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Spicy cucumber side dish

Oi-muchim 오이무침

I’m going to share a super simple recipe with you today that’s one of my all time favorites. It’s a spicy Korean cucumber salad side dish called oi-muchim. If you have a nice seedless English cucumber, you can make this delicious banchan in just a few minutes. During my round the world Gapshida trip to meet my readers in 2011, I made this dish almost everywhere I went. Everybody loved it. Who wouldn’t like cold, fresh, crispy, seasoned cucumber? Each bite is succulent and wonderful!

Oi means “cucumber” in English, and muchim means “mixed” or “seasoned,” so many people simply call this dish “seasoned cucumber”.  Many Koreans have their own version of it, so you’ll find many variations from family to family. This one is mine, and I’ve been using it for a long time. It’s also one of the dishes in my cookbook.

A major tip for this recipe is to make it and mix it just before serving, which will keep it crisp and fresh and prevent it from getting watery. It’s perfectly for a summertime BBQ – refreshing and just spicy enough to give you a little kick!

Enjoy the recipe! Let me know if you make it!

Ingredients

Serves 4

Directions

  1. Cut the cucumber lengthwise in half and cut diagonally into thin slices.slice cucumbers
  2. Put the cucumber into a large bowl. Add the onion, green onion, garlic, soy sauce, hot pepper flakes, toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds, and sugar.Spicy Korean cucumber salad (oimuchim: 오이무침)
  3. Mix it well with a spoon until the sugar is well dissolved.Spicy Korean cucumber salad (oimuchim: 오이무침)
  4. Serve as a side dish for rice, noodles, or BBQ.

Posted on Thursday, April 30th, 2015. Last updated on June 24, 2023.
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64 Comments:

  1. Wholeworldtaylor Michigan joined 11/22 & has 1 comment
    Posted November 9th, 2022 at 3:53 pm | or create a profile.

    I used to work at a Korean bbq and I miss their food all the time. I live in the Midwest so Korean bbq is very hard and expensive to come by. I’m so glad I’ve found this site to make these recipes. I always get a delight out of the joyful videos as well. These cucumbers are just as delicious as I hoped!


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  2. Sakshi Boston joined 4/22 & has 1 comment
    Posted April 6th, 2022 at 4:25 pm | or create a profile.

    I made this side dish today and it’s so delicious. Love that it’s so easy to make too❤️


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  3. jkhuskey United States, Temple, Texas joined 3/22 & has 1 comment
    Posted March 23rd, 2022 at 9:18 pm | or create a profile.

    Maangchi, thank you for the delicious recipe! I was stationed in Korea in 1994-1995 (Sanju-ri). One of the things I cherish most from my time living there, aside from the people and culture, is the delicious food!! I sometimes share this experience with my family by finding recipes and making the dishes I enjoyed the most. We have several Korean restaurants in the area, all of which are fantastic but sometimes it is fun to make these wonderful dishes at home. Tonight, I made Galbi, Oi Muchim (your recipe) and rice. This was my first time making Galbi. It turned out really great but was made much better with the side dish made with your recipe! My son (15) loved all of it. Thank you, again!


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  4. AdelineYap Malaysia joined 7/21 & has 5 comments
    Posted August 24th, 2021 at 4:21 am | or create a profile.

    Annyeonghaseyo Maangchi
    Kamsahamida for the recipe. Yummy delicious bachan.. 오이무침.


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  5. simone Bochum, Germany joined 9/11 & has 5 comments
    Posted June 15th, 2020 at 1:11 pm | or create a profile.

    I made it today and it‘s the perfect summer dish when served cold right from the fridge


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  6. Sauerkraut germany joined 3/20 & has 4 comments
    Posted March 11th, 2020 at 1:08 pm | or create a profile.

    I made this for dinner and lunchboxes soooo easy!


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  7. RayRaysBbq Florida joined 3/19 & has 3 comments
    Posted March 1st, 2020 at 8:16 pm | or create a profile.

    This is a wonderful side dish. I will be making this for the rest of my life.


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  8. TeddyNJ NYC area joined 2/20 & has 1 comment
    Posted February 8th, 2020 at 4:10 pm | or create a profile.

    I loved this just as you made it, but I had leftover Daikon Radish from making Kimchi. I sliced it fine and made small cubes, and added some Gochujang to kick it up a little more. Was fantastic.


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  9. JNOK Oklahoma, US joined 2/20 & has 2 comments
    Posted February 4th, 2020 at 1:13 pm | or create a profile.

    Just made it. It’s so good! Thank you very much! Love all of your videos.


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  10. kamodd Russia joined 9/18 & has 3 comments
    Posted September 4th, 2018 at 4:42 pm | or create a profile.

    thank you!


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  11. Jdog77 cali joined 7/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted July 15th, 2018 at 12:10 pm | or create a profile.

