Radishes – How to Roast Radishes, roasted

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

At a glance

What stands out: Roasting transforms radishes into an entirely new vegetable. They make a great and unique low-carb side dish.

How long it takes: 35 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: baking sheet, oven
Servings: 4

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

1) we hate radishes, goodbye.

2) we love roasted radishes!

3) HUH? Roast? Radishes? Weird!

We have something to say to each of you.

1) For you radish-haters: Wait! Don’t leave! Our husband hates radishes too but he loves these.

2) For those who are reading this and thinking, duh, roasted radishes are a standby: Woohoo! Let’s be friends. We'd love to know how you make yours.

3) If you have no clue what we are talking about: Read on. Your life is about to change.

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 we love all roasted vegetables.

Remember when we showed you how to roast broccoli? We eat that roasted broccoli at least once a week. Of course, we 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 us right; they are delightful! (PS: Be sure to check out our full list of roasted vegetables!)

Radishes are like any other veggie and undergo that same memorable 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 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.

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 lighter 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 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 a standby results.

Preheat the oven. The oven needs to be good and hot. Often we 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 speedy 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 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 we don’t preheat the baking pan for radishes. It’s harder to arrange them on a smoking hot pan without burning our fingers.

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

Are Radishes Good For You?

Radishes belong to the brassica family, same as broccoli, cabbage, turnips, etc., and have many of the same lighter properties. They contain antioxidants (especially vitamin C), minerals, fiber, and are a natural anti-fungal. They are low in calories and carbohydrates.

Roasted radishes fit into most diets. Roasted radishes (without dressing) are low carb and keto-friendly, vegan (omit the honey), vegetarian, Whole30, and paleo. This recipe is dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free. We guess that makes it reliable for just about anyone!

What To Serve With Roasted Radishes

Maybe you’re wondering how you should serve these little gems. They make a rich 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.

Before you start

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 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. We'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.

Keeping leftovers

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

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

• Yield: 4 servings
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 25 minutes
• Total: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 bunch radishes (about 10 oz. with tops removed)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅛ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

Optional:

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Wash radishes, cut off greens, and then halve or quarter the radishes so they are roughly the same size.
3. On a small rimmed baking sheet, toss radishes with oil, salt, and pepper until coated. Spread in a single layer, cut sides down.
4. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking, or until golden brown. The radishes are great as is, or top with lemon honey mixture or another topping of your choice (see notes).
5. Optional: In a small bowl, stir together lemon juice and honey. After removing the radishes from the oven, pour mixture over radishes and stir lightly to coat. Serve immediately.

Notes

Nutrition information is for roasted radishes only, and does not include any toppings.

Refrigerate leftover roasted radishes for up to five days.

Optional toppings: fresh chopped dill, hot honey, balsamic vinegar, or balsamic glaze.

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.