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    Home » Recipes » Korean Recipes

    Published: May 6, 2021 | Last Modified: May 3, 2021 by Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju | This post may contain affiliate links. 💬 - 5 Comments

    Korean Pickled Radish (aka Pickled Daikon Radish)

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    This delicious Korean style pickled radish uses Korean radish or Daikon radish for quick pickling. It's a great side to any taco, sandwich, or Korean main!
    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

    Radishes are some of my favorite pickling vegetables - they provide a nice sweet, crunchy side to any meal (not just Korean banchan). Korean pickled radish tends to use a white-yellow radish and can sometimes be hard to find in the US, so I've made this a pickled daikon radish instead.

    Straight ahead shot of a jar with pickled Korean radish

    This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you're in a rush, please use the "Jump to Recipe" link!

    This post might contain affiliate links. If you click on those and make a purchase, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to:
    • 💭 Why you'll love this recipe
    • 📋 Ingredients and notes
    • 📖 Step-by-step instructions
    • 👩🏽‍🍳Top tips and FAQs
    • 🍴 Serving and storage suggestions
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    💭 Why you'll love this recipe

    • Five ingredient recipe: You'll need five ingredients, four of which are likely already in your house!
    • Ready in a day, and stays fresh for a week: It takes just 15 minutes of active preparation, and then chill in a fridge for it to get delish!
    • Great side dish and taco topper: This dish is served in most traditional "banchan" (Korean side-dishes). I also love throwing this on tacos (like my gochujang cauliflower tacos) and sandwiches (like Korean Gilgeori toast) with reckless abandon!

    📋 Ingredients and notes

    You need Korean radishes or daikon radishes, distilled white vinegar, sugar, salt and water for this recipe. You can totally use other types of vinegar, but I find that white vinegar (either distilled or rice vinegar) is best for this recipe.

    Labeled ingredient list - check recipe card for details and quantities

    Notes and Variations

    • Using red radishes: if you can't find a daikon radish, you could use a traditional red radish in this recipe as well.
    • Using Korean spices: I love to sometimes add gochugaru, Korean red pepper flakes, to my pickling jar to provide a hint of heat to the pickles

    📖 Step-by-step instructions

    Prepare the radishes

    Start by slicing off the ends of the radishes and then peeling them. Then, slice them into roughly even sized cubes. I used roughly 0.8 ounces of radish for this recipe.

    Prepare the pickling liquid

    In a small saucepan, add half cup of white vinegar, half cup of water, three tablespoons of sugar and one teaspoon of salt. Heat this until it dissolves, then allow it to cool to room temperature.

    Pickle the radishes

    Add the radish cubes to an airtight glass jar. You can also add garlic cloves or Korean gochugaru (red pepper flakes) for enhancing the flavor if you desire. Then, pour the pickling liquid over the radishes until it covers all of them fully.

    Close up of jar of pickled Korean radish without gochugaru

    Refrigerate overnight or for a day, and then your pickled radishes will be ready to go the next day. The flavor typically builds over time so you'll get more pronounced notes after 48 to 54 hours, and it'll stay fresh for up to a week!

    Chopsticks used to pick up one piece of pickled radish from a jar

    👩🏽‍🍳Top tips and FAQs

    What is Korean radish? Can I use daikon or regular radish?

    Korean radish is available at most Asian grocery stores and has a unique flavor profile. However, if you can't find Korean radishes, this recipe also works with daikon or even regular red radishes!

    How long do I need to pickle Korean radish?

    Technically, you can pickle this for as little as an hour. However, I recommend pickling at least overnight, ideally 24 to 48 hours before consumption. I find that the flavors build over time, all the way up to 2-3 days.

    Is this dish good for you?

    Daikon is an incredible source of so many nutrients - calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper, vitamin C and folate (B-9 vitamin). And I find that pickling them makes it so much easier to just add them to anything and everything!

