You can make this Korean spicy cucumber salad with any crunchy cucumbers. It’ll add delicious spiciness to any Korean meal.
Oi muchim (오이무침) is a spicy cucumber salad. Oi means cucumber, and muchim means mixed with seasonings. It’s a simple side dish (banchan) you can make with any crunchy cucumbers, such as Korean cucumbers, pickling cucumbers (aka Kirby), Persian, English, Japanese cucumbers, etc. It’s delicious with any Korean meal and can be a quick kimchi substitute.
While any crunchy cucumbers are good for this dish, I personally love Korean cucumbers. They are bountiful in Korean markets around here in the summer. I’ve also been growing them in my backyard. Korean cucumbers are light in color, slender, and bumpy with thin skin. They are less seedy, very crispy and tasty. I might be a little biased, but I think they are the best of all cucumber varieties.
How to make spicy cucumber salad
To make oi muchim, lightly salt the cucumber slices first and let them stand for a while to draw out water. Drain off excess liquid. Cucumbers have a high water content, so removing excess moisture after salting keeps the dish from being too watery. The salting process gives the dish an extra crunch as well. Avoid squeezing and bruising the cucumbers for this dish.
Combine the cucumber slices with the seasoning ingredients, and mix well. It may look a little dry at this point, but the cucumber slices will continue to release water content. As always, taste a piece and adjust the seasonings as necessary.
Watch how to make it
More cucumber recipes
Oi kimchi (cucumber kimchi)
Oi sobagi (stuffed cucumber kimchi)
Oiji (Korean pickled cucumbers)
Oi naengguk (chilled cucumber soup)
Oi bokkeum (stir-fried cucumbers)
For more Korean cooking inspirations, follow along on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Ingredients
- 1 Korean cucumber or 2 Kirby pickling cucumbers
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Korean red chili pepper flakes gochugaru (고추가루) – use less if desired
- 1 tablespoon chopped scallion
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Thinly slice the cucumber (1/8 to 1/4-inch thick). Toss gently with salt and set aside for about 15 minutes.
- Drain excess liquid. Avoid squeezing them because they will bruise. Mix well with all of the remaining ingredients. Taste a little and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
Tried this recipe?Mention @koreanbapsang or tag #koreanbapsang!
Anonymous says
Easy and delicious!!
Adriana says
Can I use gochujang instead? I had trouble finding the flakes.
Hyosun says
Not the same, but you can try it. Gochujang is salty so omit step 1 where you salt the cucumbers.
Pari says
Hello, i tried the recipe and it was absolutely delicious 😊 i just wanted to ask if i were to make a batch, for how long is it ok to store in the fridge? Will it be ok for about 2 weeks? For both this recipe and Gaji Namul. I’d appreciate it if you could let me know
Hyosun says
Glad to hear that! Thanks! Oi muchim is best to be eated within 3 to 4 days. It will become watery and taste not as fresh. If you want to keep it for longer, try oi kimchi. https://www.koreanbapsang.com/oi-kimchi-cucumber-kimchi-and-blog/ The same goes with gaji namul.
Cammi says
I see some other people used English Cucumber successfully. I’ll probably have to try that since currently living in Italy and have never seen the others you mention. I’m sure I will be unable to find Korean red chili pepper flakes here either. Would I be able to substitute regular red chili pepper flakes? Otherwise, I’d probably have to order from US Amazon, which could take up to 2 weeks. Thanks!
Amanda says
There is a chili pepper paste that most grocery stores carry. I used that in place of the flakes. It comes in a clear jar with red writing and a red rooster on it. We is it in almost every Asian dish we make that calls for spice. I feel like it’s easier to use when adjusting heat level.
Park Jin Woo says
That’s Sambal Oelek… it’s Indonesian and uses a different type of pepper than Koreans use, but if you like it, go for it.
George says
Red chili flakes won’t work great if it has seeds. The look of gochugaru is closer to Aleppo pepper. Actually, that would have a very different flavor but it might good…
Park Jin Woo says
Korean gochugaru has a very distinct flavor, so it’s hard to replicate it with a substitution. For adjusting the recipe amount it’s probably worth noting that gochugaru isn’t all that spicy. Other pepper powder could be used to adjust the heat level but it will have a different taste from gochugaru. Still, if it’s all you have then use what you got. It’ll still probably be good.
