How to Cut an Onion

Onions are a crucial building block of flavor in many recipes, but also a dreaded task for some. Learn How to Cut an Onion so you can slice, dice, and julienne like a master. Suddenly, everything in the kitchen feels easier.

Course Pantry

Cuisine American

Prep Time 3

Total Time 3

Servings servings (1 ounce each)

Calories 11kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

1 onion (about 6 ounces)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To peel an onion:

Using a sharp knife, cut a thin slice away from the root and stem of the onion, but leaving the root intact.
Place the onion stem-side down on the cutting board and slice in half from the root end to the stem end. Gently peel away the outer layer and using the tip of the knife, remove any dark spots.

To dice an onion:

Lay the onion cut-side-down onto the cutting board. Using a sharp knife, make two to three horizontal cuts (parallel to the cutting board) into the onion, cutting to just before the root end. The root end will hold the onion together.
Next make a series of evenly spaced parallel, lengthwise cuts with the tip of the knife.
Lastly, holding the onion in your guiding hand (non-dominant), complete the dice by cutting even crosswise cuts working from the stem end to the root end of the onion. Be sure to cut through all layers of the onion.

To julienne an onion:

Lay the onion cut-side-down onto the cutting board. Remove the root end. With the root end or the stem end facing you, make evenly cut matchstick-sized cuts through the onion, moving in a radial fashion towards the center of the onion, changing the angle with each cut.

To slice an onion:

Lay the onion cut-side-down onto the cutting board. Using a sharp knife, make a series of cuts, slicing them to the desired thickness.

To slice onion rings:

Do not slice the onion in half as directed in step 2. Holding the onion firmly with your guiding hand, slice into the onion starting at the stem end into rings of the desired size, stopping just before the root end. Discard the root end and break up the onion slices into rings.

Notes

Yield: 1 pound of onions yields about 4 cups sliced or diced raw onions. This cooks down to about 2 cups of cooked onions.
Storage: Whole onions and shallots last for about 2 to 3 months when stored in a cool, dry, dark, and well-ventilated place such as a basement or the bottom of your pantry. Refrigerate peeled whole onions and shallots in an airtight container for up 10 to 14 days. Cut onions should be refrigerated and used within 7 to 10 days.

Nutrition