Quick Pickled Radishes

These quick pickled radishes are crunchy with a real zesty kick. Picked straight from my garden (or farmers’ market) they are great as a side dish, on a salad, burger, or sandwich!

This Quick Pickled Radish Recipe is my first foray into quick pickling. Since that time, my pickling experiment has turned into a bit of an obsession! I’m glad I started with pickled radishes because they’re so pretty and pink that it’s a bit of a shame actually to eat them! Right now, I have two jars in my fridge – they bring a freshness and visual beauty to my shelves which I really appreciate! They are a vibrant and healthy presence in my fridge and inspired me to learn more about pickling, fermenting, and the positive health benefits that come from pickling vegetables.

Radishes are the humble root veggie that seems to get very little respect! They grow quickly in the garden and, as such, are also inexpensive at the farmers’ market. But, they seem to get overlooked when cooking – maybe, it’s because folks don’t know what to do with them! Enter my Quick Pickled Radish Recipe. Once you’ve tried this Quick Pickled Radish Recipe, you’ll want to have them on hand for salads, tacos, toast, burgers, and salads – to name a few!

Radishes sugar salt peppercorns caraway seed vinegar

Pickled Radish Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this quick pickled radish recipe:

- Radishes, of course! I like red radishes here, but other varieties would work well too. I’ve experimented with daikon, watermelon, and Easter Egg.
- White vinegar and water – They make up the zesty and tangy base of the brine.
- Cane sugar – It’s the perfect sweet complement to the vinegar, making these quick pickles well-balanced and tasty.
- Sea salt – It helps preserve the radishes and adds needed salty flavor.
  Whole peppercorns and mustard seeds – They add a distinctive depth of flavor to this simple brine.

How to Make Quick Pickled Radishes

Don’t be afraid! This pickled radish recipe is very simple to make! This is what you need to do:

- Prepare your radishes. Wash the radishes well, trim the tops, and thinly slice or halve them. For getting beautifully thin and even slices, I recommend using a mandoline. This makes the preparation and overall time spent go way faster and yield even, paper-thin slices more quickly.
- Divide the radishes among 3 (4 ounce) jars, or whatever lidded jars you have – any lidded jar will do.
- Make the brine. Put the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. This should only take about 1 minute. The brine works best cool at room temperature, so let it cool down before pouring it over the radishes in the jars.
- Finally, add the peppercorns and mustard seeds, cover the jars, and refrigerate.

These quick pickled radishes are ready to eat when they are bright pink, tangy, and complex, with subtle flavoring from the peppercorns and mustard seeds. The thinly sliced radishes are great after just an hour in the fridge – halved radishes are best after a day or so. Keep refrigerated and they will keep for up to two weeks.

Pickled Radish Serving Suggestions

Resist the urge to gobble the quick pickled radishes straight from the jar! OR, you can dive in and eat them any way you like, but there are many, many other ways to use them!

- In a salad. This is pretty much a given! Replace the regular radishes in my Baby Beet Gree n Salad or Simple Pasta Salad. They pretty much spice up any salad or pasta salad.
- On a veggie burger. Layer them onto this easy black bean burger. It brings a good zing to the burger that everyone will enjoy!
- On tacos or nachos. Don’t be afraid to experiment here with the uses. You’ll see for yourself the versatility!
- In a grain bowl. They’d be excellent in my Buddha Bowl or Power Protein Bowl.

More Favorite Quick Pickled Recipes:

If you love this quick pickled radish recipe you’re sure to appreciate these other pickling recipes.

- Quick Pickled Cauliflower

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Let me know in the comments below.