Korean pickled radish is one of my favorite type of pickles. Not only is it delicious with the salty, sweet, and sour flavor, it also has an awesome crunch. This is a perfect compliment to any spicy dish, especially the Korean fried chicken (recipe to come soon). Depending on your taste preference, you can make it sweeter, saltier, or more sour. I prefer mine on the sweet side.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups Korean radish
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
Many recipes ask for 1:1:1 ratio of vinegar, sugar, and water. However, since the salt draws out the water of the radish, I didn’t add extra water so that it’s a faster pickling process.
Directions:
First, wash and peel the radish. Cut the radish into about ¾” cubes. In a large mixing bowl, put cut radish along with vinegar, sugar, and salt. As you start to mix, you will see that the liquid will be more than what you put in because the sugar and salt is drawing the water out of the radish. This is how to keep the radish crunchy after pickling. After mixing for about a minute, go ahead and put the contents into a ziplock bag.
I chose to use two different bags because one of them, I added about 1 tablespoon of sriracha to give it an extra kick while the other one is left plain for the rest of the family. Mind you, this is not the traditional way to make it spicy, but it’s quick and easy.
Leave the bag lying flat on the counter for about 8 hours or overnight, occasionally flipping it. That will give the radish enough time to soak up sweet and sour yummy goodness. You will also notice a lot more liquid is now in the bag.
For best results, refrigerate for 2 hours prior to serving. The rest can be stored in a jar along with the pickling liquid in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks (if it even lasts that long).
- 3 cups Korean radish
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- Peel and cut up radish into about ¾” cubes
- Add vinegar, sugar, salt and mix well
- Pour all contents in a ziplock bag and lie flat
- Leave overnight and serve the next day (chilled)
- Store in fridge for up to 2 weeks
These are wonderful! I seriously hope I don’t eat them all today. 😬 Thank you. 🙂
First-Timer here. Added lime zest and the juice of one lime. To make one batch with a kick, I substituted chili garlic sauce for the sriracha. Looking forward to lunch tomorrow!
I made your recipe as written and love it. It’s sweet, sour, fresh, and crunchy. I need a constant supply of this in my life now. Thank you!
I love eating Korean radish together with Korean fried crispy chicken together. Can I use black vinegar instead of white. I saw in your picture/recipe, you are using black vinegar and the radish turns out white not colored.
I used white vinegar. Black vinegar has too much smokey flavor and wouldn’t work for this Korean pickled radish recipe. In my picture, it looks like it’s black vinegar but that’s because my condiment bowl is bi-color, black and brown (see the salt next to it). Sorry for the confusion! ~Mike
FYI… i have had heartburn for 2 years and was under prescription meds until i ate those Korean reddish one evening while watching tv.. and GONE. no more Heartburn. I ate them every night bc heartburn were more active at night…and BAM…gone. No more meds…and now..no heartburn since…and eating time to time the reddish, i make them or buy them. Delish….
That’s wonderful to hear! ~Mike
I love the crunch of korean pickled radish but I tend to find it to be too sweet for my taste. Do you think this would work as well if I halved the sugar and/or added more salt?
Sweetness and saltiness is all about personal preference. You definitely can make adjustments to suit your taste! ~Mike
Is there any way to make them less crisp. I have had them come out like rocks almost, I would like them more like the crunch of a pickle.
If you are using Korean radishes, they should turn out crunchy and not hard. I’m guessing that if you use a hot brine or blanch the radishes, then it may turn out more like a pickle texture. I’ve never tried it so it’s purely a guess. ~Mike
Does the type of radish make a difference in the smell of the pickles? The pickles from the Korean restaurant didn’t have such a pungent odor as the one I made.
If you use the Korean white radish, they should all be pretty mild in flavor. Also it’s important to use regular white vinegar and not apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar which have much stronger taste. ~Mike
I just made this! I am excited to see how it will turn out. I will report back once it’s done!!
can i leave it outside to ferment like other lacto-fermented recipes? will it go bad?
