Roasted Radishes – How to Roast Radishes

Learn how to make roasted radishes (it’s easy!) for a new go-to side dish that everyone will love. even those who don’t love radishes!

Carrying on with the roasted veggies obsession, I bring you roasted radishes. I know, you’re falling into one of three camps right now:

1) I hate radishes, goodbye.

2) I love roasted radishes!

3) HUH? Roast? Radishes? Weird!

About These Roasted Radishes

Radishes, tossed with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper and stuck in a hot, hot oven, become the tastiest sweet little morsels. Surprising, right?

Now, it’s no secret that I love all roasted vegetables.

Remember when I showed you how to roast broccoli? We eat that roasted broccoli at least once a week. Of course, I don’t discriminate against cauliflower, carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, squash, or any other vegetable under the sun. Even Brussels sprouts! It’s all fair game. Lately, we’ve been loving roasted turnips. Yep, you heard me right; they are delightful! (PS: Be sure to check out my full list of roasted vegetables!)

Radishes are like any other veggie and undergo that same amazing transformation when subjected to high heat. The sugars that are naturally present caramelize when roasted and the flavor of the vegetable is supremely enhanced.

The transformation of radishes is even a bit more dramatic: they go from a crispy spicy salad topping to a sweet, chewy nugget of deliciousness. They are really quite addicting (and only 33 calories per serving!).

Some people who are following a low carb diet choose these instead of roasted potatoes! They’re similar in many ways.

I’ll run through the basics right here to get you started. As always, you’ll find the printable recipe card near the end of the post with complete instructions, measurements, and nutrition information.

What you’ll Need

• Fresh Radishes: Look for a nice bunch of fresh radishes that are pretty evenly sized. Maybe you even grow your own. They are one of the easiest vegetables to grow and are ready to harvest in just three to five weeks.
• Olive Oil: Olive oil is heart healthy and adds great flavor. Other oils may be substituted if you like but make sure they are able to withstand high heat (high smoke point).
• Kosher Salt: We use kosher salt for roasting because it is coarse. The tiny morsels of salt add nice pops of flavor.
• Coarse Black Pepper: The same goes for pepper. Larger “chunks” of pepper add great flavor. If you use a very finely ground pepper, you will probably want to use less.
• Optional Dressing: The radishes are wonderful just as they are but a light dressing of honey and lemon juice is pretty fantastic, too. We also love a drizzle of hot honey or balsamic reduction.

How To Roast Radishes

Much like any other roasted vegetable, there are a few basic principles to remember for the best results.

Preheat the oven. The oven needs to be good and hot. Often I preheat the oven with the baking sheet inside but not with radishes. More about that later.

Dry the radishes. Of course, you need to wash them thoroughly first. They do come out of the ground, after all, and may have a bit of dirt clinging to them. Remove the leafy tops first. Snipping off the long root is up to you. It’s kind of an aesthetic thing so decide whether you like the look of it or not. Once you’ve washed the radishes, dry them with a clean dishcloth or paper towels. Wet veggies steam in the oven and get soft. That’s not the result we’re looking for.

Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. After you cut them in half, they’re ready for a quick toss with oil and seasonings. You don’t need a lot of oil, and season according to taste. Make sure your oven is preheated, as they tend to release some water when you toss them with the salt.

Arrange on baking sheet cut sides down. This step isn’t absolutely essential and works better with some veggies than others. Radishes really do benefit from having the cut sides down because they are round. If you don’t put the cut sides down, there isn’t much surface area to make contact with the pan and you won’t get as much browning (and that’s the good part). That’s why I don’t preheat the baking pan for radishes. It’s harder to arrange them on a smoking hot pan without burning my fingers.

Roast until tender and browned, flipping once or twice. That’s all there really is to it. This method works for pretty much any vegetable.

Roasted radishes (without dressing) are low carb and keto-friendly, vegan. (if you leave off the honey), vegetarian, Whole30, and paleo. This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free. I guess that makes it perfect for just about anyone!

What To Serve With Roasted Radishes

Maybe you’re wondering how you should serve these little gems. They make a delicious side dish just as they are, hot out of the oven. Serve them like you would any other roasted vegetable. They go great with lemon salmon with dill or Parmesan and almond crusted salmon.

Roasted radishes are great on salads, too. Add them to green leafy salads with a light vinaigrette, or a grain salad, like a farro salad with butternut squash, bacon and cranberries or this vegan quinoa salad with Brussels sprouts and pepitas.

FAQs

Make It Your Own

• Make roasted radishes part of a complete dinner. Try crispy chicken thigh sheet pan dinner with breaded chicken, radishes, and green beans all roasted together on one pan.
• Add more seasonings. Garlic powder is always a good choice but any seasoning that you like to add to roasted vegetables will be great with radishes, too. Smoked paprika, dried oregano or basil, or onion powder add loads of flavor.
• Try adding whole cumin or fennel seeds. They toast along with radishes and are super good.
• Add fresh herbs to the radishes after they’re roasted. Fresh dill is exceptionally good. Parsley, basil, or cilantro are all good choices, too. If you’re feeling ambitious, make pesto or chimichurri to dress them up.
• Dress them up with a light dressing. I’ve included a honey and lemon dressing but don’t stop there. Pretty much any vinaigrette is a fabulous topping for roasted radishes. In fact, why not add a salad too? Roasted radishes are a wonderful addition to salads.
• Make them in your air fryer. Follow the same prep instructions and air fry for about ten minutes, shaking the basket a couple of times, and watching them closely near the end of the cooking time.

Make-Ahead Ideas

To save time, prep the radishes ahead of time. They can be trimmed, washed, dried, and halved at least a day ahead. Store them in a covered container or resealable bag until you’re ready to roast them.

Note: Don’t add the oil and seasonings to the radishes until the oven is nearly preheated. The radishes tend to get watery if you mix them with the oil and seasonings too far in advance.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Refrigerate: If you happen to have leftover roasted radishes, they’ll keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I haven’t tried freezing them. If you happen to try that, I’d love to hear how it goes.

Reheat: For best results, reheat roasted radishes in the toaster oven, oven, or air fryer. That’s the best way to refresh them. For single portions, a quick stint in the microwave is okay but they won’t have the same qualities as fresh roasted.