These Spicy Roasted Daikon Radish French Fries are a sure fire way to get everyone to love daikon radishes. Full of delicious Asian flavors and caramelized to perfection, it's one of the most unique daikon recipes.
Look, I'm just going to be totally honest with you. While they may look like potato fries, they're not -- nor are they trying to be potato fries.
They're Daikon Fries, and proud of it.
Of all the daikon recipes I've tasted, this is my favorite.
*Don't expect the same texture that you'd find in a potato French fry.
The roasting process leaves these Daikon Radish Fries with a wonderful caramelized "crust," but they will be considerably more soft than crisp.
Oh, and I wouldn't even think about dipping them in any sort of a sauce. There's simply no need.
The Ingredients
Each fry is a mouthful of these scrumptious flavors.
- Daikon - Try to choose heavy, plump. Daikon with bright green perky leaves attached.
- chili paste - I use Sambal Oelek.
- fresh ginger - Fresh ginger roots should be firm and feel heavy for their size.
- Tamari or soy sauce - Tamari is slightly thicker and richer than regular soy sauce, and it's usually gluten-free. You can use either.
- grapeseed oil - Or other neutral oil, like vegetable.
- sugar
- salt - I cook with Kosher salt because I like its larger flake size and it usually doesn't contain additives. (If you use table salt, use half the amount.)
(See recipe card below for quantities.)
What is a Daikon Radish?
- Daikon is a long white Asian radish that looks like a parsnip, though it's usually much larger.
- Slightly less pungent than the small round radishes, they're quite good raw or pickled for an excellent crunch in a salad.
I love them the most roasted and doused in sweet and spicy Asian flavors, turned into Daikon Radish French Fries.
How to Make Them
- Preheat the oven to 475°F, and adjust a rack to the center.
- Cut the Daikon into sections approximately 3-inches long.
- Cut about ¼-inch slices off the side of each one, to make a base. Stand the sections on their bases, and cut them, vertically into slices about ¼-inch thick. Stand these slices on top of each other, and then cut them into sticks about ¼-inch thick. Add all of the Daikon slices to a baking sheet and set aside.
- Combine the oil, chili paste, Tamari or soy sauce, ginger, sugar and salt. Drizzle this over the Daikon and mix.
- Spread the coated Daikon fries on a sheet pan and roast them in the preheated 475°F oven until they are golden brown on all sides, about 30 minutes. (You should gently toss/flip them about halfway through the cooking time.)
- Add a double layer of paper towels to another baking sheet, and when the fries are done, add them on top of the towels to drain and cool.
(More detailed instructions are below.)
What to Serve with Daikon Radish French Fries
The possibilities are really endless, as these fries pair really well with all types of dishes.
They would be great added to an Asian-style menu, along with my Crispy Garlic Ginger Bok Choy Chips and Miso Gai Lan Egg Soup.
All of these flavors and textures will compliment each other beautifully.
Can you make them ahead?
I don't recommend making these too far ahead -- you don't want them sitting out for more than about 15 minutes before serving.
They're best as close to the time they come out of the oven as possible because they'll loose some of their crispness, and they're already a softer fry.
That said, even when they're softer, they're still amazingly tasty.
I often serve them with Asian Pear Marinated Flank Steak or Broiled Black Cod with Bok Choy.
And adding a green salad is always a great idea.
More of my Favorite French fry Recipes
- Curry French Fries with Coconut Lime Dipping Sauce
- Perfect Oven Roasted French Fries
- Smoky Chipotle Parmesan French Fries
- Chile Lemon Purple Sweet Potato Roasted French Fries
A Few More Daikon Recipes
You simply won't be able to stop snacking on them!
Thank you Melissa's Produce for sending me Asian produce which inspired this recipe, and others.
If you try this Daikon radish recipe, or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments. You can also follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook to keep up with my mouth-watering recipes!
Spicy Roasted Daikon “French Fry” Recipe
Ingredients
- 3½ tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 1½ teaspoons chili paste (I like Sambal Oelek)
- 1 teaspoon low sodium Tamari or soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon ginger pulp, freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt (use half the amount if you're using table salt)
- 5 cups (about 1 ¾-pounds) Daikon radish, peeled & sliced - see instruction no. 2. for instructions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475°F, and adjust a rack to the center.
