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    Home » Recipes » Egyptian

    Spicy Egyptian Cucumber Pickles

    By Lily・Published: Oct 21, 2020・Updated: May 16, 2022・Post may have affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    These super-quick spicy Egyptian no-cook refrigerator pickles are so easy! I usually make this recipe along with homemade hawawshi meat-stuffed sandwiches or molokhia with chicken.

    Egyptian pickles in a bowl

    These refrigerator pickles are unpasteurized, so they need to be stored in the fridge and eaten within 2 weeks. Pasteurized pickled cucumbers that have a long shelf life are more involved to make and have a longer pickling time. If you want your pickles NOW, make this recipe.

    What I Love About This Recipe

    Every time I make a batch of these Egyptian pickles or Middle Eastern turnips, they are completely gone within a couple of days. A few other things I like about these no-cook refrigerator pickles:

    • Use a few ingredients
    • Take 5 minutes
    • Ready to eat in 3 hours

    Ingredients

    • Cucumbers: Use Persian cucumbers or English cucumbers. I do not recommend using any cucumbers with thick skin.
    • Garlic: I use fresh garlic for this spicy pickled Persian cucumber recipe.
    • Sugar: Any type of sugar will work for this recipe. Sugar balances out the salt and vinegar.
    • Salt: I use pink Himalayan salt, sea salt, or iodized salt for this recipe.
    • Chili Pepper: If you want more spice, I recommend using fresh chili peppers. Remove the stem and slice them thinly. Dried red pepper flakes are a substitute for fresh chilis.
    • White Vinegar: I use white distilled vinegar. I have not tried making this recipe with any other type of vinegar.
    • Boiling Water: This recipe calls for boiled water.
    Egyptian pickles ingredients

    How To Make Egyptian Pickles

    sliced Persian cucumbers in a bowl

    Wash and slice the cucumbers diagonally.

    sliced garlic, salt, sugar, and spicy pepper in a bowl

    Slice the garlic cloves and fresh chili (if using). In a bowl, mix the salt, sugar, garlic cloves, and chili pepper.

    add the sliced spicy pepper and garlic to the kheyar

    Add the sliced garlic and spicy pepper mixture to the sliced cucumbers.

    pour the boiling water on top of the cucumbers (kheyar)

    Boil the water. Add the boiling water to the sliced cucumbers. Add the vinegar.

    Mix well. Submerge the cucumbers with the boiling water and vinegar mixture.

    side view of the spicy Egyptian pickles before going in the fridge

    Cover and place in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours. The cucumbers will change colors from a bright green to a dull green.

    Egyptian torshi

    Tips and Tricks

    • Make ahead. These spicy pickles are relatively fast to make, however, they need a bit of time to be ready. Make sure you make these at least 3 hours ahead or preferably overnight.
    • Use Persian cucumbers. The best cucumbers for this recipe are Persian cucumbers, because they are a little sweet, crunchy, and have a thin outer skin. An alternate for Persian cucumbers is English cucumbers. Other cucumbers may work, however, the texture will be different.
    • Add the fresh garlic. I really like the added flavor of the fresh garlic in this recipe. It's subtle but really nice.
    • Use one fresh chili per 1 lb (0.5 kg) of cucumbers. To make these refrigerator pickles spicier, double the chili amount. If you don't want any spice whatsoever at all, then omit the chili pepper flakes and fresh red chilis entirely.
    spicy Persian cucumber pickles

    Storage

    Store these Egyptian cucumber pickles in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

    FAQS

    What is a pickle?

    A pickle is a cucumber preserved in vinegar or brine liquid. Pickling is the process by which food has been preserved through brine or vinegar.

    Do non-preserved pickles need to be refrigerated?

    Yes, non-preserved and unpasteurized pickled must be refrigerated.

    How long do refrigerator pickles last?

    Refrigerator pickles last for up to two weeks in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

    Serve Egyptian Pickles With

    • mulukhiyah with roz in a bowl
      Fresh Mulukhiyah with Roz (Jute Leaf Stew)
    • homemade ful medames from scratch
      Egyptian Ful Mudammas
    • ful fava beans toast
      Ful Medames Toast
    • tamiya egyptian fried falafel
      Tameya (Fried Egyptian Falafel)
    • fried falafel
      Lebanese Fried Falafel
    • meat stuffed pita sandwich
      Hawawshi - Egyptian Minced Meat Pitas

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    📋 Recipe

    spicy Egyptian torshi

    Spicy Egyptian Cucumber Pickles

    Author: Lily
    Course: Side
    Cuisine: Egyptian
    Prep: 5 minutes mins
    Total: 5 minutes mins
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate Email
    Servings 6
    These Egyptian garlic spicy cucumber pickles are quick and easy. This recipe uses Persian or English cucumbers and is ready to eat in 3 hours!

    Ingredients
     
    US Customary - Metric

    • 1 lb Persian cucumbers or English cucumbers
    • 3 garlic cloves sliced
    • 2 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon sugar
    • 1½ cups boiled water
    • ⅓ cup distilled white vinegar
    • 1 fresh chili pepper or 1 teaspoon of chili flakes

    Instructions

    • Wash and slice the cucumbers. Slice the garlic cloves and fresh chili (if using).
    • In a bowl, mix the salt, sugar, garlic cloves, and chili pepper. Add this mixture to the sliced cucumbers.
    • Boil the water. Add the boiling water to the sliced cucumbers. Add the vinegar.
    • Mix well. Cover and place in the fridge. The cucumbers are ready to eat after 3 hours.

    Notes

    1. Refrigerate cucumbers for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.5 cup | Calories: 14 kcal | Carbohydrates: 4 g | Protein: 0.8 g | Fat: 0 g | Saturated Fat: 0 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0 g | Trans Fat: 0 g | Cholesterol: 0 mg | Sodium: 50 mg | Fiber: 0 g | Sugar: 2 g

    More Authentic Egyptian Recipes

    • okra and oxtail stew.
      Bamya Middle Eastern Okra Stew
    • Egyptian recipes.
      The Best Traditional Egyptian Food Dishes
    • clotted cream with pistachios on top
      Homemade Ashta Cream
    • tahini halva cute on a plate
      Pistachio Tahini Halva

    About Lily

    Howdy! My name is Lilian, but my friends call me Lily. I'm the founder and one of the recipe authors here at The Matbakh. I enjoy sunsets, long walks to the fridge, meaningful relationships, and anything related to food. I'm so happy you are here!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 1 vote

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Heather Shafik

      May 08, 2021 at 5:19 pm

      5 stars
      These were fabulous! Living in Charleston SC the pickings to Arabic foods are far and few between. I’m appreciative of simple recipes like this to keep my Egyptian hubby happy. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Lily

        May 08, 2021 at 5:53 pm

        Thanks for the comment! So glad your husband approved!

        Reply

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    lily at the matbakh

    I'm Lily

    I'm an American Lebanese living in Texas. My kitchen, or matbakh, is a hodgepodge of recipes from the U.S. and Mediterranean region.

    ABOUT ME

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