    This is my new favorite way to use cucumbers!

  12. Kitty143 Canada joined 5/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted June 6th, 2018 at 8:09 am | or create a profile.

    I will be trying this out soon. Looks delish and is very healthy. Am following Maangchi and I’m here in Canada.

  13. Zipice Philippines joined 3/18 & has 1 comment
    Posted March 20th, 2018 at 11:43 pm | or create a profile.

    Been craving for this since I came back from Korea! Gladly I have been following you even before I went to Korea so I remembered you have lots of recipes. I tried this one and it was amazing! It was easy to follow. Perfect for the hot weather in the Philippines! Mine doesn’t look like yours but I will try again next time to make it look better hahaha

  14. Evil Twin Manitoba Canada joined 5/17 & has 2 comments
    Posted June 15th, 2017 at 8:49 pm | or create a profile.

    I found this recipe today and decided to make it for dinner. IT WAS AMAZING! My sister and I fought over the last bite. I plan on making this for Father’s Day lunch this weekend. Thank you for another awesome recipe!!

  15. LConnie Singapore joined 5/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 13th, 2017 at 6:00 am | or create a profile.

    Dear Maangchi

    I like this recipe so much and very easy to make.
    I made a big portion and kept inside the fridge for a week but the cucumber still very crunchy. Yummy!

    Thanks for sharing.


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  16. Endless.Revisions 군산 joined 5/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 5th, 2017 at 5:32 am | or create a profile.

    Thank you so much for these recipes. I have lived in Korea since 2010, but it wasn’t until I started dating my husband, I knew that I would have to learn how to cook Korean food. We’ve only been married a couple of months, but these recipes are easy to follow, and so far I haven’t had any kitchen accidents.


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  17. edeline Sweden joined 4/17 & has 1 comment
    Posted April 15th, 2017 at 5:46 pm | or create a profile.

    hi..
    i was wondering if this cucumber sallad can be put in the fridge for long time?

    • Jimmy19 California joined 7/17 & has 1 comment
      Posted July 4th, 2017 at 11:54 am | or create a profile.

      The taste will be more fermented and “sour” as it progresses, but I know you can keep it in the fridge for at least a week or two (possibly even longer) – as long as you eat it clean; don’t eat it straight from the batch (ie. don’t let your saliva touch it). But I’m not 100% sure if it keeps for months like kim chi. I always prefer my kim chi and Oi-muchim freshly made, maybe 1 or 2 days old tops.

  18. stonefly Olympia WA joined 11/11 & has 61 comments
    Posted February 3rd, 2017 at 9:39 pm | or create a profile.

    Such a great dish, Maangchi! I like this almost as much as Oi-sobagi. Almost, but Oi-sobagi is my fave!

  19. duday76 USA joined 12/16 & has 9 comments
    Posted January 12th, 2017 at 8:08 am | or create a profile.

    Thank you maangchi! Love the combination of the taste in this simple dish. Will definitely put this in my table frequently.


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  20. Omsin Salamanca, Spain joined 7/16 & has 7 comments
    Posted October 22nd, 2016 at 10:22 am | or create a profile.

    I bought some baby cucumbers yesterday and decided to try this dish (since with normal Spanish cucumber it would be impossible). I love it! Simple, aromatic and refreshing. Thanks again for the recipe. ^_^


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  21. jaylivg Houston joined 7/10 & has 107 comments
    Posted June 30th, 2016 at 2:01 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi !!

    Made this fresh spicy cucumber for lunch along with spicy pan fried tofu . But .. OMG .. the cucumber are so yummy , delicious , i can snack on this all day ! I might not have the roasted sesame seed right now , but the flavor was superb !! :D

  22. twinmama14 joined 9/15 & has 3 comments
    Posted September 9th, 2015 at 3:00 pm | or create a profile.

    We can’t get English cucumbers in Nicaragua :(
    If I used a regular cucumber, should I remove the seeds?
    Assuming the dressing would be delicious no matter what type of cucumber!

  23. Ch706 joined 7/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted July 22nd, 2015 at 1:55 pm | or create a profile.

    We found this recipe from a YouTube notification and tried it last night. It tasted good, but we added 2 teaspoon of lime juice. It helped to balance the heat from the pepper flakes. Thanks for the recipe, we are fairly new to the Korean flavors. Hope to add many more recipes to the family favorites.

  24. tansook joined 7/15 & has 2 comments
    Posted July 19th, 2015 at 7:59 am | or create a profile.

    Hi, how long can I keep the spicy cucumber in my refrigerator ? Thanks

  25. cdnsongbird British Columbia joined 1/14 & has 2 comments
    Posted June 8th, 2015 at 7:42 pm | or create a profile.

    My host mom in Seoul fed me this every day. So excited to find it here!