- Make the seasoning. In a small bowl, combine the oil, chili paste, Tamari or soy sauce, ginger, sugar and salt.
- Prep Daikon. Cut the Daikon into sections approximately 3-inches long, then cut about ¼-inch slices off the side of each one, to make a base. Stand the sections on their bases, and cut them, vertically into slices about ¼-inch thick. Stand these slices on top of each other, and then cut them into sticks about ¼-inch thick. Add all of the Daikon slices to a baking sheet and set aside.
- Assemble. Drizzle this over the Daikon slices and then use your hands to toss them until they're all evenly coated and in a single layer.
- Roast. Place the baking sheet in the preheated 475°F oven and roast until they are golden brown on all sides, about 30 minutes. (You should gently toss/flip them about halfway through the cooking time.)
- Drain, cool and serve. Add a double layer of paper towels to another baking sheet, and when the fries are done, add them on top of the towels to drain and cool.
NOTES
NUTRITION
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sippitysup
I've roasted radishes I guess it's time I fried a daikon. GREG
valentina
I guess so! 😉
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com
Valentina, these look so tempting! I've never tried roasted Daikon, but it's going on my must-do list now!
valentina
Thank you, Jean! Hope you enjoy these! 🙂
Mel
Big yum, I've made them similarly w sesame oil and miso, and mirin?
valentina
Oh, that sounds fabulous with those added flavors! Thank you!
Susan Friedman
Really good. A nice surprise. We hadn't tried daikon before.
Super recipe. Will make this again.
valentina
Thanks so much for writing in, Susan! I'm so happy you enjoyed this recipe. 🙂 ~Valentina
Lizthechef
Um, you are SO organized. Lovely to meet up with you at TECHmunch and wish you could organize my calendar. Such a creative recipe and happy to pin it.
valentina
Thanks so much, Liz! Lovely to see you, too! 😀
Colette
Good God, they look delicious!
Happy Chinese New Year! xo
valentina
Hope you try them, Colette! Cheers!
David
I love the caramelization you got on these! They look amazing and pretty healthy. Happy New Year!
valentina
Thanks, David! I felt no guilt eating a big plate of these!
Patricia
I’ve tried this recipe, they don’t get crispy at all. I’ve tried different temps, with spice, no spice. They always end up mushy and if I put spice on them it’s burned and the daikon remains white and soggy. Last chance for them as I try frying them. Am I not putting enough coconut oil on them? I’ve drenched them with it and still no crispiness. Loosing hope!
Valentina
Hi Patricia. I'm so sorry you're frustrated with this recipe -- I'm thinking you missed the part of my post where I say they don't really get crispy like other fries. Here's what I think you missed (it's below the image of the 4 large pieces of daikon):
"Don't expect the same texture that you'd find in a potato French fry. The roasting process leaves these Daikon Radish Fries with a wonderful caramelized "crust," but they will be considerably more soft than crisp."
Also, there is no coconut oil in this recipe -- grapeseed oil is listed in the ingredients, and you can use vegetable oil also.
I hope this helps. 🙂 Valentina
Stan
These were great, fast, and easy. My wife and I are low carbers and recently discovered daikon. Chilli paste is such an unsung hero of the kitchen. Thanks Valentina!
valentina
Hi Stan. So happy these were a hit, and I'm with you on the chili paste. Thanks for visiting my site and trying out some recipes. Cheers! 🙂
Elfi
absolutely delicious. Cannot get enough of these guilt free fries!
valentina
Thanks Elfi! So happy you love them!
plasterers bristol
Mm these look really good, got to give these a go. Thanks for sharing.
Simon
valentina
Hope you try and love them!
