These Asian Pickled Cucumbers are so easy to make, and are a delicious, flavorful side salad, condiment, slaw, or topping for so many dishes!
If you're looking for a versatile and easy recipe to go with an Asian-inspired feast, try this Asian Pickled Cucumbers recipe.
Much like Filipino Atchara, these Asian pickles can be used in many different ways. I love them as burger toppings, sandwich relish, and as a simple side salad. Asian Pickled Cucumbers are a quick solution to accompany many meals.
And like other pickled vegetables, you can store a jar of this in the refrigerator for a few days. The cucumbers get even more pickled the longer they are in the jar.
Ready to make this fast and simple multi-use dish? We'll show you how. It's so easy!
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🌟 Why this recipe works
Here are a few reasons why you'll love this recipe:
Fast: It only takes about 5 minutes to prep and assemble these pickled cucumbers. Then you simply pop them in the fridge. Easy peasy!
Versatile: Use the pickled cucumbers as a topping, a relish, a side salad, or eat some as a low-calorie snack.
Simple, affordable ingredients: This recipe uses just 6 cost-effective ingredients you can easily find at your local grocery store. And you probably have some of them in your pantry already.
Full of flavor: The shallots, rice vinegar, and chili flakes help give this dish rich flavor, zesty acidity, and a mild spicy kick.
🛒 Ingredient notes
- Cucumbers - Thinly slice English cucumbers using a mandoline. It's much easier and more even than hand-cutting. Just be sure to be careful with the sharp blade.
- Rice vinegar - Rice vinegar provides some nice mild acidity.
- Shallots - For some more aromatic flavor and texture.
- Sugar - This adds some sweetness and helps balance out the acidity.
- Red chili flakes - Just a few flakes for a bit of a kick.
- Salt - To taste.
✅ Step-by-step instructions
To put together this recipe, you'll need a large bowl and a mason jar. Here are a few step-by-step photos to help! You'll find the full ingredients and detailed instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.
- Then transfer them to a mason jar and tighten the lid.
- Pop in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. That's it!
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQs
I use English cucumbers for this recipe because they tend be longer and thinner than other kinds, and also a bit sweeter. And since they're sliced, they can easily absorb the pickling liquid. But you can use whichever you prefer. You can also use mini cucumbers if you like smaller slices.
Rice vinegar is milder and slightly sweeter compared to white vinegar. It still provides nice acidity and tanginess but it's not as sharp and doesn't overwhelm the flavors of the other pickling ingredients.
Store them in the refrigerator in a mason jar or other airtight container. They'll pickle more the longer they're stored. They should stay fresh and crunchy for up to 3 days.
🍽 Serving ideas
One of the reasons I love the Asian pickled cucumbers so much is that you can use them in so many different ways:
- Add them as a topping to fried chicken sandwiches or Asian beef burgers.
- They go great as a side salad with many of our Asian recipes (just drain the liquid first).
- Use as a relish for dishes like Filipino pork BBQ skewers or Thai lemongrass chicken.
🍳 Kitchen tools and equipment
Ready to make this recipe? Here are the kitchen tools and equipment you'll need:
- Mason jar - These mason jars are great for pickling and more!
- Mandoline - This is optional as you could hand slice the cucumbers. But if you do opt for a mandoline, this is the one I use.
More Asian-inspired recipes
Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to leave a 5-Star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card, and if you really loved it, please leave a comment further down on the page. Thank you!
Asian Pickled Cucumbers
Equipment
- 1 mason jar
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice vinegar
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced
- ⅕ dried red chili flakes
Instructions
- Toss all of the ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined.
- Add the ingredients to a large mason jar or other airtight container, and secure the lid.
- Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days.
Notes
- Use to top fried chicken sandwiches or Asian beef burgers.
- Serve as a small side salad with any of our Asian recipes, but drain the liquid first if serving as a salad.
- Serve it as a relish for Filipino pork BBQ skewers or Thai lemongrass chicken.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a general estimate. Actual nutrition details may vary depending on the exact foods & brands you use to make this recipe. It does not take into account any substitutions, toppings, or optional ingredients.
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