Please note that this recipe is for a quick pickling. I have never done fermenting personally so I can’t provide useful feedback here. ~Mike
Can I use turnips as a substitute for radish?
Give it a try! Turnips have less water content than Korean radishes so the texture might be a little different. ~Mike
What brand of white vinegar will be the best recommended ?
I just buy the white vinegar from Costco, lasts a lifetime and it’s cheap. ~Mike
Hi there can I reuse the juice for a new 2nd batch? And how long can I keep the juice for after I finish the 1st bath (in fridge)?
Being frugal, I’ve tried using the pickle juice for another batch but I realized that the juice is too watered down because of the water extracted from the radish while pickling. At this point, you would need to add more sugar and more vinegar but hard to measure quantity. It could work, but probably not worth the effort. The juice is good for a week in the fridge or you can probably freeze it for 3 months. ~Mike
Hi. Can i use another radish to substitute korean radish? Its still having same taste?
You can definitely use other radishes but the texture won’t be the same. Korean radish has a high water content and produces a superior and refreshing crunch. I’ve done this with Chinese Radish as well with good results. Even mixed in some carrots for color balance. ~Mike
I like when the daikon is sliced in thin rounds rather than cubes – does this change how long I should stir the mixture for / leave the daikon to absorb the brine? Thanks!
Thin rounds are perfect for Korean BBQ! I think the time can be shorter but it’s always ok to leave the daikon in the brine longer because at a certain point, they will reach equilibrium. ~Mike
Made mine last thursday WoW the tasted is perfect. Thank you.
Quuck question:
Can i use that recipe to beet root?
I don’t think beet root would work because the texture is quite different and beet tends to be sweeter as well. But you can experiment and see 🙂
These were delicious, I’ve made them twice this week already! One question : can I reuse the liquid with the next batch, just add the radish and let it sit overnight again then refrigerate? Thanks again for the great recipe!
I’ve tried reusing the liquid but it’s just not strong enough to add sufficient flavor to the radish. ~Mike
I’ve bought the long skinny radish and some are super spicy, like peppery hot and a little bitter. Any suggestions to tone down the bitterness
The long skinny radish are Chinese radishes and they do tend to have a bit of bitterness to them.
One method is basically is to salt the radish first and mix well. Let it sit for about 30 minutes for liquid to be extracted. Then rinse the radish and continue the recipe. ~Mike
Does Japanese Daikon have a different taste than Korean Daikon?
Thanks for recipe!
Yes, the Japanese Daikon are long and skinny vs the Korean Daikon which are rounder. Typically I find that Korean Daikon are juicier and have a better crunch. But either daikon works 🙂 ~Mike
I bought daikon thinking this was what Bon Chon used to make the delicious pickled radishes, How can I make them crisper?
There are many types of radishes. The Korean daikon is ideal for pickling while the long type of daikon is good for cooking. One option is to mix about 1.5-2 teaspoon of salt into the diced radish and let it sit for 20 minutes to draw out the water. Discard water and rinse the daikon over running water then continue with the recipe. ~Mike
can i use filipino raddish?
Give it a try. I’ve had readers that used various types of radishes and they all turned out great. ~Mike
Love this kimchi…and love your lay-out. I bought a tiny jidori chicken yesterday and cooked it in my airfryer. Turned out super crispy and tasted just like my favorite Korean sul jeeps in K-town. All that was missing was this mu kimchi. I’m so making this over the weekend!
I love KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) – the key is to fry it twice. First time to cook it through. Second time on high heat to crisp it up. ~Mike
Hi can I leave it outside in ziplock for 8hours if I live in humid country ie Singapore? Or put in fridge?
This pickling recipe doesn’t lead to any sort of fermentation so it’s best to be refrigerated. If you leave it outside, then it may start to ferment like kimchi.
~Mike
Can I use brown sugar?
I think you can give that a try but it might not taste as pure as regular granulated sugar. -Mike
Sooooooo yummy!
Thanks! -Mike
So delicious and simple! Be sure to leave for the full two hours or overnight in the brine. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for your comment! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
-Mike
Can i use daikon?
yes, Japanese daikon can also work but may not be as crisp.