This quick and easy pickled daikon radish recipe will be ready to eat in just one day. It’s sweet, tangy, delicious, and requires almost no prep! Top your soups, woks, banh mi sandwiches and tacos with this scrumptious crunchy pickled radish.
Pickled veggies are simple to make, just slice a bunch and add vinegar mixture with seasonings. These will keep in the fridge for long time, depending on preparation of course.
If you love radish recipes, be sure to check out my Creamy Cucumber Salad With Radishes and Roasted Potato Salad With Pesto.
We love all sorts of Asian recipes, from our Thai Red Curry Chicken Noodles, Thai Basil Chicken, to Crispy Pan Fried Tofu. All these will taste delicious topped with this pickled daikon.
There is a skip-to-recipe button in the top left corner along with a clickable table of contents list (just below) that will quickly take you to the part you are more interested in. Enjoy!
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Ingredients
My few comments on the ingredients + don't forget to read the Tips section!
The full recipe and ingredients can be found in the recipe card below this post.
- Daikon radishes - Japanese for ‘’big root’’, white turnip, white radish or simply radish (or some even call it white carrot) is a long white root vegetable with a mild-flavor. It is also called a winter radish and it has an elongated shape and comes in different sizes.
- It is also a great source of vitamin C, foliate and potassium. Same as carrots, highly nutritious with Vitamin A, beta carotene, Vitamin K, calcium and good for bone health.
- Vinegar - for vinegar solution we used rice wine vinegar. This can be easily substituted with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar. But for best result I prefer using rice wine vinegar.
- Red chili pepper - or red pepper flakes are optional add-ons that in m opinion complete this dish. For non-spicy picked, leave it out completely.
Instructions
I used two medium jars or you can use 1 large 32-ounce jar here. The jars need to be with wide openings so that you can easily pull out the veggies when needed.
Peel the daikon radish and slice it very thinly. About ⅛ inch thick. Mandolin slicer works perfectly here.
In a non-reactive (use ceramics, enamel, glass, plastic, or stainless steel) small saucepan over medium heat combine together water, sugar, and salt.
Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved. Bring this mixture to a gentle boil. And pour in the vinegar. Bring to a boil, again and set aside.
In your jars, combine daikon and thinly sliced red chili.
Pour in the hot pickling solution mixture until the daikon is fully submerged in the pickling liquid.
Secure the lid and let the mixture cool at room temperature for 1 hour. After that, refrigerate for 12 hours (overnight) and enjoy.
For the daikon to ‘’fully pickle’’ I would ideally wait for 1-2 days but you can eat them once they are cold.
Pickled Daikon's crunchy texture is a delicious accompaniment to various Korean, and Japanese dishes, including soups, noodles, sandwiches, and many more.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks. However, I recommend consuming this within 2 weeks. After 2 weeks it is still edible but the daikon will lose its crisp texture, and fresh flavor and become soft.
Recommended Equipment
Jars - 2 medium-sized or one large mason jar or a good old glass airtight container is another option if you don't have jars.
Chef knife - for precise vegetable cutting. And in case you don’t have or don't wanna use a mandolin slicer.
Veggie peeler - is self-explanatory. It's both for peeling the veggies and cutting them into thin strips which is another way of cutting for pickling.
How To Choose Daikon
Daikon is a long white radish with a crunchy texture and a little peppery taste. It has a milder flavor than other radishes, has a pleasant crisp texture, and thanks to its high water content is very juicy.
It is widely used in Vietnamese and Japanese and Korean cuisine.
It can be eaten raw, pickled, or cooked.
It is usually available year around. In the Us, you should be able to find it in Whole Foods, or your local Asian grocery store.
When choosing your daikon, pay attention to the following:
- Like with most of root veggies, choose daikon with fresh green leaves, not with wilted or brown, or yellow leaves.
- It should be plump, more or less straight, and heavy.
- Shiny and bright white color and overall fresh looking.
- Pores are fine, but the fewer the better. Daikon should be smooth and firm to the touch.
Tips
This recipe is a base for the simple pickling solution but you can tweak it by adding less or more sugar/vinegar to suit your sweet and sour preferences.
Any leftover daikon can be stored in the fridge for up to 2-3 weeks tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
- If you don’t have a mandolin slicer, a good wide chef’s knife is the best to cut veggies thin.