Zee says
Fabulous recipe!! I didn’t get enough of the water out of the cucumbers the first time I made it so I tried it again and made sure to slice the cucumbers a lot thinner and left them to sit for longer and that did the trick! Very delicious and flavorful
Hyosun says
Great!
Julian Powell says
I used the English cucumber, halved horizontal then peeled. I did mix my sauce separately while the cucumbers were salted, then combined. The dish did not last long. Spicy, but very pleasant. I’ll try to find Korean cucumbers next, but I’m not sure where to find them. Will make it again either with Korean, English, or small pickling cucumbers.
Melissa says
I also use English cucumbers slice them thinly leave the peel on, they’ll let way longer and be crunchier, hope it helps ☺️
Hyosun says
Sounds good! Thank you!
Ming says
I made this today and it was very good! Thank you 🙂
SpiceyNurse says
My new favorite. Cool, but hot. Perfect on a summer day.
Tham says
Great easy recipe and turned out super yummy! My family lived it for K-bbq night.
Laura says
This is my go-to Oi Muchim salad! We have loads of cucumbers growing in our garden so this will be made a lot in the coming months. I also have a cucumber, spice-obsessed 9-year-old in the house. Yes, she ADORES kimchi too!
Julianna says
FANTASTIC! When our favorite Korean restaurant closed my daughter was yearning for a Korean meal with excellent banchan. Last night I made a large meal and included this in these cucumbers. I find myself making this now, again, the next morning to deliver to my daughter. She went crazy for it. I have a feeling I will be making this every week.
Gisele says
Absolutely delicious and even better the next day! Made this cucumber dish as a side for your instant pot kimchi jjigae for dinner last night and that was perfect also.
Hyosun says
oh sounds great together with kimchi jjigae!! Yes, definitely better after sitting for some time. Glad you had a delicious dinner. Thank you!
Lisa says
Oh wow! This was amazing! My husband made them a few hours before we ate the oi muchim, and the cucumbers were still crispy. He loved them freshly made and after they had been sitting for a while. This is a keeper. Thank you!
Hyosun says
Glad to hear that! Thanks for trying it out!!
blanko says
about a year ago i moved from san francisco to germany and my takeout options took a huge hit. i really miss good korean banchan—oi muchim especially, which is wild because i don’t like cucumbers. 😅 this hit the spot perfectly. thanks so much for posting your recipes, i don’t know how i’d survive rural europe without the diversity of cuisine i’m used to from home. 🥰
Sam says
This was amazing as good as some of the restaurants I’ve visited in New Malden, London (or otherwise known as little Korea) I paired with your Dak Bulgogi and a kimchi fried rice it went down very well thank you!!
Hyosun says
That’s great to hear!! Thank you! Oh good to know there’s little Korea in London.
Cassidy Clark says
Just did this without the Korean red chili pepper for my kiddo and it still tastes great!
Angelica casas says
I like to much it’s my favorite food thanks for Teaching how to do it
Manny says
Is that 1 tsp of table salt?
Hyosun says
Yes, you can use table salt.
Val says
My son is home from Korea after living in Seoul for several years. I made this for him and he said it was just like the banchan from there. His favorite and now mine too. It’s simple and quick!
Hyosun says
That’s awesome! Thanks for letting me know.
Joseph S Eggly says
I don’t know the flavor of the Korean pepper powder or flakes. I do have Gochujang on hand. Can I mix some into the vinegar and oil to blend and then add other ingredients?
Hyosun says
You can use a little bit of gochujang, but remember gochujang is salty and slightly sweet. Gochugaru, on the other hand, is not seasoned.
Shana says
Hi! Ist it fine to use regular chili flakea instead of the gochugaru? Thanks.
Hyosun says
No it’ll not be the same. You can try to add a little bit to add some heat to your cucumbers.but don’t use too much. I can be very spicy.
