Name: Spicy Pickled Cucumbers Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 279 min
Ingredients: 1 pound small pickling cucumbers (Persian are great), (washed and dried); 2 teaspoons salt; 3½ tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar; 2½ tablespoons granulated sugar; ¼ cup grapeseed oil; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 1½ tablespoons chili paste ((Sambal Oelek is perfect))

Jump to Recipe

This quick and easy recipe for Spicy Pickled Cucumbers will knock your socks off. It’s a pretty successful rendition of the incredibly delicious Din Tai Fung cucumber salad recipe. The perfect appetizer or side, they’re spicy, sweet, crispy and refreshing.

A few years ago my friend Rebecca took me on a Chinese food tour in Los Angeles.

We went to several places, but one restaurant stood out the most, Din Tai Fung — where I had the most amazing Spicy Pickled Cucumbers that came in a tiny bowl as a side dish.

I recreated them for you!

These cucumbers are spicy, crisp, refreshing, and a little bit sweet — all at once!

Din Tai Fung Cucumber Recipe

At Din Tai Fung Rebecca ordered Juicy Pork Dumplings — hands down, the most delicious dumplings I’ve ever had. (Each small dumpling was like having a bite of warm, comforting, hearty soup.)

To complement the dumplings, Rebecca also ordered a wonderful dish of Spicy Pickled Cucumbers, which was a highlight that I’ve recreated here.

This might not be exactly the way the Din Tai Fung cucumber salad recipe is made, but I think I’ve come pretty close!

How to Make Spicy Pickled Cucumbers

– Slice the cucumbers into rounds and place them in a bowl sprinkled with salt. Let them sit for twenty minutes and then drain and rinse them with cold water. Dry them with paper towels and place them in a another bowl.

Look how much excess water is removed from the cucumbers when they sit for twenty minutes mixed with salt.

– Warm sugar with rice vinegar only until it dissolves. Pour this over the cucumbers, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let them marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

– In a small sauté pan, heat grapeseed oil with sesame oil and chili paste. Cook only until it’s sizzling, about two minutes. Stir and cool.

– Add the chili oil to the cucumbers, refrigerate for at least two hours and ideally overnight.

(More detailed instructions are below.)

What to Serve with Spicy Pickled Cucumbers

I think this cucumber dish is fabulous with all sorts of grilled meats and vegetables — especially with Asian flavors. The sweet-spicy refreshing taste perfectly compliments the robust char from the grill.

Marinated Grilled Portobello Mushrooms would be delicious alongside the cucumbers.

I also love them with this Asian inspired tofu dish, and this amazing Miso Broiled Black Cod.

How long will they keep?

Spicy Pickled Cucumbers will keep well a few weeks in the refrigerator.

Recipe Tips

Don’t skip the first step of letting the cucumbers sit in salt for twenty minutes. I know it’s tempting to save time, but this step removes excess water from cucumbers, and adds flavor.
If your prefer more or less heat, adjust the chili paste amount to your taste.
I always like using very neutral oils when I cook with Asian flavors so it doesn’t compete or detract from the other flavors. The recipe calls for grapeseed oil — you could also use vegetable or canola oil.
I think this is best served cold and after marinating overnight.

I hope you love my version of the Din Tai Fung Cucumber recipe as much as I do!

* If you’re curious, here’s a list of the other awesome places Rebecca took me to . . . .

Rebecca, ordering our goodies at VP Tofu

Si Hai Restaurant — Here we had an amazing Tawianese breakfast of a hand pie called Ngau Yuk Sau Ban. It was made with pickled vegetables and very thinly sliced marinated beef all wrapped into a super, flaky and light pastry — similar to puff pastry, only made with pork fat instead of butter.
VP Tofu
Here Rebecca picked up a delicious dessert for her family, Do Fu Fa, which means soybean custard — it’s served with a lovely, light ginger syrup.
Half & Half Tea House
I had a delicious, delightful drink here — Coffee & Milk Tea with Boba.