Quick Pickled Radish Recipe – How to Pickle Radishes
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This quick pickled radish recipe makes the best pickled radishes in only about 10 minutes hands-on time! They’re great on tacos, avocado toast, pulled pork, and more!
Given the wild popularity of my recipe for pickled red onions, I wanted to bring you more easy pickled items. This quick pickled radish recipe might just be my new fave. The great thing about these pickled radishes is that you can use them pretty much anywhere you’d use a pickled onion. They’re similar in flavor, just a little less oniony.
They’d be great on these vegan tacos, shrimp tacos, or on vegetarian nachos, amongst countless other things.
If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself, “Well, I don’t like radishes so this one clearly isn’t for me,” please keep reading. Pickling this root vegetable completely changes its flavor. The radishes lose their bitter bite and take on that perfect sweet, salty, sour pickled flavor.
As a side note, if you think you don’t like radishes, you should also try roasting them. Roasted radishes taste completely different than raw radishes, too. They’re also a great low-carb replacement if you’re following a low-carb or keto diet and miss roasted potatoes.
About this pickled radish recipe
I pickle these radishes exactly the same way as I pickle red onions. I slice them paper-thin on a mandoline, but you could also do them a little thicker. I alternate when I do pickled red onions between thicker and thin, and you can do the same with radishes. If you don’t have a mandoline, use a nice sharp knife to cut the radishes.
An alternative is to cut them in tiny little matchstick pieces. I imagine you could also pickle radish halves. Just keep in mind, the larger the pieces are, the longer it will take for the pickling solution to flavor all the way through the whole vegetable.
Next, fill the jar(s) with the sliced radishes. Mix the brine ingredients: apple cider vinegar, salt, sugar, and very warm water. Pour the brine over the radishes and let them set on the counter for an hour or so. Cover and refrigerate.
These pickled radishes keep their characteristic red ring around the outside and white centers for about an hour or two in the pickling solution, but then they turn the pretty light pink color that you see in the photos here.
Pickled radishes will keep fresh in your fridge for a couple of weeks! I love to throw them on salads, avocado toast, pulled pork, or any Tex-Mex dish. Try putting a few pickled vegetables on a charcuterie or cheese board.
Make these your own!
To give these a little twist, try adding some flavor in with these add-ins:
- Red Pepper Flakes – start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more as desired
- Mustard Seeds – try 1/2 teaspoon
- Black Peppercorns
- Coriander Seeds
- Fresh Dill
- Garlic Cloves
More quick pickles
Refrigerator pickles are easy, fun, and a great way to eat more vegetables. Try:
- Pickled Cauliflower
- Pickled Green Beans
- Pickled Vegetables — spicy or not! A mixture of cauliflower, carrots, onions, jalapeños, and radishes.
- Refrigerator Dill Pickles
- Pickled Asparagus Recipe
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of radishes (18-20 average size radishes)
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup hot or warm water
Instructions
- Slice radishes as thin as you can.
- Stuff all the radishes in the jar of your choice. A bowl will work too if that's all you have.
- In a measuring cup, combine apple cider vinegar, salt, sugar, and warm water. Stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Pour this pickling mixture over your sliced radishes and let them set for an hour. After an hour, cover and store in the fridge for up to three weeks.
Notes
- Nutrition information is not exact, since you don't drink the pickling liquid. At least I don't.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Terri Williams says
its did not turn out good at all….
Rachel Gurk says
What happened? What was not good? I’d love to help.
Linda Martineau says
I don’t eat or use regular granulated sugar. Do you think this recipe would work using honey, maple syrup or possibly coconut sugar?
Rachel Gurk says
I haven’t tested it, but I think that will work just fine!
K says
so–should the liquid completely cover the radish slices? and if it doesn’t, should I add more water or more vinegar? thanks
Rachel Gurk says
It should. If it doesn’t, just add another splash of water. Unless it’s significant, in which case, I’d just make another half or whole batch of the pickling liquid.
Mary says
I am going to try this recipe. Have you ever put them through a water bath to seal them and make them shelf stable? If so, how did it turn out?
Rachel Gurk says
I haven’t canned these to make them shelf stable, sorry!
Linda says
I am wondering if you know how many cups of sliced radishes you use for this recipe. I am growing my own radishes and they are so much larger than standard that eighteen to twenty of them would make several jars of pickles.
Rachel Gurk says
It depends on how tightly they’re packed it. I would just find a jar that will hold how much you want to pickle or how much you’ll be able to eat in a week or two. :) Then you can double the liquid if need be. It’s a pretty forgiving recipe.
Clair says
Says to pickle for a. Hour so have then in 10 mins or have then in 1 hr and 10? Be more clear about prep tim bc it ovboioisly takes over an hour to prepare for consumption.
Rachel Gurk says
Hi Clair – you’re right. We usually have that type of hands-off time indicated under “other/additional” time and it looks like we mistakenly left it off on this one. Thanks for letting me know!
Teresa says
So simple. The add in makes a difference. Smart author. Thank you so much…I don’t have the time for lengthy processes.. This easy recipe is developed for that busy working women
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you liked this recipe!
Jasmine says
Beginner level question. How long does it take them to reach the desired pickled state? Never pickled anything before – have no idea :)
Rachel Gurk says
You can eat them almost right away but the flavor will intensify as they sit. I usually wait an hour at least. :)
sharyn fireman says
O HOW I LOVE PICKLED ANYTHING.- Except Jimmy choo’s
I could not find an UDON here in Delray Beach, but bought gorgeous Watermelon Radishes from our farmers here.
YIPPEE KAI YAI YAY!
Serving with Chinese crunchy Shrimp…..You are THE BEST!
Rachel Gurk says
Thanks! :) I’m glad you like this recipe, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Roberta Sarll says
Do you think distilled white vinegar would be an adequate substitute for the apple cider vinegar?
Rachel Gurk says
Yes, that will work!
Evelyn Jepson says
Just bought two red onions. Then had to go to youtube to check out how to put blade in my mandolin, because its a long time since I used it and it didn’t come with instructions…but now I know, so wednesday will be my first clear day before I can do something in my kitchen without interruption.
Rachel Gurk says
I hope you love the recipe!
Joyce D says
I just made my second batch of these wonderful pickles! I love almost everything picked. This was a new one. Great in sandwiches, w/ a nice juicy hamburger or for snacking. I put garlic in the first batch but didn’t leave it in long. I prefer the radish flavor come through. Onward to making sauerkraut later this week… Thanks for this recipe! So easy…so good.
Rachel Gurk says
So glad you like this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
sharon says
I would like to cut my radishes into small cubes before i pickle them. Has anyone tried this? Is the taste different when cubed instead of sliced?
Rachel Gurk says
I haven’t tried it, but I see no reason why that wouldn’t work! Let me know if you give it a try!
Di-Di | The Foxy Flexitarian says
I’m totally hooked on pickled radishes. It’s the best way to preserve an abundant harvest from the food garden. As you mentioned Rachel, when pickled the radishes lose their bitter bite and take on that perfect sweet, salty, sour pickled flavor. Thank you so much for this easy recipe.
Rachel Gurk says
They’re so tasty! I’m glad you like this recipe. :)
denise says
I’ve never had them pickled, but that sounds nice. We just pulled them from the garden, washed them, and ate them chilled.
Rachel Gurk says
I hope you try them pickled! They’re super tasty.