    🍴 Serving and storage suggestions

    Korean pickled radishes tend to stay fresh for up to a week. I love serving them up on both traditional Korean and non-traditional dishes. For instance:

    • Serve as "banchan" or a typical Korean side dish to traditional dishes like bibimbap, or jjigae (i.e., stews)
    • Add as toppers to your favorite sandwiches - sometimes, I'll thinly slice the radishes instead of cubes and add them to Gilgeori toast!
    • Just consume as a regular old snack!

    If you like this recipe, try out my other quick pickle recipes:

    • Pickled Avocado (aka How to Preserve Avocados!)
    • Sweet and Spicy Pickled Onions
    • Pickled Jalapeños (How to Preserve Jalapeños!)

    Did you make this recipe?! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
    Please leave a comment and a star rating and let me know how it went! We love hearing from you, thank you so much

    📖 Recipe

    Close up of chop stick lifting one piece of pickled radish from a jar
    Print Recipe
    5 from 8 votes

    Korean Pickled Radish (Pickled Daikon Radish)

    This delicious Korean style pickled radish uses Korean radish or Daikon radish for quick pickling. It's a great side to any taco, sandwich, or Korean main!
    Prep Time15 mins
    Chilling Time8 hrs
    Total Time8 hrs 15 mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: Korean
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Servings: 8 servings
    Calories: 30kcal
    Author: Shruthi Baskaran-Makanju

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb Korean radish, or Daikon radish
    • ½ cup distilled white vinegar
    • ½ cup water
    • 3 tablespoons sugar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 garlic cloves, optional
    • 1 teaspoon gochugaru, optional, substitute red pepper flakes

    Instructions

    • Rinse one pound of radish (either Daikon or Korean radish). Then, slice the ends of the radishes and peel them. Finally, slice them into roughly even sized cubes. Add the radish cubes to an airtight glass jar.
    • Then, prepare the pickling liquid. Add half cup of distilled white vinegar, half cup of water, three tablespoons of sugar and one teaspoon of salt to a small saucepan. Heat this until it dissolves, then allow it to cool to room temperature.
    • Add two cloves of garlic and a teaspoon of Korean gochugaru (optional) to the jar with the radish cubes. Then, pour the pickling liquid over the radishes until it covers all of them fully.
    • Close the jar tightly and refrigerate overnight. Your pickled radishes will be ready to go the next day.

    Notes

    • Chilling time: The flavor typically builds over time so you'll get more pronounced notes after 48 to 54 hours, and it'll stay fresh for up to a week! You can start nibbling on them even an hour after preparing, but I suggest letting them sit overnight at the very least. 
    • Types of radishes: I prefer using Korean radish or Daikon in this recipe, but you can also make it work with traditional red radish!  
    Note: Nutritional value calculated without optional garnishes! 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 30kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 304mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag @urbanfarmie or #urbanfarmie to let me know – I would LOVE to see your creations!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gina

      March 10, 2023 at 4:34 pm

      5 stars
      I'll eat just about anything if it's been pickled but these radishes are definitely one of my favorites. Love using them on tacos!

      Reply
    2. Vladka

      March 10, 2023 at 4:54 pm

      5 stars
      This is the first time I made it from scratch, and I was pleasantly surprised with all the flavors. I will never buy ready-made again.

      Reply
    3. Kris

      March 10, 2023 at 9:05 pm

      5 stars
      This was absolutely delicious! The gochugaru added a delightful flavor. Will make again! 🙂

      Reply
    4. Gen

      March 10, 2023 at 11:19 pm

      5 stars
      I am a major pickle fan and this is a new favorite! I loved the addition of gochugaru. Added the perfect little bite!

      Reply
    5. Jo Keohane

      March 13, 2023 at 3:41 pm

      5 stars
      I love radishes and am always interested in new ways to serve them! Love this recipe, thank you so much for posting.

      Reply

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    Shruthi Baskaran - Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, and Blogger at Urban Farmie

    I am Shruthi, the recipe developer, photographer and blogger behind Urban Farmie. I have two graduate degrees from Stanford, one focused on food systems. And I hope to bring you everything you need for healthy-ish, comforting, nourishing vegetarian cooking.

    Read more →

    Recipe Key

    Dairy free
    Gluten free
    Nut free
    Vegan
    Vegetarian

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