The work aims to investigate the changes in quality and efficiency of white radish dried by hot air under various processes. The effect law of three variables including drying temperature, relative humidity, and material thickness on the quality and drying characteristics of white radish was analyzed with the single-factor experimental method. Quality and efficiency indicators such as rehydration ratio, color difference, and drying time were normalized to construct a comprehensive evaluation model. Subsequently, the Box-Behnken response surface methodology was adopted to facilitate the optimization experiments, and a regression model was developed with the comprehensive score as the response variable. This model helped identify the optimal combination of process parameters that yielded the best drying quality and shortest drying time. The optimal conditions were found to be drying temperature of 55 °C, relative humidity of 23%, and material thickness of 10 mm. Under these conditions, the drying time was 490 min, the rehydration ratio was 3.851, the color difference was 25.724, and the comprehensive score was 0.953, indicating an optimal drying effect. These drying process parameters could effectively improve the drying quality and shorten the drying time. The R² value of the fitting model was 0.954 1 and the error between the actual value and the theoretical value of the model was only 1.4%, confirming the stability and reliability of the model for application in hot-air drying processes of white radish. The optimal process parameters and the regression model optimized based on response surface can effectively predict changes in drying characteristics under various conditions, thereby improving the drying effect of white radish and providing a theoretical basis for the industrial application and high-quality storage of hot-air drying of white radish.