Jodie says
So easy and tasty! I try to comment on recipes I try from the internet. I pretty much eyeballed everything using a little more vinegar. Perfect. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Jenny says
I like your easy side dishes! Thank you
MsLinda says
So simple and so tasty. I’ve tried other similar recipes and they didn’t hit the spot, tastewise. I love this one! I did half/half plain oil/sesame oil though, because past experience has taught me that toasted sesame oil can be overpowering.
HorrorQueso says
For some reason it’s not as spicy or salty as in the restaurants here in Toronto. I doubled the oil and vinegar and sugar and it spread better.
One Korean cucumber is about equal to two mini cucumbers, but if you can find an Asian market (thank goodness we have a good number of them here) the korean cucumbers can not be beat for this! This will be on my menu for a long time to come!
Jason Brown says
My mother in law (from Korea) used the same recipe only addition was Gochujang paste. These are my absolute favorite side dish
Achala Rockwell says
how much paste? Please let me know.
KD says
Would it be possible to give the cucumber amount in either grams, ounces or cups? Thanks.
Goolie says
+1 this would have been helpful. Google sez the average Korean cuke is about 17″ x 2″, so I went with that.
Denny Li says
This is my favorite banchan! The first time I made it, it looked dry, so I added gochujang. It was good, but not right. The second time I made it, I let it sit a bit. Water was drawn out from the cucumber and made a “sauce”. Tastes right and looks right too. Everytime I see Persian cucumbers at the market, I think about making this dish.
Ger (BK) says
We really enjoyed the cucumbers prepared this way. They were awesome, spicy and hot. Thank you for sharing a recipe we will enjoy again. Made for What’s on the menu? tag game.
Ger (BK) says
Great recipe, we really enjoyed the cucumbers prepared this way. Hot and spicy just the way we like them. They were a lovely side dish for our Korean Meal. Thanks so much for sharing a recipe that we will enjoy again. Made for What’s on the menu? tag game – 2020.
Ger (BK) says
I made your lovely recipe as written using regular English Cucumbers. They worked great; we loved the spicy taste of the cool cucumbers. Thanks for sharing your recipe, your side dishes were a lovely addition to our Korean Chicken dinner. I also served your hobak bokkeum dish. It also was wonderful. Loved that the fish sauce was subtle in this stir fried dish. These two dishes were made for What’s on the Menu? tag game – 2020.
Michal says
I’m excited to try this. You mention vinegar in this recipe, is it most authentic with rice wine vinegar or a different vinegar?
Hyosun says
Any clear vinegar is fine. Depending on the flavor of vinegar, the taste will be slightly different but it doesn’t make it not authentic. Enjoy!
Jacqueline says
Hi thank you for the receipt. How long can you keep the cucumbers in the fridge for?
Hyosun says
It will keep well 3 to 4 days.
Megan says
I was wondering the same! Thanks!
Jenn says
Easy and delicious! Included this with dinner along with your eggplant recipe. I left out the sugar and sesame seeds (ran out of seeds) and still we loved it. Thank you!
Hyosun says
Great! Yup sugar and sesame seeds can certainly be subject to taste.
Sarah says
Delicious!!! I had my eye on this recipe for a while, and I finally tried it today! 🙂 Ever since my trip to Korea in June, I have been making a lot of Korean food. Thank you, Hyosun Ro, I love your blog and your recipes!! They are just what I have been looking for. I have tried making quite a few of them, and they transport my tastebuds back to Korea….mmm… 맛있어요 ^^
Simran says
Can we use olive oil instead of sesame oil
Daniel Beers says
I’ve used olive oil because I was out of sesame oil. I gave the dish a different and not appealing flavor…jmo
Junni says
Thank you very much for posting this recipe! I made this yesterday as a side dish for dinner and my hubby loves it!
Marti Hand says
I love this recipe! Thank you for sharing.
KELLI CALDWELL says
Hi, I was wondering if I make a large batch, how long these will stay good in the refrigerator? Thanks!
Hyosun says
This dish will be better to be consumed in 4 to 5 days. Make this kimchi version to keep it longer. https://www.koreanbapsang.com/2011/08/oi-kimchi-cucumber-kimchi-and-blog.html!
