Sounds like you’re looking for something inspired by Cleveland Kitchen Kimchi Pickle Pickle Chips 🌶️🥒
Here’s a copycat-style recipe that gets very close to that tangy, garlicky, spicy flavor.
Kimchi Pickle Chips (Homemade)
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs pickling cucumbers, sliced into chips
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 2 tbsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, sliced
- 2–3 tbsp gochugaru (Korean chili flakes, to taste)
- 1 tbsp Korean chili paste (gochujang) (optional but adds depth)
- 1 tsp fish sauce (or soy sauce for vegetarian)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 tsp mustard seeds (optional)
- ½ tsp turmeric (for color, optional)
Instructions
- Salt the cucumbers (optional but recommended)
Toss cucumber chips with 1 tbsp salt and let sit 30 minutes. Rinse and drain well. - Make the brine
In a saucepan, combine water, vinegar, sugar, remaining salt, garlic, ginger, gochugaru, mustard seeds, and turmeric.
Bring to a simmer, stirring until dissolved. Remove from heat. - Flavor boost
Whisk in gochujang, fish sauce, sesame oil, and green onions. - Pickle
Pack cucumbers into jars and pour hot brine over them. Let cool uncovered. - Chill
Refrigerate at least 24 hours (48–72 hours is even better).
Flavor Notes (Very Cleveland Kitchen–style)
- Tangy & crunchy
- Fermented kimchi vibes without full fermentation
- Garlicky heat with clean pickle snap
Make It Even Closer
- Add a spoonful of kimchi juice if you have it
- Use Persian cucumbers for extra crunch
- Keep refrigerated—these are fresh pickles, not shelf-stable
If you want, I can:
- Dial it spicier or funkier
- Convert it to a fully fermented kimchi pickle
- Or adjust it to match chips vs spears vs sandwich slices
