Simmered Daikon Radish with Chicken

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 packed 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 the citrus sauce!

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 a lighter and more 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 a 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 and refreshing 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.

What is a Daikon Radish?

Daikon is a root vegetable that belongs to 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 eliminate fats and excess toxins. It also helps improve digestion and blood circulation.

Raw uncooked daikon has a peppery taste and is 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.

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, and cholesterol but high in fiber. Some reported benefits include being 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.

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. Farmer’s market is a good place to find it, too.

How to select daikon

Select one that has firm, smooth, and beautiful shiny skin. The leaves are light green and fresh looking. It should feel heavy, and plump in your 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 into cubes or rounds and store it 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 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

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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 a one-pot meal!

After you make 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!

5 from 29 votes

Simmered Daikon Radish with Chicken in Yuzu Sauce

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 40 mins

Servings: 4 people

Author: ChihYu Smith

Daikon Radish Recipe simmered in Yuzu Sauce with chicken tastes savory, sweet, and a hint of citrus flavor. It’s delicious and healthy all year round.

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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

Yuzu juice substitute = 1:1 ratio of lemon and lime juice with a touch of orange or grapefruit juice.

Daikon substitute: Use turnips if you can’t find daikon radish. Follow the same cooking steps – peel the skin with a vegetable peeler and dice it to cubes. Turnips have a stronger peppery taste than daikon but it’s a good alternative and will give you a similar taste.

This dish tastes great even the day after. It also freezes well.

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.

The most common way to serve this dish is with steamed rice. You can also serve it with any low carb fried rice or with boiled rice noodles.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 222kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 108mg, Sodium: 825mg, Potassium: 586mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 27IU, Vitamin C: 26mg, Calcium: 41mg, Iron: 1mg

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Japanese

Keyword: Daikon, Daikon radish, Daikon radish recipe, Daikon recipes, Yuzu, Yuzu sauce

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