How to Cut an Onion: 5 Classic Methods for Everyday Cooking

No matter what you've got cooking in the kitchen, it's safe to say the onion is almost always a solid feature. Its raw power may flood the strongest man’s eyes, but when cooked, its sweetness and complexity can form the base of the most influential cuisines.

This is why knowing how to cut an onion is such a crucial fundamental skill. This article aims to give you a quick but full understanding of this crucial aromatic and show you the correct ways to prepare it. We'll provide you with five basic ways to cut the onion that guarantee to make all those home cooked meals a whole lot better.

How to Cut Onions Without Crying

There are certain compounds inside onion cells that will disperse in the air once the cells break open. The more slices you make, the more quickly you’ll cry. Fortunately, there are several tips and tricks you can try to prevent this:

Chill the onions: Before cutting, place the onions in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. The cold temperature will slow down the release of the enzymes that cause tears.
Use a sharp knife: A sharp, clean cut will reduce the release of the tear-inducing compounds whereas a dull knife will crush the onion and release more of the irritating substances.
Store it in cold water: The substance is also water-soluble, so it's a good idea to slice the onion in half and submerge it in cold water before and after cutting. This method is especially useful if you have more than one onion to prep.
Cut off the root: Since the substance is concentrated at the root, just one cut into the root will render your eyes weary. We usually leave about 1 inch or slice the root off completely and discard it, depending on the cutting method.
Wear protection goggles: It goes without saying that this is the one method that guarantees to work every time. You can use kitchen goggles, swimming goggles, or skiing goggles—anything that protects your eyes works just fine.

How to Peel an Onion

Onions have this paper-thin yellow peel that sometimes comes off easily and sometimes doesn’t. Either way, slice the onion in half, along with the peel so that there’s something to grab onto, and just peel it off naturally.

Chop an Onion

Chopping comes in handy when you want little pungent bites in your salads, pasta, or any dish that calls for a subtly aromatic undertone that won't overwhelm the entire flavor profile.

Step 1: Slice the onion in half vertically. Grip the half by its side, and make downward, parallel incisions towards the root, stopping as close to the edge as possible. The thickness is up to your preference.

Step 2: Use the thumb and middle finger of one hand to press the slices together. Slowly make a horizontal slice right in the center, slightly downward towards the root. Stop as it’s near the root to keep everything intact.

Step 3: Make another slice parallel to the previous one but near the top.

Step 4: Grip it by the root with one hand and start chopping. Keep working until you’ve come near the root. Discard the root and place the chopped onion into a container.

Dice an Onion

‘Dicing’ and ‘chopping’ are often used interchangeably, but dicing produces smaller, more precise cubes whereas chopped ones are slightly bigger and rougher. The technique takes more time and skill, so it is used mostly when the dish is meant to look presentable.

Step 1: Slice the onion in half. Place the half down onto the cutting board, and make parallel, even cuts that stop about 1 inch away from the root.

Step 2: Grip the onion the same way you would when chopping. Angle your knife parallel to the cutting board, and make horizontal, even cuts into the onion, also stopping about 1 inch away from the root.

Step 3: Slice the mid-dissected onion for beautiful little cubes of onion.

Slice an Onion

Slicing gives you thin, large pieces very quickly, ideal for when you want the onion’s peppery sweet taste to be more prominent. It’s usually required for stir-fries, pasta, or casseroles.

Step 1: Slice the onion in half lengthwise, slice off the root, and toss it away along with the peel.

Step 2: Place the half onto the board. Then hold it flat side down and rotate it into a vertical position, then slice it thinly.

For Onion Rings

If onion rings are your favorite, this skill is a must-have.

Step 1: Remove the peel before or after slicing, the choice is yours. Lay the onion on its side, and slice off both ends. Grip it by one end, then just cut it into thick slices, thickness to your preference. You can make 4-5 slices out of a medium-sized onion.

Step 2: Submerge the slices in a bowl of cold water. Use both hands to hold a slice, then push the inner rings out with your thumbs. Repeat until you have onion rings of different sizes, and discard or save the smaller ones for stock-making.

Step 3: Place the selected rings onto your cutting board. Pat each ring dry, and they’re ready for your crispy onion rings.

Cut an Onion for Skewers

The skewer cuts are often small, bite-sized triangles that give amazing taste and texture when grilled. They're slightly crisp and aromatically sweet with a smoky undertone, a perfect company for various other meat and veggies.

Step 1: Slice the onion in half, vertically.

Step 2: Place each half cut-side down, and make two vertical and horizontal cuts so that they divide the half into 9 equal segments. Submerge the segments in water to prevent crying, and continue with the other half.