  26. aTrueRedHead Germany joined 8/14 & has 17 comments
    Posted June 6th, 2015 at 2:16 am | or create a profile.

    I made this yesterday and love it. It is fast in preparation and delicious in taste.


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    • Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,045 comments
      Posted June 21st, 2015 at 12:44 am | or create a profile.

      It looks juicy and crispy! You make it almost non-spicy version. Yummy!

      • aTrueRedHead Germany joined 8/14 & has 17 comments
        Posted June 23rd, 2015 at 2:31 am | or create a profile.

        Yes, it was very juicy and crispy. This was the portion for a friend who does not like spicy but I added hot pepper flakes to mine. I really loved it.

        • Oxide California joined 2/15 & has 47 comments
          Posted July 20th, 2015 at 3:02 am | or create a profile.

          Hi Ginger,
          If the ‘hot’ of the spice is an issue I recommend using 1/2 of the spicy pepper powder Maagnchi recommends. Do not eliminate it altogether! I found most people are ok with that reduced level, 1/2 the amount of spiciness with some of Maangchi’s recipes. I do make a lot of her recipes. Maangchi’s recipes are wonderful as they are but sometimes the spiciness can be a challenge for some Western folks that do not normally eat spicy foods – and a total challenge for Japanese people that consider mayonnaise a spicy food. (MAAGNCHI, DO NOT CHANGE THE SPICINESS!) Please note: hot peppers bring far, far more to the flavor profile to a dish than just “hot”. The peppers themselves have a wonderful and unique base flavor that adds to the dish that would be otherwise missed, dimensioned.

  27. Dee_ joined 5/15 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 24th, 2015 at 5:38 pm | or create a profile.

    This is my favorite side dish and I love that you posted a recipe for it. Thank you!

  28. momnamedjules RSM, California joined 1/14 & has 1 comment
    Posted May 10th, 2015 at 8:02 pm | or create a profile.

    Maangchi, LOVE this dish. I couldn’t stop eating it while still in the mixing bowl!! I added shredded carrots I had from another dish, and used a left over red onion instead of a white. We’re having it tonight for Mother’s Day dinner with my parents. Thank you again for this delicious dish! Happy Mother’s Day, Maangchi!

  29. hyunee joined 5/15 & has 3 comments
    Posted May 4th, 2015 at 7:34 am | or create a profile.

    Can I replace hot pepper flakes with hot pepper paste? cause i don’t have it :(

  30. acari joined 5/15 & has 4 comments
    Posted May 4th, 2015 at 5:57 am | or create a profile.

    I’m from the Philippines. We are just in Korea for 2 months. I saw it best to cook Korean food which I haven’t cooked before (except for the marinated minced beef in bibimbap). It is obviously practical.

    Your recipes have been my guide. It is so helpful. We get the to eat yummy and healthy Korean food.

    Your ingredients guide helped me get the ingredients I need here as I don’t understand Korean.

    Thank you!

    By the way, this spicy cucumber side dish is really yummy!!

  31. Tosin_Oc London, UK joined 3/15 & has 40 comments
    Posted May 3rd, 2015 at 3:21 pm | or create a profile.

    This looks fantastic as usual Maangchi! I would LOVE LOVE LOVE if you could do an updated Bibimbap recipe video. It’s such an iconic Korean dish, I know you’ll make it the traditional way and it’ll taste sensational. I’m particularly interested in Dolsot Bibimbap! Thanks so much Maangchi! :D

  32. knitkitsune United States joined 6/14 & has 5 comments
    Posted May 1st, 2015 at 8:00 pm | or create a profile.

    Hello Maangchi!

    I made this tonight to go with some doenjang jigae and it was delicious! Thank you for another wonderful recipe!

  33. TaeguChadd New Jersey joined 2/11 & has 6 comments
    Posted May 1st, 2015 at 5:14 pm | or create a profile.

    I made it as is – no soaking or pre-prep. Just washed, chopped cucumbers and added seasoning and tossed – OMG SOOOOOOOOO delish and even people who don’t usually like spicy food ate their fingers!! Delicious!! Thanks Maangchi!!


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  34. kimchiaddict joined 4/15 & has 9 comments
    Posted May 1st, 2015 at 12:02 am | or create a profile.

    hi pp_123 maybe soak 3 to 6 mn in içy 15/20% seasalt solution, test for softening, rinse quickly, and dry it flat on towels without pressing. might retain a good bit of crunch and rigidity. but the secret is given by Maanchi: mix the paste separately ahead if need be, but mix it with the cuke only when you are ready to serve it immediately.

  35. pp_123 Hong Kong joined 12/14 & has 9 comments
    Posted April 30th, 2015 at 4:47 pm | or create a profile.

    Hi Maangchi~
    Do I need to add a little salt to the cucumber and let it sit for some time so as to get rid of the water inside? I always do that when I make dishes with raw cucumbers.

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