Simmered Daikon Radish with Chicken in Yuzu Sauce
This simmered Daikon Radish recipe with chicken in yuzu sauce is the most healthy delicious one-pot meal you’ll ever see. The daikon radish, simmered with juicy chicken and a touch of citrus yuzu sauce, tastes sweet, light, and refreshing. This dish is not only easy to make but also pack with many health benefits. If you are not able to get daikon or yuzu, I’ll show you the perfect substitute to enjoy this dish.
I guarantee you this is not a bland dish. If you want to expand your vegetable repertoire, look no further than this braised Daikon Radish with Chicken in citrus sauce!
Easy to make, keto low carb, and with many health benefits!
Simmered Daikon Radish Recipe
Daikon radish is a staple in Asian cooking. There are many ways to use this root vegetable but in my opinion, the best way to enjoy it is through simmering and braising, or adding it to chicken soup.
Daikon turns sweet and much mild in flavor once it’s cooked. Because of its detoxifying and cleansing effect, daikon is often paired with meaty savory dishes or added to dipping sauce (after grated) to pair with fried foods like katsudon, hamburger steak, or bbq recipes. It helps balance a heavier dish with lighter and refreshing taste.
Recently I have seen more and more daikon showing up in my local western grocery stores and I realize not too many people know about this root vegetable or how to use it beyond a raw radish salad. So it inspires me to share today’s daikon radish recipe and bring new way to enjoy this wonderful vegetable!
What does this dish taste like?
This recipe sounds fancy but it’s actually really easy to make with fewer than 10 ingredients. Imagine juicy chicken thighs simmered in its juice with sweet daikon radish and a touch of citrus yuzu juice. This dish tastes light, refreshing and with a mild mandarin orange/grapefruit undertone from the yuzu juice.
Even if you can’t find daikon or have never heard of yuzu juice, I will show you how to enjoy this dish with substitute ingredients that you can find easily in your local stores and still make it taste amazing! This is an all weather friendly dish whether you enjoy it in winter or summer.
First, let’s get a few common questions answered.
-
- Daikon (to the left) and Yuzu Juice (in the bottle)
-
- Substitute with Turnip and Lemon & Lime juice
What is a Daikon Radish?
Daikon is a root vegetable that belongs in the radish family. It looks like carrots but in white color and much larger in size. It’s a winter vegetable but available year round.
Daikon radish is widely used in Asian cooking. It’s considered a healthy food and has detoxifying benefits that eliminates fats and excess toxins. It also helps improve digestion and blood circulation.
Raw uncooked daikon has a peppery taste and slightly pungent. The flavor, however, becomes mellow and mildly sweet, once it’s cooked. The closest flavor is similar to turnips though turnips are more spicy and pungent than daikon.
Daikon Radish
What does daikon taste like
Compared it to other types of radishes, daikon is mild in flavor and less peppery. When served raw, it’s crunchy, crisp, and juicy. Once it’s cooked, the flavor becomes mildly sweet.
Health benefits of Daikon Radish
Daikon is low in calories, cholesterol but high in fiber. Some reported benefits include high in Vitamin C, potassium, and phosphorus. Because it has beneficial enzymes that aid in digestion, it’s often considered a superfood that helps reduce inflammation, remove toxins, and weight management.
Simple and healthy meal
Where to buy daikon
You can find daikon in Asian grocery stores. I’ve seen them in Whole Foods market or even local well-stocked grocery stores. Farmers market is a good place to find it, too.
How to select daikon
Select one that has a firm, smooth, and beautiful shiny skin. The leaves are light green and fresh looking. It should feel heavy, plump in hands.
How to store daikon
Daikon stores well in the freezer. Wash and scrub it clean and peel the outer skin with a vegetable peeler. Dice it to cubes or rounds and store in a freezer friendly bag. After it’s frozen, it’s best to add it to soup and stew types of recipes. No need to defrost.
