Savory and garlicky smashed cucumber salad is refreshing and pairs perfectly with every meal.
Fresh garlic oil drizzled on top of crunchy cucumber; you need to try my Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad because I promise you will fall in love!
This cucumber salad is perfect for making for kids as it is not spicy but still has all the savory flavors you find at restaurants.
Prepare this Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad in bulk to enjoy throughout the week.
Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad is a MUST ORDER at Taiwanese restaurants.
It is super affordable and easy to make cucumber salad at home. Ready in less than 10 minutes, this Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad is the perfect dish that goes well with any meal.
Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad is also perfect for meal prepping as you can prepare it in bulk and enjoy it for the next few days.
If you are making it in bulk, skip the sesame seeds,
The secret to making sure the Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad stays nice and crunchy is to draw out the excess water.
Some people like only to use salt, but I find using half salt, and half sugar help flavor the cucumber while ensuring that the cucumber stays nice and crunchy!
Add 2 Tbsp of sugar and 1 tsp of salt to the cut-up cucumber.
Mix and let it sit aside for 20 minutes; this will help the cucumber stay nice and crunchy. After 20 minutes, dump out all the excess liquid.
I’ve shared many cucumber salad recipes before, but this Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad is one of my favorites!
It is perfect for families and kids as it is not spicy but is still super savory and delicious.
However, if you like SPICY food, I highly recommend trying out my spicy smashed cucumber salad featuring The Chen family’s addicting Chili Paste is super quick to make at home with easy-to-find ingredients.
All you need to make Spicy Garlic Chili Paste is salt, red chili, garlic, shallots, oil, ginger, and green onion; that’s it!
Add this garlic chili Paste to EVERYTHING, and it will taste amazing.

Do you want more EASY 20 MINUTE RECIPES? Here are some of my go-to recipes that are easy to make at home!
- Spicy Garlic Bok Choy (10 Minutes ONLY!)
- Shrimp Pancake (20 minutes only!)
- Scallion Oil Noodles (Easy & Vegetarian)
- Chinese Steamed Eggs – 20 Minutes ONLY!
Ingredients
- 2 English Cucumber
- 10 cloves Garlic (chopped)
- 4 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp of Sugar
- 1 tsp of Salt
- 3 tbsp Black Vinegar
- 1.5 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame Seeds
- Cilantro
- Cut off the two ends of the cucumber, and using the side of the knife, smash the cucumber. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Massage the cucumber with 1 tsp of salt and 2 tbsp of sugar. Set it aside for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, dump out all the excess water and transfer the cucumber into a separate bowl.
- In a bowl, add chopped garlic and heat 4 tbsp of oil. Once the oil is hot, drizzle over the garlic.
- Season the cucumber with black vinegar, soy sauce, sesame seeds, cilantro, and fresh garlic oil. Toss everything together and enjoy!
Garlic Smashed Cucumber Salad
Materials
- 2 English Cucumber
- 10 cloves Garlic chopped
- 4 tbsp oil
- 2 tbsp of Sugar
- 1 tsp of Salt
- 3 tbsp Black Vinegar
- 1.5 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame Seeds
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Cut off the two ends of the cucumber, and using the side of the knife, smash the cucumber. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Massage the cucumber with 1 tsp of salt and 2 tbsp of sugar. Set it aside for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, dump out all the excess water and transfer the cucumber into a separate bowl.
- In a bowl, add chopped garlic and heat 4 tbsp of oil. Once the oil is hot, drizzle over the garlic.
- Season the cucumber with black vinegar, soy sauce, sesame seeds, cilantro, and fresh garlic oil. Toss everything together and enjoy!