Marinated Cucumbers instantly add a burst of flavor and a pop of color to any dish. We love these little guys so much that we’ve been known to eat them right out of the jar! Whether you use them for snacking, a side dish, or a pop of color in a rice bowl, you’ll get crunchy and flavorful marinated cucumbers every single time using this fool proof recipe.

Marinated cucumbers in a bowl with onions, sesame seeds, dill, and red pepper flakes.

The Best Marinated Cucumbers

Who would have thought that marinating cucumbers could be so simple and delicious? Small in size, but mighty in flavor, this deceiving cucumber recipe is excellent in sushi bowls, served alongside a fried egg, or it’s even good enough to stand alone as a refreshing side dish. But our most recent favorite way to eat cucumbers marinated is on our Soy Ginger Salmon Bowls. Follow along as we share how to marinate cucumbers in vinegar to yield crunchy, flavorful cucumbers every single time.

What You Will Need

english cucumber – Any cucumber will do, but we love english cucumbers for their smaller size and crunchiness.
sweet yellow onion – With equal parts sweet and astringent, these onions compliment the mild cucumber flavor.
rice vinegar – Made from fermented rice, rice vinegar is less tangy and acidic than white vinegar, and it has a subtle sweetness.
apple cider vinegar – A little bit goes a long way to add just the right amount of sweet and sour flavors.
white sesame seeds – This is an extremely mild ingredient that provides just a touch of nuttiness and texture.
fresh dill – A slightly tangy herbs with just a touch of anise flavor to compliment the star of the show.
kosher salt – Just a touch to enhance the flavor.
crushed red pepper – With a pop of color and a bit of heat, this simple spice really rounds out all of the flavor profiles in this simple dish.

English Cucumbers Or Regular Cucumbers

Either option will be great, but we prefer English cucumbers in this recipe. They’re a bit smaller than standard cucumbers and therefore have less water content, making them crunchy and better able to soak up all the rich flavors.

How To Make Marinated Cucumbers

Measure and prep your ingredients.

Five separate bowls all containing measured and prepped ingredients: fresh dill, sesame seeds, sliced onion and cucumber, apple cider vinegar and rice vinegar, and finally salt and red pepper flakes.

Wash and thinly slice your English cucumber with either a sharp knife or a mandoline slicer. If you chose the later, be careful of those fingertips! Then add in thinly sliced onion to your cucumber bowl.

Pour your rice vinegar and apple cider vinegar mixture over the cucumbers and onions.

The vinegar mixture being poured into the cucumber and onion mixture.

Next, add sesame seeds, dill, red pepper flakes, and salt and toss to combine.

Cucumbers, onion, vinegars, salt, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes all in the same bowl.

Let your cucumbers marinate in the refrigerator for as little as 30 minutes or as long as 2-3 days.

All of the marinated cucumber ingredients mixed together in a bowl.

Finally, enjoy these crunchy, sour, and subtly sweet marinated cucumbers in your favorite dish or eat them right out of the jar. We’re loving them in our soy ginger salmon bowls.

The marinated cucumbers assembled in a rice bowl containing mango, edamame, rice, sauce, and salmon.

Recipe FAQs

cucumber type – Feel free to use whatever cucumber is the most convenient. However, we prefer english cucumbers as they are crunchier than standard cucumbers and are less likely to get mushy.
sesame seeds – For an even richer flavor, take the extra few minutes to toast your sesame seeds on a cast iron skillet.
storage – Store your marinated cucumbers in the fridge for up to 7 days. Toss them sooner if they’re starting to feel slimy.

The Pinterest image with the top image showing the sliced cucumbers and onion in a bowl, the recipe title in the middle, and the marinated cucumbers as the bottom image.

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Other Recipes You Might Like

Marinated Cucumbers

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Author: Erin Jensen
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Marinate Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 servings 1x
Category: Side Dish
Method: Counter Top
Cuisine: Asian-Inspired

Print Recipe

Description

Marinated Cucumbers – a light, crisp and refreshing Marinated Cucumber recipe that is the perfect side dish for any meal!

Ingredients

Scale

1 English cucumber, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon fresh dill, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more if desired
(optional) 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

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Instructions

Add cucumber and onion to a medium bowl.
In a separate small bowl, combine rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar. Stir to combine.
Pour vinegar mixture over cucumbers. Add sesame seeds, dill, salt and red pepper flakes (if using); toss to combine.
Let marinate a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
Use in your favorite dishes or eat as-is – we love them in these Soy Ginger Salmon Bowls.

Notes

English Cucumbers: you can use regular cucumbers for this recipe, but for best results use an English Cucumber – they are small, less watery and, therefore, more crisp and delicious.
Sesame Seeds: for even greater depth of flavor you can toast your sesame seeds for a few minutes in a cast iron skillet!
Storage: Store your marinated cucumbers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5-7 days.