May
These turned out awesome. The amount of oil is way too much, I halved it and still had most of it left over. I think you just need enough to drizzle, which is barely anything. The spice was awesome. We dont like spice but I put it all in there and we ate it all and agreed it was awesome - thank you!
valentina
Hi there, Thanks so much for your comment and for trying my recipe. I'm so happy you loved the spices, and great that you adjusted the oil to your liking. I'll try it with a bit less next time to experiment. Wishing you a very happy new year! ~Valentina
Brian Jones
Roasted radish is delicious and the flavours you have added here are fantastic... I've yet to try it with daikon though, it is definitely on my list to do now!
valentina
Thank you, Brian. I hope you give it a go. And love it!
Lucy Parissi
These fries sound fantastic - it's a great way to serve daikon.
valentina
Thank you, Lucy!
lola@cheflolaskitchen
Okay, this is just so tempting! Grabbing them right from the screen. You're a pro-Valentina!
valentina
You're very kind. Thank you!!
Cathy
Valentina, this dish looks simply yummy! I've never had roasted daikon so you definitely have inspired me to try these sure to be yummy strips! Thanks for teaching me something completely new! Love it!
valentina
Thanks so much, Cathy. Yes, typically we see daikon served raw, in slaws, slads, pickled, etc. Hope you like this one.
Neli Howard
This is so creative. I have never tried something like this before. I want to thank you for this great recipe! Looks very tasty. I definitely want to try it.
valentina
Thank you, Neli. I hope you love it!
Danielle Wolter
I def want to be making these. What an awesome idea to use daikon for fries. ANd the flavors are so great. pinned!
valentina
Thanks for your comment, Danielle. And for pinning. Enjoy!
David @ Spiced
Wow, these daikon fries look exactly like potato fries! But I hear ya on them being different. I'm ok with that as the flavors sound amazing, Valentina! We've really cut back here in an attempt to undo the holidays, and I'm thinking these would be a delicious side dish one night. Yum!
valentina
Yes! I hope you try them. I have to cut back too, but it doesn't seem to happening. At all. 😉 Cheers!
Nancy Buchanan
Oooh.... Valentina, these look so good! I love daikon radishes and it's wonderful to see more recipes with them - a truly underappreciated vegetable in my book! Definitely going to have to make these ASAP!
valentina
Thank you so much, Nancy! Happy to give the daikon the spotlight for a bit. 🙂
Eha
Tho' have loved daikon 'forever' have never thought to make chips out of them, especially since the latter simply don't appear on my menus for health reasons. But absolutely love the spicing and the ability to cook such in the oven . . . so can't wait to try !
valentina
I've been using these flavors on a few other vegetables lately, including a sweet potato stir-fry. It was great. Thank you for the comment and the visit. 🙂
Ron
You don't have to sell daikon radishes to us, we love them. But, never have I thought of oven baking them, BRILLIANT. I can't wait to try your Daikon Radish French Fries, now I just have to find some nice sized daikons. Thanks for sharing Valentina.
valentina
Thanks so much, Ron! Happy to hear there are some daikon fans out there! Enjoy!
David
This is a perfect recipe for all my friends who are avoiding carbs! (As opposed to me… The crazy one who is eating all the carbs he can find!) I am so glad to see that you use and love sambal oelek! For those of us who can’t eat sriracha, it’s a great alternative!
valentina
I DO love Sambal Oelek and am never without it in the fridge. And I too am not avoiding carbs -- at least on purpose. 😉 Enjoy!
David
I remember when you first posted this, and then reposted it in 2019. After that, we made them several times wishing that we had started much earlier with your first posting. I served them most recently with my sesame tuna burgers, and they were a perfect accompaniment.
Deb|EastofEdenCooking
I've only had raw daikon and love the idea of roasting this mild radish with spices. Such a fabulous way to enjoy this underrated veggie.
valentina
Thanks, Deb. I do love these flavors. 🙂 And yes, underrated indeed. I'm giving it a moment to shine. 😉
Gerlinde @sunnycovechef
I have never thought of roasting daikons , it sounds delicious and I will definitely try it. Thanks for the tip.
valentina
I hope you love them! 🙂
mimi rippee
wow! These look fantastic! I've never thought to cook daikon in any fashion. I just bought some curry ketchup and they would pair well I think. Yes, I could have made my own, but I came across it when I was perusing unique condiment and decided to try it. Can't wait!
