“No, I’m not upset, it’s the onions” is no longer something you’ll have to say while in the kitchen. Believe it or not, there is a right and a wrong way to cut an onion. The good news is that it’s not very hard to do correctly. Chefs have been cutting onions like this since the dawn of time and it’s time that we all learn to do it too. Not only will this method rid you of those pesky onion induced tears, it’ll cut down on your chopping time and leave you with proportionate onion slices. So really it’s a win-win.
Photo by Karen O’Brien
1. Slice your onion down the middle horizontally.
Photo by Amanda Gray
2. Peel the outer layers off both halves.
Photo by Amanda Gray
3. Cut each half down the center of the bulb.
Photo by Amanda Gray
4. Flip one section so the bulb is on the cutting board and begin to slice the section on an angle, making sure not to cut all the way to the top. Watch those fingers!
Photo by Amanda Gray
5. Cut the onion horizontally across the notches you just made. The thickness you cut will determine how thick or thin your final product will be.
Photo by Amanda Gray
You’ll end up with something like this; diced perfection.
Photo by Amanda Gray
If you want long strips of onions, cut the horizontal sections closer to the bulb. Voilà!
Photo by Amanda Gray
Want more on how to cut stuff? Check these out: