Cucumber Sweet Pepper Salad (TikTok Viral Recipe)

by Kayla Berman on May 10, 2024 0 comments

This Cucumber Sweet Pepper Salad is a viral TikTok sensation for good reason! Made with fresh cucumbers, sweet mini peppers, bagel seasoning, chili crunch, and ginger dressing … this crunchy, colorful salad is ready in 5 minutes. It is perfectly sweet, savory, and spicy! Enjoy this refreshing raw veggie dish as a side or a snack!

If you are loving the sound of this recipe, you’ll love this TikTok Viral Raw Carrot Salad too!

Why You’ll Love This Cucumber Pepper Salad Recipe

Crunchy AF: One of the best things about this recipe is it’s unbeatable crunchy texture! There is just something so satisfying about biting into these crisp and cool veggies. Ugh, I love it! It is also a wonderful fresh, no-cook side dish to add to a cooked protein and grain. It creates the perfect balance!
All The Flavor: This salad is a true flavor bomb!! It is sweet, savory, and spicy all in one. Who knew veggies could taste so dang good!?!
SO Easy: Y’all this recipe may be the easiest one I have ever made. If not the number one easiest, then it is very close to the top of the list. All you need is 5 minutes, a sharp knife, and a cutting board. Chuck everything in a bowl and voila! A nutritious and delicious snack or side is ready.

Who created the TikTok Cucumber Pepper Salad?

Rachael Kirkconnell is the creator behind this fresh salad recipe that took the internet by storm! More specifically TikTok.

She posted a video of herself making this cucumber and sweet pepper salad and then hundreds of people followed suit. Thus a viral food trend was born!

In her video, Rachael combined the vegetables with everything bagel seasoning, Momofuku’s Chili Onion Crunch Oil, Trader Joe’s Carrot Ginger Dressing, lime juice, cilantro, and salt. Since the original creation there have been countless remakes … like mine!

If you are looking for more of my takes on viral recipes check out my Strawberry Frozen Yogurt Clusters, Crispy Feta Fried Eggs, Air Fryer Tortilla Pizza, and Smash Burger Tacos next.

Ingredients & Substitutions

This cucumber and bell pepper salad requires exactly what it sounds like it does … cucumber and bell pepper! Or those cute miniature sweet peppers. Plus extra ingredients to deliver that sweet, savory, spicy flavor!

Here is the exact list of simple ingredients you will need:

Cucumber: You can choose any variety of the crunchy fresh veggie that you’d like. Persian cucumbers and English cucumbers are both great options. However, I personally reach for mini cucumbers. I think they are the perfect size for this recipe!
Bell Peppers: Again I prefer to use the mini bell peppers here. The slices are just the best bite sized pieces. Plus I like the variety of color that usually comes in a bag of them – you’ll have yellow, orange, and red peppers all in one. You could also use regular bell peppers of course!
Green Onions: Green onion just adds that extra zing of flavor to this fresh salad. Red onion would make for a great alternative!
Ginger Dressing: I do not shy away from store-bought pre-made dressings in my kitchen. They just make my life so much easier! I use Newman’s Own Sesame Ginger Dressing here. It provides just the right flavor. You can also make homemade ginger dressing – it will be some combination of olive oil or sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, honey, etc. Some also include carrot!
Everything Bagel Seasoning: This is one of the key ingredients in the original recipe of this salad that made it go so viral. I mean .. it truly is a genius idea! Who would have thunk to mix fresh vegetables, Asian inspired flavors, and bagel seasoning? Not me!
Chili Crunch: The other star of this sweet pepper salad show is the chili crunch! Or chili crisp. It adds such a deliciously fiery heat to this salad. It’s truly the perfect contrast with cooling fresh cucumbers and sweet mini peppers. It’s a flavor explosionnnn! Just be careful – this stuff is VERY hot. If you don’t have chili crunch you can use some combination of chili oil, sriracha, and red pepper flakes to create a similar effect.

Pro tip! You should be able to find chili crisp or chili crunch in the international food aisle of your grocery store. If not, just do a simple Amazon search! Lots of options will come up. The Momofuku Chili Crunch is my personal preference.

Equipment Needed

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How To Make This Cucumber Salad Recipe

This viral cucumber pepper salad is SO incredibly easy to make! I’m talking 5 minutes easy.

You’ll have a refreshing dish with a wonderful crunchy texture, and even better flavor, ready in the blink of an eye.

Step 1: Add veggies. Add the sliced cucumber, sweet peppers, and green onions to a mixing bowl.

Step 2: Add dressing & seasoning. Add the ginger salad dressing, bagel seasoning, and chili crunch on top.

Step 3: Toss until everything is evenly combined.

Step 4: Serve and enjoy! This crunchy salad makes for the perfect side dish to any meal.

pepper, cucumber, and seasonings in a mixing bowl

Cucumber & Pepper Salad Additions

There is tons of room to spruce and bulk up this colorful salad! Whether you want extra flavor, more nutrients, or added protein … here are all of my ideas for additions you could make:

Fresh herbs – Fresh parsley, cilantro, mint, etc.
Tomato – Make this cucumber salad a tomato salad with the addition of cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes. Perfect for summer tomato season!
Avocado – Creamy avocado would add a wonderful texture and taste here. Plus healthy fats!
Seeds – Sesame seeds would be great for extra garnish. Or perhaps flax seeds for some nutritional benefits.
Protein – Add chicken, shrimp, or salmon to this salad for a more well rounded meal. Or edamame for a plant based boost!
Grain – Make it a grain salad! Try tossing in some couscous, quinoa, or rice.

Expert Tips

Add to taste! I recommend adding the ginger dressing, chili crisp, and bagel seasoning to taste with this salad. The measurements are simply a guide … it really is all up to your own taste preference.

Be careful with the chili crunch! Now I might be a baby when it comes to spice, but I do find chili crunch to be QUITE spicy. I would say start with a small amount and build it up if you’d like. You can always add, but you can’t take away.

Use different colored mini bell peppers! This is a purely aesthetic tip, but hey! Food that looks better tastes better right? I love to use a mix of pepper colors to really create a beautiful salad.

Thinly slice the veggies! I like to thinly slice both the mini cucumbers and bell peppers. Both veggies create the perfect bite-sized crisp circle. This is good for both aesthetics and actual eating purposes!

Serving Suggestions

This cucumber sweet pepper salad can be served in countless tasty ways! I would say it is quite versatile.

Easy, Healthy Snack: Raw veggies are a go-to snack for me. I love the crunch, that I can eat a lot of them, and that they are good for me. This salad takes the snack up a level because it tastes delicious too. Veggies definitely taste better when they are covered in a delectably sweet and spicy ginger dressing concoction!
Side Dish: I love to serve this simple salad as a side dish to any main protein. Especially Asian inspired ones. Like my Garlic Sauce Beef, Firecracker Meatballs, or Honey Garlic Salmon Bites.
Rice Bowl: This cucumber salad with peppers is also the perfect addition to a rice bowl. I suggest my Spicy Tuna Mayo Rice Bowl or Ground Turkey Teriyaki Rice Bowls!

Storing Suggestions

Store this salad in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep best for 1-2 days!

I find that the peppers and cucumbers are sturdy enough vegetables to not get too soggy right away, but eventually they will.

FAQs

What is the difference between bell peppers and mini sweet peppers?

The main difference between the classic bell pepper and mini peppers is that mini peppers are sweeter and of course smaller in size!

The two vegetables are nutritionally very similar and can be used interchangeably in most recipes! However, they each have some uses where they will be the better option.

Mini sweet peppers are most ideal for snacking and appetizers (like my Cream Cheese Stuffed Peppers), while bell peppers are better suited for grilling, stuffing, or roasting.

How long does this salad stay fresh?

This salad will stay fresh for 1-2 days! After that the vegetables will become a bit soggy.

Is this recipe spicy?

Yes. This recipe is spicy, but you have full control. I recommend starting small with the amount of chili crunch you add. Then you can always add more if want to up the heat!

What is chili crisp?

Chili crisp has become a very popular condiment over the past several years! It is oil infused with peppers and other crunchy ingredients – like sesame seeds, dried onion and garlic, fresh garlic, etc. It is also commonly referred to as “chili oil”, “chili sauce”, and “chili crunch.”

It is great in pasta, sandwiches, eggs, dressings, soups, proteins, and so much more!

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Connect With Me!

If you make this cucumber pepper salad recipe or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.

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