valentina
I know, it's sort of counter intuitive to cook a daikon since we see them in kimchi, pickled, in salads, etc. That said, these are delicious caramelized! 🙂 Thanks for checking out the recipe! 🙂
Christina | Christina's Cucina
I LOVE daikon radish, so spicy and roasted? I'm so in! What a great substitute for french fries for a change! Will have to try this soon!
valentina
Thank you, Christina! I used to forget how much I like this vegetable. Once I started making this, it's always in the rotation. 🙂
Frank
I've never tried or even considered this, but since I do enjoy daikon I bet I'd really enjoy this. Definitely on my 'to do' list!
valentina
Yes, it's an unusual daikon preparation, and it's so good. Hope you try it and thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Rosanne
I made it in cubes instead of fries (I was in the process of cutting it for pickling and changed my mind)and it was delicious. It took less time to cook so I think I will keep it in cubes. Thank you.
valentina
I love it! I bet it's great in cubes, and thanks for sharing in case other readers want to try it. So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂 ~Valentina
Claude
I grow my own vegies and planted, what I thought, the french radishes. They turned out to be these (wrong seeds in wrong bag, I guess). I ate a couple raw - very nice and mild. but I tried your recipe and you have won me over hook, line and sinker - it was super delicious. I used fresh ginger and some lemon juice and soy. Talk about flavour! thank you for your great recipe. I had no idea one could cook these radishes.
valentina
Wow, thanks so much, Cluade! You've made my day! I love these too, and it's so great that you grow your own radishes. Guess it was a happy mistake to have gotten the wrong seeds. 🙂 Thanks again. Cheers! ~Valentina
Mary
These were really good. I planted some daikon seed as as cover crop in raised beds and they have naturalized all over my garden.
valentina
Hi Mary, I'm so happy you enjoyed this recipe. It's one of my favorites! So great you have daikons growing in your garden. I love it. 🙂 Thanks visiting my site and for trying this recipe. ~Valentina
Rachel
I winged it slightly, using gochujang instead of sambal oelek, adding just a touch of valentina hot sauce for extra spice, and just mixing the sauce by taste instead of measuring. It was delicious! I did half daikon and half sweet potato, the recipe needed no alteration to cooking time. I also made a dipping sauce that was half mayonnaise, half yogurt, with valentina, soy sauce, and garlic powder to taste and it went perfectly. Excellent recipe! I've never eaten daikon before but it will definitely be making an appearance from now on!
valentina
Hi Rachel, I'm so happy you liked this recipe. I love that you made a dipping sauce -- sounds delicious. And combining the daikon with sweet potato is a great idea. Thanks for visiting my site and trying the recipe. 🙂 ~Valentina
Pauline
We are doing a winter CSA which always means ending up with veg that we don't usually eat. We got 7 purple daikon radishes and weren't liking them them raw. This recipe was a great way to enjoy them. We added a bit more ginger and a bit more soy sauce since we didn't have the chile paste on hand, and they were very good. Never got totally crisp, but they were really tasty with kale chips, wilted spinach and brown basmati rice. These were so good I'm hoping we get more with the next delivery. One of the great things about a CSA is it helps us try new veg and find new recipes.
valentina
Thanks so much for writing in, Pauline. I'm so happy you found a way to enjoy the daikon radishes -- and I'm even happier it was with my recipe. Great idea to have added a bit more ginger and soy sauce without the chili paste on hand. Serving them with rice is so smart, so any extra spices can seep into it. Yum. Can't wait to see what your next box will bring. 🙂 ~Valentina
Charlene D.
