How to Cut an Onion

Four Methods:SliceMinceDiceFork

Cutting an onion in the correct shape for cooking can be difficult. When you're sobbing like you just broke up with your high-school sweetheart, it's not so easy to cut an onion the way a line cook might in a restaurant. Luckily, these are some good tips that you can use to cut an onion the right way to produce a beautiful final product.

Method 1
Slice

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    Turn the onion so that the tapered side sits to your right.
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    Chop off the right and left ends (this is a vertical cut).
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    Set the onion on one of the flat sides. Cut it in half vertically.
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    Take one half and set it on the big flat side so that it arches upward. Make cuts about 1⁄4 inch (0.6 cm) apart vertically starting from the right. Repeat with the other half.
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    Most of the onion will come apart in layers that make nice arches. The parts that are stuck together can be easily pushed apart.

Method 2
Mince

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    Cut the root end of the onion off.
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    Slice the onion in half length ways.
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    Remove the outer skin.
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    With the pointed end towards you slice as finely as possible.
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    Turn the pointed end to your left and slice cross ways. The onion will be perfectly minced.

Method 3
Dice

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    Cut an onion in half lengthwise. Cut the onion so that your knife cuts through the tip and root, not through the middle.
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    Cut the tip and root off, discarding.
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    Peel the onion so that the outer skin is fully removed. Discard.
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    Place the onion flat side-down on a cutting board.
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    Taking a large, sharp knife, begin cutting the onion lengthwise. Make several parallel cuts along one axis. You'll be cutting in the same direction you originally cut to halve the onion.
    • If you want the dice to be smaller, make more cuts, closer together. If you want the dice to be bigger, make fewer cuts, further apart. You could make anywhere from 2 to 10 cuts here, depending on how large or small you want your dice to be.
    • Leave a small section at the top of the onion uncut. This is so the onion doesn't fall apart when you cut in the following steps. Basically, any cuts you make during this step shouldn't cause any pieces of onion to break off.
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    In the same direction, cut the onion in half. Instead of cutting in an up/down motion, turn the knife on its side and cut from right to left. If the onion is bigger, you may be able to make two or even three evenly-space sideways cuts.
    • Again, don't cut all the way through the onion. Leave a small space at the end of the onion, so that the onion doesn't yet fall apart. If cutting in this step causes any onion to break off, you haven't cut the onion in the right way.
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    In an up/down motion again, chop the onion at a right angle, creating little squares. Smaller, more frequent intervals between chops means a smaller dice. Larger, less frequent intervals between chops means a bigger dice. Continue cutting until you've gotten to the bit at the end that you didn't slice through in the previous steps.
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    Take the end bit and chop it along one axis, and then the next. This should create a dice similar to your other dice.
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    Repeat above steps, using the other half of the onion, if necessary.

Method 4
Fork

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    Cut off the stem end.
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    Stand the onion on the newly exposed surface. Holding the blade vertically, cut it in half downwards.
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    For each half, lay it down on the newest/largest exposed surface. Stick a fork straight down into the root end, parallel with the first stem cut; it will act as a knife stop for the next step.
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    Holding the knife blade horizontally, make as many cuts as desired toward the fork (the more cuts, the finer the chop). Holding the onion with a fork eliminates the danger of slicing into your fingers.
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    Still holding the onion by the fork, hold the blade vertically. Make as many cuts as desired from left to right (or vice versa).
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    Finally, hold the blade vertical. Turn the onion 90 degrees and make as many downward cuts as desired, moving toward the fork.

Tips

  • If you mess up cutting, don't throw it away. It's still good. Just improvise.
  • To avoid getting tears in your eyes,
    • place the onion in the freezer for 1-5 minutes,
    • soak the peeled onion in cold water for 5 minutes before chopping,
    • don't lean over the cutting board,
    • chew gum while cutting the onion,
    • place a burning candle next to the cutting board,
    • breath through your nose, or
    • hold a heel of bread sticking out of your mouth, or
    • aim a light fan over the cutting surface.
    • dip the knife in canola oil before you start

Warnings

  • Take off the paper-like peel first, because it may cause your knife to slip and cut you.

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