A tangy, crunchy essential for bánh mì, rice bowls and everything in between. Give this Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon a try.
There are a few ingredients that instantly brighten a dish—and Đồ Chua, the Vietnamese sweet-sour pickled carrot and daikon mix, is one of them. If you’ve ever bitten into a proper bánh mì sandwich, you’ve already tasted it: crunchy, sharp, a little sweet, and totally refreshing.
About this Vietnamese pickled carrots recipe.
This stuff is incredible. You can knock up a big jar in minutes, and it transforms anything you put it on. Salty grilled meats? Amazing! Sticky rice and fried egg? Better with Đồ Chua. Leftover roast pork? Game-changer.
I always keep a jar in the fridge, and after reading this, you will too. Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon go exceptionally well piled high on a banh mi sandwich.
Jump to:
What Is Đồ Chua?
Đồ Chua (pronounced “doh choo-ah”) literally means “sour things” in Vietnamese and that’s exactly what this is: Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon, lightly fermented in a tangy-sweet brine. It’s a classic Vietnamese condiment, used as a garnish and flavour booster across street food, family meals, and restaurant dishes.
You’ll find it in:
- Bánh mì sandwiches
- Grilled pork vermicelli bowls (bún thịt nướng)
- Rice plates
- Spring rolls
And even though it’s a side dish, Đồ Chua packs enough punch to elevate a meal entirely on its own.
Why You’ll Love It
Here’s why Đồ Chua needs a place in your fridge:
- Ridiculously easy – slice, mix, pour, done.
- Keeps for weeks – perfect for meal prep.
- Bright, crunchy, and addictive – the balance of sweet, sour and salty is spot on.
- Goes with everything – grilled meats, fried rice, noodles, sandwiches, you name it.
Ingredients
As you will see from the step by step photographs, Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon doesn't need a lot of ingredients. It's amazing how good they taste together though.
- carrot
- daikon radish
- sugar
- rice wine vinegar (or distilled white vinegar)
- warm water
- salt
- FOR WASHING
- salt
- sugar
See recipe card for quantities.
Step by step photos
Use this section for process shots, alternating between the step and image showing the step. Users don't like seeing process shots cluttering up the recipe card, so include your process shots here.
- Step 1: Place the thinly slice carrot in a bowl.
- Step 2: Add some of the daikon. This when you can decide whether you want more carrot or more daikon. I used a 50/50 mix of the two.
- Step 3: Add one tablespoon sugar and one tablespoon salt to this mixture and stir well with your hands to combine. Let it sit for 20 minutes and then wash it all thoroughly. Set aside.
- Step 4: Add 1 1/2 cups warm water to a jar or bowl and add 1/4 cup sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves into the water.
- Step 5: Add the washed carrots and daikon and stir well to coal with the sugary water.
- Step 6: Then add about a tablespoon of course salt and again stir well so that the carrots and daikon are completely coated with the water, sugar and salt.
- Step 7: Pour in 1/2 cup vinegar and stir it all well.
- Step 8: Leave for at least and hour though Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon will be much better if you let it pickle for a day or up to a week before serving. It will keep for up to a month like this.
Variations
Once you’ve mastered the classic version, feel free to experiment:
- Throw in thinly sliced onions or green papaya for extra layers.
- Swap daikon for regular radish, kohlrabi, or cabbage.
- Use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar if rice vinegar isn’t on hand.
Equipment
A Sharp Chefs Knife: For thinly slicing the carrots and daikon. Better yet would be to use a mandolin if you have one.
A Glass Preserve Jar: This is the perfect container for pickled Vietnamese carrots and daikon. Let everything pickle in the glass jar for at least an hour but the longer the better. Your Đồ Chua will last in the fridge for up to a month.
Storage
Stored in a clean jar in the fridge, Đồ Chua (Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon) will keep for up to 4 weeks—though mine never lasts that long because I eat it. The crunch stays, the flavour intensifies, and you’ll find yourself putting it on everything.
Final Thoughts
This is one of those recipes that seems too simple to be exciting—until you try it. Then it becomes a fridge staple. Vietnamese pickled carrots and daikon is sharp, crunchy, and refreshingly addictive. It cuts through rich meats, perks up leftovers, and brings balance to almost any dish.
Once you’ve made it once, you’ll find yourself making a new batch before the last jar is even finished. It’s that good.
So go on—get pickling. And if you’re making bánh mì or lemongrass grilled pork to go with it, let me know. I’ve got some killer recipes for those too.
Top Tip
Use young daikon if you can. Older daikon can be a bit pungent and bitter. Young daikon is milder and pickles beautifully.
More Helpful Tips for Vietnamese pickled carrots
Add chilli if you want a kick
A few thin slices of red bird’s eye chilli in the jar take things up a notch.
Garlic = extra depth
A sliced clove or two in the brine gives you that savoury undertone that plays beautifully with grilled meat.
Balance is everything
Taste the brine before pouring it in. Too sharp? Add a bit more sugar. Too sweet? Add a dash more vinegar or salt. You’re looking for sweet, tangy and salty in balance.
FAQ
Yes! Salting the julienned carrots and daikon before pickling helps draw out excess moisture and softens them slightly, which results in a better texture—crisp but pliable. It also helps the vegetables absorb the pickling brine more effectively.
You can eat it after just a few hours, but for the best flavour, let it sit for at least 24 hours in the fridge. After that, the vegetables will be fully infused with the sweet, tangy brine and have developed that signature pickled crunch.
Definitely! While carrot and daikon are traditional, you can also pickle radish, cucumber, green papaya, red onion, or even cabbage using the same brine. Just keep the slicing thin and even for good texture.
Related
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Pairing
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Vietnamese Pickled Carrots and Daikon
Vietnamese pickled carrots and dailkon is great to have on hand. It will liven up any sandwich and is especially delicious on banh mi. It only takes minutes to make so give it a try!
Ingredients
- 1 large carrot, peeled
- Equal amount of daikon radish, peeled
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar (or distilled white vinegar)
- 1 1/2 cups warm water
- 1 tbsp salt
- FOR WASHING
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Chop the carrot and daikon thinly.
- Place the carrot and daikon in a bowl and add tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Leave for 20 minutes.
- Rinse the vegetables thoroughly under cold water and drain well.
- In a jar, mix the warm water and the sugar until the sugar dissolves. Add the washed carrot and daikon.
- Then add the salt and rice wine vinegar. Seal the jar with a lid and refrigerate. It will be ready to eat in 1 hour, but the flavor will develop more over a day or two.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 59Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2341mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 0g
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