Yum! I changed it up a bit by adding some garlic and crushed cayenne pepper because I didn't have any chili paste. I was surprised how delicious they were. I will be making them again..
valentina
Hi Charlene, I'm so happy you liked this recipe. I think you made the perfect adjustments without having the chili paste on hand. Delicious! Thanks for writing in and for following my recipes. 🙂 ~Valentina
Kitt
Just made them, along with sweet potato fries. They turned out to be truly delicious, i was so surprised. I used sriracha instead of chili paste.
valentina
Thanks so much, Kitt! I so appreciate the note and that you've checking out my site/recipe. 🙂 ~Valentina
Michelle callard stone
Great recipe, the taste was perfect, but 475 F is perhaps a bit too high. My fries were black on one side after 15 minutes. I turned off the oven and allowed them to sit for an hour to finish cooking before serving.
valentina
Hi Michelle, Thanks so much for writing in. Happy you like them and sorry they got too dark. Every oven and pan can vary, I would still keep the oven high, but check on them sooner and move them around/flip them earlier or a few times during the cooking. Hope this helps, and thanks for reading Cooking On The Weekends. 🙂 ~Valentina
Richard Juwah
Hello Valentina,
I soooo love your Spicy roasted Diakon french fry recipe and would love to try it . I just don't think I can get all the ingredients in Nigeria.
valentina
Thank you, Richard. Too bad it's hard to find these ingredients there. I hope you will come across them -- or some of them -- one day! 🙂 ~Valentina
Jan
Trying to add more daikon radish to my diet because they are a good source of calcium. Found this recipe while searching for ways to prepare it. Easy and love it! Didn't have chili paste on hand so substituted ketchup and cayenne pepper. Will definitely make again!
valentina
Hi Jan, thanks so much for writing in. I'm so happy you found this recipe, tried it and liked it so much! And sounds like your substitutions were great. That's awesome. 🙂 ~Valentina
Enoch Schanno
I like this web site so much, saved to bookmarks.
valentina
Thanks so much! 🙂 ~Valentina
Luci G. Ryan
Absolutely delicious and enjoyed them very much. I think I might have used a bit too much oil, but nonetheless, they were delicious!
valentina
Fantastic! So happy you enjoyed them and I appreciate the note. 🙂 ~Valentina
Archie
These were simply delicious! I dare say I like them better than regular fries and that's saying something. This one is going to be a regular at our place 🙂
valentina
Archie, thank you! And wow, better than regular fries! I'll take that compliment any day. I so appreciate you sharing here. Enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
CQ
Question: You want the daikon sticks to measure approximately 3 x .25 x .25 inches, is that right? I plan to try these asap!
valentina
Hi there. Yes, approximately. If it's a bit more or less that's okay. Hope you love them! 🙂 ~Valeninta
Kenneth Pomerantz
Thank you for this recipe. I substituted 100% sesame oil for the grapeseed oil, and Korean hot pepper paste; didn't add the sea salt since soy sauce was in the recipe. Came out great! Any suggestions on how to make them crispier on the outside (without burning)?
valentina
Hi Kenneth, Thanks so much for writing in. I'm so happy you liked this recipe! 🙂 They are crispiest just out of the oven, which I'm guessing you noticed. You could try placing the baking sheet under the broiler for just a few seconds -- watching them like hawk, with the oven door open. If you try it, please let me know. Happy Summer! ~Valentina
Geraldine
I never had daikon before and hated its raw flavor. Googled a way of eating them cooked and this was the first recipe to come out. It was amazing! They're juicy, caramelized and have none of the earthy taste I disliked.
valentina
Hi Geraldine, Thanks so much for writing in and trying my recipe! I'm so happy you liked it so much. The caramelization is what does it for me. Enjoy! 😀 ~Valentina
VR
Substituted canola oil for avocado and it came out a bit burnt tasting (and set off my smoke alarms)! I suspect the canola has too low a smoke point for the 475 oven. Follow the instructions, team!!
valentina
Thanks for sharing, Valerie! 🙂 ~Valentina
Luci Wilson
I just got my CSA and it had beautiful large daikons. I found your recipe and was so amazed at how delicious they were! My husband, who was nervous about trying this new veggie, cannot stop talking about how great they were!
Thanks so much!
Luci
valentina
Hi Luci!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write. I'm so happy you and your husband loved this recipe. Produce deliveries are so much fun, especially when something new shows up. I hope you make it again and again. 🙂 ~Valentina
Saras Ganapathy
So easy, and absolutely delicious. My grandson demolished them!
Valentina
That's fantastic. So happy he loved them so much! He must have a good palate. 😉 ~Valentina