Hope this helps!
Jim says
This was excellent! I used mini cucumbers since the Korean market is over 50 miles away, and it worked just as well. Going to make some today!
Anna Banana says
I just made this dish and it was very delicious!!
Only changes made were: I used cheap, regular cucumbers (I peeled off the thick, waxy skin) and used rice vinegar instead of white vinegar. I am so excited to make this with Korean cucumbers now!
Hyosun says
I’m glad you tried it with regular cucumbers. Other cucumbers such as kirby, English, Japanese, and Persian cucumbers will work well too. Thanks for coming by and leaving me a note. Really appreciate it!
AtomicDog says
Easy and delicious. Every time I make spicy pork I make this recipe.
Hyosun says
Yes it’s easy and delicious! Thanks for stopping by.
Gayle says
Thank you for posting these great recipes. Tonight I made pan fried tofu with plum sauce, and for sides I served pickled daikon and carrots, kimchi and this cucumber dish. It was great.
Hyosun says
Sounds great!
Emmeline St. Vaughn says
Thank you so much for this simple, yet delicious recipe! We had guests over and were planning to cook pre-marinated bulgogi so I was looking for a simple Korean vegetable side dish that I could prepare and found this on your website. It was so easy to make and just as delicious as what I’ve had at one of our local restaurants. Everyone loved it! And I love the fact that you started your blog as a way of helping your adult children learn how to cook their favorite dishes. As the daughter of Asian-immigrant parents, I totally relate and only wish my mom was tech-savvy enough to do the same! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Hyosun says
You’re welcome, Emmeline! I’m so happy to hear my recipe worked out well for your dinner party. Ha ha — I didn’t know what I was getting into. It took a lot of learning, but it’s been rewarding to see my children, their friends, and readers like you make Korean food using my recipes. Thanks for coming by and leaving me the comments! It really means so much to me.
Anonymous says
This looks wonderful! How long can I keep this or it is best eaten freshly made?
Hyosun Ro says
It’s best eaten within a couple of days. Hope you try it. Thanks!
the nosy food critic says
I just made this today. Thanks for the recipe! It was so easy! I couldn’t stop eating the cucumbers after I made the first batch. It was truly delicious!
Hyosun Ro says
Thanks, rurounilucy! I am thrilled to hear you like my recipe! Happy cooking!
rurounilucy says
just made this! I love your recipe :]]
Hyosun Ro says
Yes, it would go wonderfully with doenjang jjigae.
(http://eatingandliving.blogspot.com/2010/04/doenjang-jjigae-korean-soy-bean-paste.html) Thanks for stopping by!
Biren says
This looks so appetizing! Would be great with rice and one of those doenjang base hotpots.
Hyosun Ro says
Thank you, Denise. This is really easy and versatile. You can make any way you want. Reduce hot pepper flakes if you like it less spicy, or increase vinegar if you want it to be a little more tangy, etc. Also, you don’t have to salt first if you want it to be like fresh salad. Enjoy!
denise @ quickies on the dinner table says
You don’t know how happy I am to see this! I always OD on this relish when I eat at Korean restaurants and would try sneaking some off home, if I could get away with it LOL Surprisingly, I have never been able to buy this though it’s simple enough to find commercially prepared kim chi. Thanks! Really appreciate the recipe, which I’ve bookmarked to try out 🙂
Hyosun Ro says
Thank you everyone for such nice words! It’s always nice to see you here.
Melissa – I like the Japanese version too. Koreans also make this without hot pepper flakes for a milder dish.
Lawyer Loves Lunch says
What a perfect summer salad! Love the vibrant green 🙂
Judy says
I love Korean cucumbers! This dish looks like something I’d enjoy at one of our nearby restaurants only I’m certain yours tastes much better! P.s – I like the new background!
erica says
oh yummy! I made oi muchim for the first time last week, and I enjoyed it very much. Hooray for summer vegetables!
thehungryartist says
This looks lovely. I usually make the Japanese version (it’s very similar — just with out pepper, garlic, and onion), but I would love this one too! Yum!
penny aka jeroxie says
That is something i will love!
Carol Egbert says
The pickles look perfect!