This Korean cucumber salad, also known as Oi Muchim, is a refreshing side dish made with crisp cucumbers tossed in a lightly spicy, tangy, and savory dressing. It’s quick to prepare, packed with bold flavor, and pairs beautifully with everything from grilled meats to rice bowls.

If you enjoy Korean banchan (small side dishes served with meals), this cucumber salad is one you’ll want to keep on repeat! It comes together in minutes and delivers that perfect balance of heat (gochugaru), acidity (vinegar), and crunch (cucumber). The outcome is an explosion of spicy, tart, savory, slightly sweet, and crunchy.

Korean cucumber salad is often served as a side dish to complement a main, most likely a meat dish of some kind. This recipe is very simple and easy to follow – only 15 minutes are needed to make it and most of the ingredients are easy to find.

If you love Korean food, you might like this collection of 27 Delicious And Easy Korean Recipes.

Why You’ll Love This Korean Cucumber Salad

  • Light, refreshing, and full of flavor
  • Ready in about 10 minutes
  • Naturally dairy-free and vegan
  • Perfect as a side dish or topping
  • Easy to customize to your taste

Table of contents

What Is Oi Muchim?

Oi Muchim (오이무침) is a popular Korean cucumber salad made with sliced cucumbers seasoned with gochugaru (Korean chili flakes), garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, and a pinch of sugar.

Unlike pickled cucumber dishes, oi muchim is meant to be eaten fresh. The cucumbers stay crisp while soaking up just enough seasoning to become smoky and and savory. It’s commonly served as part of a Korean meal alongside rice, soups, and grilled dishes.

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Cucumber: Cucumber is the main ingredient of this dish and gives the salad a refreshing taste and crunch. Scroll down to find out which cucumbers are the best to use for this salad.
  • Green Onions: Chopped green onions gives the salad an element of freshness and a slight bitter crunch.
  • White Distilled Vinegar: White vinegar has a sharp bite that delivers a real edge to the overall dish. If you like milder, sweeter flavors you could substitute rice vinegar instead.
  • Soy Sauce: We’re not going for salty in this dish, but just a hint of savory and umami. I use regular Japanese soy sauce but you can also use Korean or Chinese soy sauce.
  • Garlic: A small clove of minced garlic adds a floral and pungent aroma to this Korean salad.
  • Salt and Sugar: To balance sweetness and saltiness.
  • Gochugaru: Gochugaru are Korean red pepper flakes. And while there’s some inherent spice, gochugaru’s flavor is far more smokey and nuanced than regular chili powder or cayenne pepper.
  • Sesame Seeds: A teaspoon of sesame seeds adds a nutty crunch.

Best Cucumbers To Use

Kirby cucumbers are the best cucumbers to use for this recipe because they are very sturdy and crunchy. If you cannot find kirby cucumbers, look for Japanese cucumbers which are thin and long, or English cucumbers, which also work well for this salad.

For English cucumber, scoop out the center part where the seeds are to ensure that the salad doesn’t become too watery.

How To Make Oi Muchim

Scroll all the way down to the recipe card to read the full recipe.

  1. Slice the cucumbers and place them into a mixing bowl. Add the green onions.
  2. Mix the vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic, and season with a little sugar and salt.
  3. Pour the sauce over the cucumber and green onions and sprinkle gochugaru and sesame seeds on top. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips And Variations

  • Spicier: Add 1 teaspoon of gochujang – which has more heat than gochugaru – to the dressing, and mix well.
  • Sweeter: Add an additional 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to the dressing and mix until the sugar has dissolved.
  • Colorful. Add some shredded carrots for a pop of color and extra sweetness.
  • More bite. Add thinly sliced onions.
  • More refreshing. Add a splash of lemon juice.

Storage and Make Ahead

Oi muchim is best eaten fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. After that, the cucumbers will soften and release more water. If needed, drain excess liquid before serving again.

Make ahead: Part of this salad can be made ahead of time so it can be quickly put together the day you decide to serve it.

  • Dressing. Can be made ahead of time and saved in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Pre-sliced cucumbers. Can be saved in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.

What To Serve With It

As previously mentioned, oi muchim pairs well with grilled meats and other Korean sides. But it’s also delicious with fish and tofu dishes, and I also love to eat it with a bowl of rice because the grains soak up the nutty and savory flavor of the dressing so well. Here are a few ways to serve this salad:

For more easy sides, check out my collection of 35 Easy Asian Side Dishes.

Did you make this recipe? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!

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Korean Cucumber Salad

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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 10 reviews

This Korean cucumber salad recipe is packed with spicy, tart, savory, and slightly sweet flavors, with the most satisfying crunchy!

