Smashed Cucumber Salad with Chili Oil (Din Tai Fung Style, But Better)
A bright, spicy smashed cucumber salad with chili oil, crispy shallots, and umami vinegar—an easy Din Tai Fung–style recipe you can make at home.
There’s something about smashed cucumbers that just hits different.
It’s not clean, it’s not perfect, and that’s exactly the point. When you smash them instead of slicing, you get all these jagged edges that soak up dressing in a way a knife never could.
This one started as me chasing that Din Tai Fung cucumber salad but once I started frying spring onions and pouring hot chili oil over everything, it turned into something way better. Crunchy, spicy, cold, salty, a little funky from the ume. it’s the kind of thing you keep going back for without realizing it.
If you’ve ever had a great cucumber salad at a restaurant and wondered why yours never hits the same this is it.
Ingredients
Cucumber Base
- 3 Persian cucumbers (~300g)
- 1 tbsp kosher salt (~15g)
Dressing
- 1/2 cup ume vinegar (~120g)
- (or rice wine vinegar as substitute)
- 1/4 cup scallion tops, sliced (~25g)
- 1 tbsp umeboshi paste (~15g)
- 1 tbsp black sesame seeds (~10g)
Fried Spring Onions
- 1 cup spring onion bottoms, sliced (~100g)
- 2 tbsp potato starch (~16g)
- 1 cup neutral oil (for frying) (~240g) (algae, canola, or vegetable oil)
Chili Oil
- 1 cup hot onion oil (~240g)
- 2 tbsp Korean chili flakes / gochugaru (~12g)
- 2 tbsp sambal (~30g)
- 2 tbsp garlic chips (~15g)
- Salt + black pepper to taste
How to Make the Best Smashed Cucumber Salad with Chili Oil
1. Smash the cucumbers
• Smash cucumbers using a tortilla press, mallet, or even your hands
• Break into rough bite-sized pieces
This is where the magic starts. You’re creating texture, not precision.
2. Salt and drain
• Toss cucumbers with salt (~15g)
• Let sit for 10 minutes
• Drain off excess liquid
This pulls out water so your dressing doesn’t get diluted.
3. Build the cucumber base
Add:
- ume vinegar (120g)
- scallion tops
- umeboshi
- black sesame seeds
Toss and adjust salt if needed (you probably won’t).
4. Make crispy spring onions
• Toss sliced onion bottoms in potato starch
• Shake off excess
• Add to pot and cover with cold oil
• Bring up to heat slowly, stirring
Once golden brown:
• Immediately strain
• Season with salt + pepper
Key: they go from perfect to burnt fast. Stay on them.
5. Make the chili oil
• Pour hot onion oil over:
• gochugaru
• sambal
Let cool slightly, then add garlic chips
You’re layering:
heat + aroma + texture
6. Assemble
• Plate cucumber salad
• Top with crispy onions
• Spoon over chili oil
Done.
Why This Works (this is your authority section)
• Smashing vs slicing → more surface area = more flavor absorption
• Salting step → removes excess water, keeps dressing punchy
• Cold oil onion method → evenly crispy, no burnt bitterness
• Layered chili oil → fat carries spice + garlic + fermented depth
• Ume + vinegar combo → acidity + funk + salinity in one hit
This is restaurant logic applied at home without overcomplicating it.
Tips
- No ume vinegar? → use rice vinegar + a splash of soy
- Want more heat? → add fresh chili or chili crisp
- No potato starch? → cornstarch works fine
- Don’t skip draining cucumbers → that’s where most people mess this up
What to Serve This With
- grilled meats
- dumplings
- fried rice
- or just eat it straight out of the bowl (honestly)
Final Note
This is one of those dishes that feels light but hits hard.
Cold, crunchy, spicy, a little messy… it’s everything a good side should be, except it usually ends up being the main thing you keep eating.
How to Make the Best Smashed Cucumber Salad with Chili Oil
Ingredients
Cucumber Base
- 3 Persian cucumbers about 300g
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt about 15g
- Dressing
- 1/2 cup ume vinegar about 120g, or rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup scallion tops sliced (about 25g)
- 1 tablespoon umeboshi paste about 15g
- 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds about 10g
Crispy Onion
- 1 cup spring onion bottoms sliced (about 100g)
- 2 tablespoons potato starch about 16g
- 1 cup neutral oil for frying about 240g
Chili Oil
- 1 cup hot onion oil about 240g
- 2 tablespoons gochugaru about 12g
- 2 tablespoons sambal about 30g
- 2 tablespoons garlic chips about 15g
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Smash the cucumbers using a tortilla press, mallet, or your hands until they break into rough bite sized pieces. Transfer to a bowl.
- Toss the cucumbers with kosher salt and let sit for 10 minutes to draw out excess moisture. Drain off the liquid and lightly pat dry if needed.
- Add ume vinegar, scallion tops, umeboshi paste, and black sesame seeds to the cucumbers. Toss well to combine and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Toss the sliced spring onion bottoms in potato starch until evenly coated, then shake off any excess starch.
- Place the coated onions in a pot and cover with neutral oil. Slowly bring the oil up to temperature over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn golden brown and crispy.
- Immediately strain the onions from the oil and season with salt and black pepper. Reserve the hot onion oil for the chili oil.
- Pour the hot onion oil over the gochugaru and sambal in a heatproof bowl. Let it cool slightly, then stir in the garlic chips.
- To assemble, plate the dressed cucumbers, top with crispy onions, and spoon the chili oil over the top. Serve immediately.
