Roasted Radishes

Roasted radishes are an affordable, healthy, and easy-to-make side dish. Add them to a salad, spoon them over labneh, or serve them alongside your favorite main meal.

I think most people consider radishes a raw vegetable for snacking with butter or to slice onto a favorite salad, but radishes make an easy and delicious cooked vegetable too.

I grow radishes in my garden from spring through fall so I’m always looking for tasty ways to use them up, and this easy roasted radish recipe is one of my favorite ways to prepare them. The heat from the oven mellows the spiciness of mid-summer radishes just enough, while roasting keeps them crisp, but tender.

If it’s a busy day, I eat them as is, but if I’m feeling fancy I spoon them over labneh or whipped ricotta packed with fresh herbs. Serve them up with whole grilled chicken and wash everything down with a tall glass of hibiscus tea.

Table of Contents

1. Ingredients Needed to Make Roasted Radishes 
2. Ingredient Spotlight 
3. How to Make Roasted Radishes 
4. Ways to Serve Roasted Radishes
5. Radish Recipes
6. Roasted Radishes with Olive Oil and Aleppo Pepper Recipe

Ingredients Needed to Make Roasted Radishes 

Radishes are the unsung heroes of our vegetable drawers. They are affordable and easy to prepare and taste great dipped in aioli as part of a vegetable platter, smeared with butter and salt for a quick and easy snack, or roasted as I do here.

• Radishes: In this recipe, I like to use Easter egg or rainbow radishes for the color, but French breakfast or just plain old red radishes will work too.
• Olive oil: This is a simple recipe and olive oil isn't just for cooking but also imparting flavor. I like our Spanish Hojiblanca Extra Virgin Olive Oil for this one, but really any high-quality extra virgin olive oil will do.  
• Kosher salt makes every other flavor come to life. I prefer Kosher salt or sea salt over table salt. If table salt is all you have reduce the amount used by half.
• Aleppo pepper has a subtle sweet heat that enhances the natural spiciness of radishes rather than overwhelms them. It's one of my favorite spices to use in salad and vegetable recipes.
  • READ MORE: Learn all about this versatile spice in this article, "What is Aleppo Pepper? (And How to Use It!)"
  • TRY IT: Aleppo Pepper is a versatile spice used to season soups, salads, fruits, and vegetables.
• Butter is optional in this recipe, however, butter and radishes go together like peanut butter and jelly. And the amount in this recipe is pretty small.
• Lemon juice: Brightens the flavors of the other ingredients and adds a bit of acidity.
• Chives: I use chives in this recipe, but you can use any of your favorite herbs like parsley, basil, tarragon, or mint.

Ingredient Spotlight 

Depending upon the growing conditions radishes can be relatively neutral or over-the-top with spiciness. That’s because radishes have compounds called allyl isothiocyanate.

The higher the compound the spicier the radish. These compounds are more pronounced in some radish varieties like Diakon and less pronounced in others like French breakfast radishes. The intensity is also impacted by the growing conditions, which is why you might bite into a radish that tastes spicy and other that's relatively mild, even if they are the same kind of radish.

Regardless of how spicy your radishes may be applying heat will always mellow their bite, making these summertime wonders approachable for almost any palate.

How to Make Roasted Radishes 

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Trim the greens from the radishes. Leave a little of the tail and a little tuft of green at the top for interest. If the greens are in good shape, agitate them in a bowl of water, and rinse well. Then spin or gently pat dry. You can mix them in at the end. (Yes, you can eat radish greens!) If not, then discard. 
• In a medium oven-safe skillet, add the halved radishes, 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper. Use your hands to toss everything together and combine it. Place the radishes cut side down in the skillet. 
• Place the skillet in the oven and roast for 20 to 25 minutes. Until the radishes are firm but tender. 
• Remove from the oven. Add ½ tablespoon of butter if using. Toss the radishes with the butter until it melts. Add the greens, if using, and toss them around to wilt (if needed pop the skillet back in the oven for a 3 to 5 minutes.) Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of lemon juice over the radishes and finish with minced chives. Toss everything together. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt or Aleppo pepper to your suit your tastes. Serve.

Ways to Serve Roasted Radishes

Consider this a foundational recipe you can use to build endless variations. I enjoy them with labneh and a nice piece of crusty bread as a quick and easy lunch or serve them as a side to a bigger meal like grilled chicken thighs or pan-seared pork chops.

You can also make a grain salad with farro or freekah and toss in roasted radishes along with other roasted vegetables like onions, peppers, or zucchini, for a quick and easy salad bowl. Or simply add them to vegetable try for a fun twist on the usual pile of raw veggies and serve with aioli for dipping.

Radish Recipes

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Cucumber Radish Salad

Snacks

Radish with Butter and Salt

Sides and Small Plates

Pea Salad with Feta and Mint

Salads

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