- Pop in some fresh cilantro for extra flavor.
- Don’t toss the green leaves away! They are highly nutritious and when cooked can be added to various dishes like miso soups, ramen, and woks.
You don’t necessarily need to cut the daikon in coins, especially if you using large daikon radish. Matchsticks, julienne work just fine. Also, a good vegetable peeler will slice the daikon into thin and long slices.
Serving Suggestions
Pickled daikon is a simple side dish that goes well with many Asian dishes.
In Asian cooking, the traditional way to serve pickled daikon is with Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese main dishes.
But pickled veggies are a great way to incorporate more veggie-based nutrients into our menu and you can top any foods with these.
Freezing And Storing Instructions
This recipe is for quick pickles, which will generally last (health and safety-wise) about 2-3 weeks.
But for the best flavor consume within 2 weeks. After 2 weeks it is still edible but pickled daikon will lose its crisp texture, and fresh flavor and become softened.
You’ll see if the liquid gets discolored or gets dark it’s not good anymore.
FAQ
Like with most fermented and pickled foods, pickled daikon is a great source of gut-boosting probiotics. Daikon is very high in Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Magnesium, and Calcium.
I like to serve these with rice bowls, soups, banh mi sandwiches, salads, woks, or fried rice, noodles, and tofu. Generally, pickled daikon pairs well with fatty meats, lettuce wraps, and tacos.
Yes! You can eat daikon raw, cooked, or pickled. This also includes its leaves which are a great source of nutrients as well.
Daikon doesn’t have to be peeled, but a little peel and a good scrub are still recommended.
More Side Dishes
ALL SIDE DISH recipes.
I hope you'll enjoy this Pickled Daikon recipe, please leave a rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo of your food and tag me on Instagram @theyummy_bowl. I love seeing your creations!
Thank you for reading,
Love,
Julia
Easy Pickled Daikon Radish Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound fresh daikon
- 1 cup rice wine vinegar (rice vinegar)
- 1 cup spring water
- 1 cup white sugar (granulated white sugar)
- 1 teaspoon of salt (coarse sea salt or regular is fine too)
- 1 tablespoon red chili pepper (thinly sliced)
INSTRUCTIONS
- I used two jars or you can use 1 large 27 ounce jar here.
- Peel the daikon radish and slice it very thinly. About ⅛ inch thick. Mandolin slicer works perfectly here.
- In a non-reactive (use ceramics, enamel, glass, plastic, or stainless steel). small saucepan over medium heat combine together water, sugar, and salt. Stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Bring this to a gentle boil. And pour in the vinegar. Bring to a boil, again and set aside.
- In your jars, combine daikon and thinly sliced red chili.
- Pour in the hot pickling solution mixture until the daikon is fully submerged in the pickling liquid.
- Secure the lid and let the mixture cool at room temperature for 1 hour. After that, refrigerate for 12 hours (overnight) and enjoy. For the daikon to ‘’fully pickle’’ I would wait for 1-2 days but you can eat them once they are cold. Pickled Daikon crunchy texture is a delicious accompaniment to various Korean, Japanese dishes, including soups, noodles, sandwiches and many more.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 weeks. However I recommend to consume this within 2 weeks. After 2 weeks it is stil legible but daikon will loose it’s crisp texture, fresh flavor and become softened.
Video
NOTES
- Makes about 8-10 servings.
- I used two medium jars or you can use 1 large 32-ounce jar here. The jars need to be with wide openings so that you can easily pull out the veggies when needed.
- This recipe is for quick pickles, which will generally last (health and safety-wise) about 2-3 weeks.
- But for the best flavor consume within 2 weeks. After 2 weeks it is still edible but pickled daikon will lose its crisp texture, and fresh flavor and become softened.
- You’ll see if the liquid gets discolored or gets dark it’s not good anymore.
- You don’t necessarily need to cut the daikon in coins, especially if you using large daikon radish. Matchsticks, julienne work just fine. Also, a good vegetable peeler will slice the daikon into thin and long slices.
- Don’t toss the green leaves away! They are highly nutritious and when cooked can be added to various dishes like miso soups, ramen, and woks.
PRIVATE NOTES
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Julia | The Yummy Bowl
Easy Pickled Daikon Radish Recipe that works with so many recipes!