Tips on making this dish and ingredient substitutes
Daikon substitutes
Turnips are the closest substitute to daikon radish. Turnips have a stronger peppery taste than daikon but the texture and flavor will give you the closest taste.
Yuzu sauce substitute
Yuzu juice substitute = 1:1 ratio of lemon and lime juice with a touch of orange or grapefruit juice.
How to make the simmer daikon radish with chicken dish
The ingredients are minimal. You’ll need chicken, daikon radish (or turnip), ginger, chicken stock, coconut aminos (or light soy sauce), and a touch of yuzu juice (or lemon and lime juice) to fragrant the dish.
Saute the chicken with ginger then add the daikon and stock. Simmer it for 15-20 minutes until the radish is tender then add seasonings. The flavor is out of this world light and fragrant yet savory at the same time. You’ll be surprised how delicious it tastes with so few ingredients.
What to serve with the Simmer Daikon Radish Recipe
-
- Keto Thai Fried Rice
-
- Keto Garlic Fried Rice
-
- Homemade Kimchi
- Easy Kimchi Recipe
- Keto Sushi Rolls
- Easy Roasted Cauliflower Recipe
- Keto Thai Fried Rice
- Bang Bang Shrimp Recipe
- Broccoli Fried Rice
- Garlic Fried Rice
- More Low Carb Meal Prep Ideas
- More Whole30 Meal Prep Recipes
Delicious healthy low carb dishes
-
- Keto Chicken Lo Mein
-
- Keto Potstickers
-
- Instant Pot Vietnamese Beef Stew
- Keto Potstickers
- Keto Lo Mein
- Chicken Bone Broth
- Vietnamese Beef Stew Bò Kho
- Chinese Chicken Sparerib Soup
- Keto Mongolian Beef
- Instant Pot Chinese Chicken Soup
- Baked Turmeric Chicken Thighs
This simmered daikon radish with chicken in yuzu sauce might be new to some of you but this dish offers the most delicate flavor without being heavy or bland. It tastes savory and mildly sweet, and with a citrus grapefruit/mandarin orange undertone. It’s full of delicious Asian flavors and good for health all year round. If you are new to this vegetable, pick one up from the grocery store and give this recipe a try! It could easily become one of your favorite vegetables and one pot meal!
After you made this dish, please leave a recipe comment and rating on the post. My audience and visitors love reading about your experience and learning tips and tricks from each other. It also helps my blog grow organically with your help. Thanks so much!
Simmered Daikon Radish with Chicken in Yuzu Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Daikon radish, see notes for substitute
- 1 lb. Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- 3.5 oz brown or white beech mushroom, optional
- 1 tsp arrowroot starch
- 1.5 tbsp avocado oil
- 2-2.5 tsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 to 1.5 tbsp yuzu juice, see notes for substitute
- 1.5 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1-2 bulbs scallions, chopped
Instructions
- Slice off both ends of the daikon radish. Rinse and scrub under tap water. Pat dry and use a peeler to peel off the outer skin. Dice it to cube shape, about 1 to 1 ½ -inch cubes.
- Dice the chicken to 1 ½ -inch bite sizes. Slice off the bottom end of the mushrooms and break them to pieces, if using. In a small bowl, make a slurry with arrowroot starch and 1 tbsp water.
- Preheat a large stir-fry pan or Dutch oven over medium heat until it feels warm when placing your palm near the surface, about 2-3 inches away. Add the oil, chicken, ginger, and 1 tsp salt. Saute over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.
- Add stock, daikon radish, and mushrooms. Make sure the radish cubes are in contact with the liquid. Cover with a lid and bring it to boil, about 3-4 minutes.
- Then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the daikon turns soft and can easily be poked through with a fork or chopstick. The color will turn from pale to translucent. Stir the pot periodically to ensure even cooking.
- Season with yuzu juice and coconut aminos. Stir the slurry one more time before adding it to the pot. Gently toss for 30 seconds to thicken the sauce. Off heat, taste and add more salt, if desired.
- Garnish with scallions. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
