Spicy Cucumber Pickles (2024)

Published: Feb 27, 2023 by Alexandra Cook

For the full recipe including quantities and method, click the "jump to recipe" button, or scroll through and read our helpful tips along the way.

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These Spicy Cucumber Pickles are a fantastic, easily-made condiment that will elevate the flavour of many dishes. With the cucumbers, we include the vibrant flavours of onion, fragrant star anise, spicy dried chilli flakes and the warmth of fresh ginger to take these Cucumber Pickles to new heights.

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Why you’ll love this recipe:
Ingredients in this recipe:
How To Make Spicy Cucumber Pickles:
Tips for success and FAQs:
Variations and substitutions:
Serving suggestions:
More delicious recipes for you to try:
Spicy Cucumber Pickles

Why you’ll love this recipe:

When cucumbers are abundant at the height of their season, I like to make the most of the produce.

Just one way I do this is to make some Spicy Cucumber Pickles. They are quickly and easily prepared, providing you with a condiment to enjoy through the months ahead.

You will love these Spicy Cucumber Pickles because:

They are easily made from ingredients that are readily available.
It is the perfect way to preserve an ingredient at the height of the season and enjoy it throughout the months ahead.
Homemade Pickles are quick to prepare and vibrant in flavour – and best of all? You know exactly what is going in them, and can adjust the flavours to your liking!
These delicious pickles are perfect to serve with your favourite burger, grilled meats, crispy fried chicken or just to enhance a salad!
Recipes like our Spicy Cucumber Pickles are great to have in your repertoire. They make a great edible gift – that is, if you can resist eating them all!

Ingredients in this recipe:

Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.

Baby cucumbers – we use Lebanese cucumbers, also known as Persian cucumbers. They are a small variety with thin, edible skin and few seeds. They are crisp and sweet. Look for cucumbers with firm, unblemished skin and avoid any cucumbers which feel soft. We also use these cucumbers in our Bread and Butter Pickles or Dill Pickled Cucumbers.

Brown/yellow onion – this is an all-purpose onion, that adds great flavour to the pickles. You can use a white onion if you prefer.

Salt – ensure you use coarse cooking salt. Regular table salt is finer, much stronger, and may contain anti-caking agents. We use the salt to draw out the excess moisture from the cucumbers and soften the onion.

White vinegar – for pickling, we use white vinegar with an acidity of 5%, but you can use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar if you prefer.

White sugar – we use regular granulated white sugar to help preserve the pickles and balance the acidity of the vinegar. You can also use caster/superfine sugar.

Star Anise – a spice that is warming, slightly sweet with a hint of licorice.

Chilli flakes – these Spicy Cucumber Pickles get their heat from dried chilli/red pepper flakes. Add more to your liking if you wish!

Ginger – fresh ginger adds a warm, spicy note which is perfect for this recipe.

How To Make Spicy Cucumber Pickles:

Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.

1 – Slice the cucumbers and onions:
Start by sterilising your jar or jars (see how to do this below). Keep them warm.

Wash and dry the cucumbers. Remove both ends. Cut into slices approximately ½ cm (⅕ inch) thick. Peel the onion and cut it in half before thinly slicing each half into half-moons.

2 – Add them to a bowl:
To a medium size bowl, add the cucumbers, onion and salt. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and refrigerate for 4 hours.

3 – Drain the cucumbers and onions:
Tip the cucumbers and onions into a colander and drain the excess liquid.

4 – Add to a jar:
Add the cucumber and onion to the warm sterilised jar.

Tips for success and FAQs:

When making your own pickles and preserves, always ensure you sterilise the jars you will store them in. This is very simple to do, and I have given full details in the recipe. As well, I recommend that you use a jar with a wide opening to make it easier to fill with the pickles.

What are the best cucumbers to use?

You will get the best result by using good quality ingredients. I have used Lebanese cucumbers, also known as Persian cucumbers They are a small variety that has crisp, sweet fruit with thin, edible skin and few seeds. When selecting cucumbers, look for those with firm, unblemished skin and avoid any which feel soft.

How long will the pickles last?

Stored in the fridge, the pickles will last for three months. Keep in mind that the longer you keep the pickles, the softer they will become.

What kind of vinegar is best?

For a clear flavour, I have used white vinegar with an acidity of 5 %. You can use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar if you prefer.

Why are the cucumbers and onions salted?

Cucumbers contain approximately 95% water, and that water can dilute your pickling solution, so we salt them to draw out some moisture. This helps keep them crisp and concentrate their flavour. As well, I like to use small cucumbers as their water content is a little lower. The salt helps to soften the sliced onion.

Can I leave the chilli out?

Absolutely, or you could try one of our other pickled cucumber recipes, which are milder: Bread and Butter Pickles or Dill Pickled Cucumbers.

Variations and substitutions:

Chilli – adjust the spice level to your liking. I have made these with both less and more red chilli pepper flakes than the written recipe. It’s delicious every time.

Vinegar – you can also use white wine or apple cider vinegar.

