With a crunchy texture and sweet, refreshing flavor, pickled daikon is a great way to elevate any meal! This versatile condiment can go with just about anything- from delicious rice bowls and noodle dishes to salads and sandwiches. Our simple pickled daikon radish recipe makes quick radish pickles that are commonly used in Japanese restaurants, Korean cuisine and so much more.

Three jars filled with pickled daikons and carrots.

Pickled daikon radish is a super easy way to add major flavor to your meal!

Often called Japanese radish or winter radish, daikon is a type of radish that is cool and crunchy with a subtly sweet taste and a texture similar to other root vegetables.

It is commonly used in Asian cuisine and often combined with carrots to make a quick pickle for Banh Mi sandwiches (serve those sandwiches with our spicy cucumber salad). Overall, it’s our favorite way to enjoy daikon!

Sliced into matchsticks and infused in rice vinegar, daikon turns into incredible quick pickles with a sweet and snappy flavor. The tangy rice wine vinegar, mirin and mix of aromatics is crisp and refreshing with a medium heat level that will jazz up all sorts of main dishes.

Why This Recipe Works

Our quick pickled daikon radish is similar to our pickled green beans and Pickled Watermelon Radish recipes but with a more intense flavor.

The addition of sweet sake, white vinegar, garlic cloves, soy sauce and red chili peppers to the pickling liquid creates a delicious medley that resembles the traditional way of making Japanese pickled daikon.

Here’s why you’ll love Japanese daikon radish:

it’s simple to prepare
daikon will elevate any dish
the flavors and textures will not disappoint

The Ingredient List

The main pickling ingredient in our pickled daikon recipe is rice wine vinegar. Mirin and sugar in the pickling brine helps to offset the sour flavor of the vinegar, while aromatics infuse their own unique flavors.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this sweet pickled daikon:

whole daikon radish
large carrots (optional)
rice wine vinegar
mirin (sweet sake)
water
sugar
garlic cloves, crushed
soy sauce
red chili pepper, sliced thin

Most larger grocery stores will carry these ingredients. If your store doesn’t stock them, you should be able to find daikon radish and the other ingredients at an Asian grocery store or Asian market.

How to Make Pickled Daikon

There are just a few simple steps required when making your own pickled daikon at home. Below is a look at the quick pickling process but be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page to view the printable recipe card.

Peel the daikon radish and slice it into 1/4-inch circles or thin matchsticks. If using carrots, cut them in the same way.

Place the daikon in a large bowl (heat-proof) or divided between mason jars. In a small saucepan, add the other ingredients and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Pouring pickle brine over slices of daikon.

Pour the hot pickling brine over the vegetable slices. When it cools to room temperature, seal the jars with a lid or cover the bowl and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.

Pro Tips for the Best Results

The pickled daikon will get a stronger flavor the longer it sits in the vinegar mixture. If you let it sit too long and it picks up too much flavor, you can pour out the brine and store the veggies in a resealable bag. Make sure to push air out of the bag before sealing. This will help the daikon stay fresh and prevent it from drying out.

You can store pickled daikon in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 to 6 weeks.

How to Use Pickled Daikon

Like other pickled radish recipes, there are so many different ways to enjoy pickled daikon! From Korean BBQ to spicy sushi shrimp stacks and your favorite Japanese meal, pickled daikon makes a simple side dish, condiment and topping.

Its snappy, sweet flavor is also delicious on its own. Here are a few dishes that you can enjoy pickled daikon with.

Sliced daikons in a jar with pickling brine.

If you’re new to daikon, this quick pickled daikon radish recipe is the perfect way to try it out! It’s cool, refreshing and versatile.

More Condiment Recipes

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Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love

These Pickled Cucamelons are perfect for charcuterie boards, salads and gifting. Sweet and spicy, they have just the right amount of tang and acidity level that balances out rich cheese and meats. Cucamelons are also the cutest pickles ever, and they are sure to brighten up any meal.

Quick Pickled Red Onions are the best sandwich and salad topping! Pickling red onions transforms them into sweet, tangy morsels that add major flavor to all kinds of main meals. Best of all, these are super simple to make and might just become a new kitchen staple.

Our Spicy Crispy Chicken Sandwich is the best combination of flavors and textures. A crispy Panko chicken breast is pan-fried and served sandwich style, topped with a creamy chipotle aioli and crisp pickled red onions. It’s tender and juicy and each bite is amazing.

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Three jars filled with sliced daikons and julienned daikons and carrots.

Pickled Daikon

Pickled daikon is a quick and easy way to add some flavor to your meal. This versatile condiment can go with just about anything – from rice bowls and noodle dishes to salads and sandwiches. Plus, it’s simple enough that anyone can make it at home.

Daikon is a type of radish that is commonly used in Asian cuisine. It has a crisp texture and a mild, slightly sweet flavor. We usually see this condiment in Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese restaurants, and it is often combined with carrots to make a quick pickle for Banh Mi sandwiches.

5 from 18 votes

Print Pin Save

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 5

Additional Time: 3

Total Time: 3 15

Servings: servings

Calories: 12kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

6 to 8 inch piece of daikon
Optional: 2 carrots
1 cup rice wine vinegar
½ cup mirin sweet sake
½ cup water
⅓ cup sugar
3 garlic cloves crushed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 long red chili peppers sliced thinly

Instructions

Peel the daikon and slice into 1/4 inch circles or thin matchsticks. Do the same with the carrots, if using. Place the daikon (and carrots if using) in a heat-proof bowl or some Mason jars.
Add the rice wine vinegar, mirin, water, sugar, garlic cloves, soy sauce, and chili peppers to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
Pour the hot brine over the vegetable slices.
When the brine cools down, place lids on the jars or cover the bowl and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.

Notes

Store the pickles in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 6 weeks.

The pickled daikon will get a stronger flavor the longer it sits in the brine. If it starts to pick up too much flavor, you can dump out the brine and store the veggies in a re-sealable bag (push the air out of the bag, so the daikon doesn't dry out).

Nutrition

This post was originally published on January 24, 2018.

5 from 18 votes (17 ratings without comment)

Jim Allen

Sunday 28th of January 2018

Thanks for the information. I have heard a lot about some of the health benefits of fermented food. Your point about using natural salt is a good one. I have switched over to pink Himalayan salt for everything, even at the table.

Dahn

Thanks for the comment Jim, I have done the same thing and use Himalayan salt at the table as well.