  • Author: Caroline Phelps
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: makes about 1.5 cups 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Mixed
  • Cuisine: Korean
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 Kirby cucumbers, sliced into 1/8-inch thick pieces
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean chili pepper flakes)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Mix the vegetables: Place the cucumber slices and chopped green onion in a medium or large mixing bowl and set aside.
  2. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, mix vinegar, soy sauce and garlic. Stir in sugar and salt and keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
  3. Combine the dressing with the veggies: Pour the dressing over the cucumber slices and green onions and toss.
  4. Add smokiness and serve: Sprinkle the Korean chili pepper flakes and sesame seeds and toss until the cucumber slices are evenly coated. Serve.

Notes

This spicy Korean cucumber salad will keep refrigerated for up to 2 days in an airtight storage container.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 32
  • Sugar: 2.3g
  • Sodium: 729.8mg
  • Fat: 1.2g
  • Saturated Fat: 0.2g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 0.5g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 4.7g
  • Fiber: 1.2g
  • Protein: 1.2g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg

Frequently Asked Questions

How Spicy Is This Salad?

Mildly spicy. The gochugaru adds smokiness to the salad but very little heat. Compared to most cabbage kimchi recipes, this salad is very mild.

What can I use instead of gochugaru?

Gochugaru gives the dish its authentic flavor and some smokiness. But in a pinch, crushed red pepper flakes can work (use less, as they’re spicier).

How do you make it less watery?

The type of cucumber used makes a big difference is how watery the cucumber salad is. By using kirby cucumber you can rest assured that your salad will not be too watery. Also, it’s worth noting that the longer cucumber slices sit in salt or vinegar, the more watery they will become. This is why cucumber salads taste best when they are freshly made.

I don’t like cucumbers. Can I use another vegetable to make this recipe?

Yes you can. Napa cabbage or regular cabbage both work well with this recipe, as well as bean sprouts and thinly sliced carrots.

Is It gluten-free?

No, this salad isn’t gluten-free because it contains soy sauce. To make it gluten-free, simply swap regular soy sauce for gluten-free soy sauce, tamari sauce, or liquid aminos.

Is it Vegan?

Yes, this recipe is naturally vegan.

Other Delicious Cucumber Recipes You Might Like

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Questions and Reviews

  1. I think I will love this recipe for a bridal shower I am hosting for my Korean daughter-in-law to be. Is this served cold?

    Reply

  3. Tripled recipe using home grown cukes. About 2 1/2 – 3 lbs. Added 2 tsp. sesame oil. OMG! This was sensational.

    Reply

  5. Hi Caroline,

    Enjoy all your recipes very much. I have a question about the Korean Cucumber salad, and is that when looking at the picture, I noticed the red seasoning that looks very much as Gochujang and not as gochugaru. Am I mistaken? or it is also acceptable to use gochujang instead of the latter.
    Thanks for all your great recipes!

    Reply

    1. Hi Joe! I’m using gochugaru for this recipe so the salad isn’t too crazy spicy. I don’t know if using gochujang would work since it’s a paste. You might be able to use a little, like a teaspoon, and dissolve it before adding tossing the sliced cucumber. If you do make it that way, let me know how it turns out!

      Reply

  7. May I recommend listing the 2 Kirby cucumbers by weight? That way the total calories at 32 would be accurate. Not all Kirby cucumbers are created equal. 🙂

    That said, I used some Thai Red Curry Paste for the heat. Liked it a lot. I also like that I can play with the ingredients some without adding many calories.

    The fact that the calories are so low is a blessing for me as I face the horrors of a 5:2 Fast Diet twice a week. 🙁

    Thx.

    P.S. I notice that there is not an email notification for replies. That would be a nice feature.

    Reply

  10. I really enjoy this recipe, a mixture of spicy with sweet and tangy. Is there a way to Can/Preserve this recipe? I want sure if I added more liquid and water bathed the jars, if there is enough vinegar for canning or if the soy sauce will cause any issues.

    Reply

    1. Hi Chole! I think the only way to can this recipe would be to use uncut kirbie cucumbers. Once the cucumber is cut it softens too much and gets all soggy after a while. If you do try to can it, please let me know how it turns out! I might do the same 🙂

      Reply

    1. Hi Nancy, if you have plain rice vinegar (seasoned is too sweet) it will work for a substitute since the recipe doesn’t call for a lot of it 🙂

      Reply

    1. Hi Amber, I would recommend using red pepper powder or chipotle powder instead. Red chili flakes would be too hot for this recipe, gochugaru is more smokey than spicy 🙂

      Reply