Korean Cucumber Salad (Oi Muchim) Easy & Spicy

Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad (Oi Muchim)

Korean cucumber salad, also known as Oi Muchim, has been getting a lot of attention lately. I tried four popular recipes from Korea to find the best one, and I'm excited to share my favorite one!

If you've never tried Oi Muchim, it's a Korean cucumber salad that combines spicy, sweet, and tangy flavors. Unlike kimchi, it isn't fermented, so you can enjoy it right after making it. The tanginess comes from vinegar rather than the sourness that develops during fermentation.

Oi Muchim goes really well with steak or Korean BBQ. It's also great as a side dish with rice or mixed into bibimbap. If you're trying it for the first time, I especially recommend serving it alongside steak. The refreshing, tangy flavors pair perfectly with rich, savory meat.

Recipe credit: This recipe is adapted from @신나는셰프김선영's recipe, with a few adjustments to suit ingredients available in the United States.

Ingredient shopping note: Some of the ingredient links below may be affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. That said, I personally recommend shopping at a nearby grocery store whenever possible. You can often find fresher products at a better price.

Cooking Gallery

Cooking Tips

If you prefer it sweeter
Replace the honey with allulose for a sweeter taste. Allulose is a sugar free sweetener, so it's a great alternative. You can also increase the sugar used when salting the cucumbers by about 50% if you prefer a sweeter cucumber salad.
Let it sit for better flavor: You can enjoy this cucumber salad right away, but I recommend refrigerating it for at least half a day. This gives the sauce time to soak into the cucumbers, making them even more flavorful.
Choose the right cucumbers: I recommend using mini cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, or Korean cucumbers. They tend to be sweeter and more flavorful. I personally don't recommend long English cucumbers for this recipe, as I find them less flavorful.
Choose the right gochugaru: You can buy coarse gochugaru and grind it in a blender or food processor for a finer texture. Alternatively, I recommend mixing 70% fine gochugaru with 30% coarse gochugaru for the best results.

Spicy Cucumber Salad Recipe
(Oi Muchim)

This spicy Korean cucumber salad, or oi muchim, is sweet, tangy, and spicy, with a refreshing crunch.

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Rest Time: 30 minutes

Servings:

Familiarity: Medium – If you enjoy Korean side dishes with a little sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors, this will taste familiar.

Ingredients

Use the serving buttons above to automatically adjust the ingredient amounts.

1 lb (454 g) persian cucumbers
0.33 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons vinegar (for marinating)
1 tablespoon sugar (for marinating)
1.5 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) amazon
1.5 tablespoons gochujang (Korean red chili paste) fine and coarse
1 tablespoon soy sauce amazon
1 tablespoon tuna extract sauce amazon
1 tablespoon honey
0.5 tablespoon ground sesame seeds
0.5 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

Instructions

Wash the cucumbers and slice them into thin rounds, about 1/8 inch (3–4 mm) thick. Thinly slice the onion.
Place the sliced cucumbers in a large bowl. Add the vinegar and sugar, then toss well until evenly coated.
Let the cucumbers sit for 20 minutes to release some of their moisture.
Add the sliced onion, toss everything together, and let sit for another 10 minutes.
Drain and discard the liquid released from the cucumbers and onions.
Add the sesame oil to the drained cucumbers and onions. Toss well until evenly coated.
Combine the gochugaru, gochujang, soy sauce, tuna extract sauce, honey, ground sesame seeds, and garlic powder. Mix well until the sauce is smooth and evenly combined.
Pour the sauce over the drained cucumbers and onions. Toss thoroughly until everything is evenly coated.