1/4 inch pieces. Ensuring they’re evenly cut will result in evenly marinated cucumbers, plus they look prettier!
Next, we’ll salt the cucumbers. Add the cucumbers and salt to a bowl, then toss. Allow them to sit, tossed in salt, for about 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the marinade. Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, minced garlic, minced ginger, and sesame oil.
Rinse the cucumbers in a colander to remove salt. Pat dry with a paper towel to remove excess moisture.
Combine the cucumbers and marinade in a bowl and toss. Allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Asian Cucumber Marinade

I changed this recipe up from the Din Tai Fung version that inspired this recipe. I wanted these cucumbers to be more adaptable for at home cooks using ingredients easily sourced in a standard kitchen. If you want to try out the Din Tai Fung version at home, here’s a great recipe!

Serving & Storing Marinated Cucumbers

Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Store in a container with a lid. I prefer glass.
I like to serve these with salmon and rice!

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Asian Marinated Cucumbers

An easy recipe for Asian cucumbers using readily available ingredients!

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Prep Time 30

Total Time 30

Course asian, Side Dish, Snack, vegetarian

Cuisine asian, side dish, snack, vegetarian

Servings servings

Calories 50 kcal

Ingredients

3 cups Persian cucumbers (cut into 1/4 inch rounds)
2 tbsp salt

Marinade

3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp ginger (fresh chopped or jarred)
1 tbsp garlic (fresh chopped or jarred)
sesame seeds

Instructions

Slice cucumbers into 1/4 inch pieces.
Add the cucumbers and salt to a bowl, then toss. Allow them to sit, tossed in salt, for about 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the marinade. Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, minced garlic, minced ginger, and sesame oil. Whisk to combine until honey is fully combined in marinade. Set aside.
Rinse the cucumbers in a colander to remove salt. Pay dry with a paper towel and place in clean serving bowl.
Pour marinade over cucumbers. allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 50kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 2gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gSodium: 4245mgPotassium: 162mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 82IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg

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