Serving suggestions:

You will find many ways in which to enjoy the Spicy Cucumber Pickles. Some suggestions are:

In a hamburger.
For bright flavour in a sandwich.
To balance the richness of salmon.
With bread and matured cheese.
To accompany cold roast meats.
Give a jar as a gift. You can even print out your own label, as seen in the photos! Simply right-click and save the image below to print out.

I hope you will give these delicious Spicy Cucumber Pickles a try. Be sure to let me know in the comments below – I would love to know what you think!

Alex xx

More delicious recipes for you to try:

Spicy Pickled Carrots
Easy Pickled Radishes
Easy Pickled Ginger (Gari)
Pickled Turnips

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Spicy Cucumber Pickles

5 from 14 votes

Print Pin Review

Course: Pickles, Preserves

Cuisine: International

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cooling Time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 1 700ml (23 fluid oz) Jar

Calories: 753kcal

Author: Alexandra Cook – It’s Not Complicated Recipes

Equipment

▢
1 x 700ml (23 fluid oz) Jar

Recipe Measurements:

For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results.

Ingredients

▢ 400 g (14 oz) baby/pickling cucumbers – I use Lebanese Cucumbers See Note 1
▢ 1 medium brown/yellow onion
▢ 1 ½ tablespoon coarse sea salt See Note 2 and 3
▢ 3 teaspoon red chilli pepper flakes
▢ 1 tablespoon ginger – freshly finely grated See Note 3
▢ 1 cup (250 ml) white vinegar See Note 4
▢ ¾ cup (165 g) sugar
▢ 1 star anise

Instructions

To Sterilise the Jars:

Sterilise the jar or jars you'll be using to store the pickles. Choose glass jars with an airtight, metal lid and ensure they have been washed by hand in hot soapy water then rinsed well. Check that the metal lids do not have rubber inserts – if they do, allow them to air dry, instead of placing in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 130 Degrees C (270 F) and place the jars in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Keep the jars warm.

For the Spicy Pickled Cucumbers:

Wash and dry the cucumbers. Remove the top and end.
Thinly slice – approximately ½ cm (⅕ inch) thick.
Peel the onion and remove the tip. Cut the onion in half, and thinly slice into half moons. Discard the root end.
In a large bowl, add the cucumbers, onion and salt. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 4 hours.
Tip the cucumbers and onions into a colander and drain the excess liquid. Discard the liquid.
Place the cucumber and onion slices into the warm, sterilised jar.
In a non-reactive saucepan (See Note 5), place the vinegar, sugar, red chilli pepper flakes, star anise and ginger.
On a medium heat, stir to dissolve the sugar.
Once the sugar is dissolved, simmer the liquid for 2 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, and carefully pour the pickling liquid into the jar with the cucumber and onions.
Seal the jar immediately, and allow to cool on the bench before placing in the refrigerator. The Spicy Cucumber Pickles can be enjoyed once cool, but I recommend leaving them for 24-48 hours to allow the flavours to develop.

Video

Notes

Cucumbers: I have used baby Lebanese Cucumbers in this recipe. Baby/pickling cucumbers are best to use for their size and crispness.
Coarse sea salt: ensure you use cooking salt or coarse sea salt. Regular table salt may contain anti-caking agents and is much stronger.
Tablespoon:we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons).
Vinegar: I have used white vinegar that is 5% in acidity. You can also use apple cider or white wine vinegar – just ensure the acidity level is 5%.
Non-reactive saucepans: are those which are ceramic, stainless steel, glass or enamelled cookware. Copper, iron and aluminium pans are reactive. Acidic foods, such as lemons and vinegar, may take on a metallic taste and discolour if cooked in such pans.
Storage: once the jars have cooled, store the pickles in the fridge for up to three months. This is a quick pickle recipe not designed for long term canning.
Nutritional information: is based on the entire jar, and includes the pickling liquid.

Nutrition Estimate:

Tried this Recipe? Please rate and leave a comment!

Nutritional Disclaimer:

The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Debi
March 20, 2024 at 9:49 am
Has anyone made these without using sugar?
Reply
- Alexandra Cook
  March 20, 2024 at 2:36 pm
  Hi Debi,
  Several readers have cut the sugar down, and I do believe a few have used stevia. This isn’t something I have tried.
  If you give it a go, I’d love to know how you get on 🙂 Alex xo
  Reply
Amanda Whitehead
August 19, 2023 at 12:19 am

Made this a couple of days ago and it’s absolutely amazing, will definitely be making again ❤️❤️
Reply
- Alexandra Cook
  August 19, 2023 at 8:13 am
  Hi Amanda,
  I am so happy to hear this! 🙂
  They’re one of my favourite pickles too. Thanks for trying and commenting! Alex xo
  Reply
Venty Mayes
July 19, 2023 at 3:58 am
Can this recipe use for canning and if yes how long does it need to be boil for quart jars?
Reply
- Alexandra Cook
  July 19, 2023 at 7:13 am
  Hi Venty,
  This is a quick pickle, not designed for long term canning. See Note 6 of the recipe card for more information.
  Thanks, Alex
  Reply

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