Daikon Radish Recipe (EASY Daikon Radish Salad)

This Daikon Radish recipe is dressed simply in a garlic vinaigrette and sprinkled with Korean red pepper powder for a bit of heat.

If you’ve never been to an Asian foods market, you’re in for a treat and an experience! There are all kinds of food that you’ve never seen in an American market – dried shrimp, hundreds of different chili powders, fresh fish, and on and on.

I could spend a few hours exploring in there.

I was there recently because I’m cooking up a batch of homemade kimchi.

But, they also had these fabulous daikon radishes available. So, I of course had to create a recipe with them too!

Enter this Daikon Radish Salad.

It came together in just 15-minutes and I couldn’t wait to dig in… It was sweet and sour and tangy and spicy, and so good!

Ingredients for daikon radish salad labeled on tray.

🛒 Daikon Radish Salad Ingredients

Daikon Radish – No need to go to the specialty market for these. I can often find them right in my regular grocery store.
Korean Red Pepper Powder – Or, kochukaru, is what gives kimchee its spiciness. It can be found in Korean markets in large resealable plastic bags, in different grades of coarseness and spiciness. Choose a grade based on your personal preference. Or, you can find it online at Amazon!
Sugar
Green Onions – aka scallions.
Vinegar – I’m using standard white vinegar. But you can also use rice vinegar, champagne vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar (though it will give you salad a pink hue).
Garlic

🔪 How to Prepare Daikon Radish

Slice off the root end, then use a vegetable peeler to remove the outer skin. I then like to use a julienne peeler to make thin strips. You can also just use your vegetable peeler to make wide strips.

📋 How to Make the Daikon Radish Salad

Peel the radish and cut into really thin strips. (I used a julienne peeler for this.)
Place the radish in a medium bowl and toss it with the red pepper powder, sugar, salt, green onion and garlic.
Sprinkle the mixture with vinegar and mix well.
Adjust to taste, adding additional salt, sugar or vinegar, if needed.
Refrigerate the pickled daikon radish until ready to serve.

🕕 How to Make Ahead and Store

This quick pickled radish salad will last in the refrigerator for up to three days. I like to pack it into a glass jar or an airtight container.

✔️ Variations

Carrots: Add in some julienned or thin strips of carrots to add color and varying flavorings.
Fresh Ginger: Grate in some fresh ginger to add a zingy pop to your pickles.
Lemon: Add in a squeeze of lemon and some lemon zest for added tang.

Overhead close up of daikon salad in grey bowl with chopsticks.

ℹ️ Recipe FAQ

What does a daikon radish taste like?

Unlike red radishes, the flavor of daikon is a bit more mild, with just a hint of sharpness and bitterness. When baked, they become creamy with a texture similar to potatoes or turnips.

What do I do with a daikon radish?

Daikon radishes can be used similar to a carrot. They can be eaten raw, baked, broiled, roasted, or used in soups and stews.

Is it safe to eat raw daikon radish?

Yes! Daikon radish is safe to eat raw (an it is delicious and crunchy). However, you can also cook daikon. A large daikon may be better when cooked. You can also eat the leaves and sprouts of daikon radish!

Do you peel daikon before you eat it?

Daikon radishes have a very thin skin (similar to carrots). While they don’t need to be peeled, I prefer to peel them when using them in recipes.

🍽 What to Serve with It

This salad makes the perfect side dish for asian style dishes. Try it with one of these recipes:

Daikon radish salad in grey bowl sprinkled with red pepper powder.

🥗 More Salad Recipes

Did you try this daikon radish recipe?

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Hungry for more on what to do with daikon radish? Be sure check out these 15+ daikon recipes!

1 pound daikon radish (white Korean radish)
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 Tablespoon Korean red pepper powder (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
2 green onions (thinly sliced )
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 1/2 Tablespoons white vinegar

Peel the radish and cut into really thin strips. (I used a julienne peeler for this)
Place the radish in a medium bowl and toss with red pepper powder, sugar, salt, green onion and garlic.
Sprinkle the mixture with vinegar and mix well.
Adjust to taste, adding additional salt, sugar or vinegar, if needed.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This daikon radish recipe will last in the refrigerator for up to three days. I like to pack it into a glass jar or an airtight container.

This post was originally published in 2015. It was updated in 2023 to add new photos and information. The daikon radish recipe remains the same. Enjoy!