These six simple steps will allow you to cut an onion safely and effortlessly—saving you time in the kitchen and saving those tears for that soap opera!
Lisa Rosenberg, the Director of R&D at Spice World, boasts a decade-long career in the food industry. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Food Science from the University of Vermont, and later earned her Master’s degree in food science from North Carolina State University. Throughout her career, Lisa has worked with prominent companies like PepsiCo, Fordham University, and Ahold Delhaize, gaining experience in beverage product development, global procurement, and private label product management.
When it comes to cooking a delicious meal, there’s a good chance that the recipe will call for you to cut, chop, or mince an onion. Things can get complicated, or, should we say, dicey, when it comes to how to cut an onion properly. Lucky for you, we have a super simple method to cut an onion with less hassle and less tears!
While some people may think a good knife makes it easier to cut an onion, technique is important as well! Keeping in mind where to place your hands and fingers and where to slice safely makes all the difference when cutting onions.
Following these five steps will make you look like a head chef when you cut an onion. And don’t worry—it’s easy! So here’s what you need to know:
Before you begin, be sure to find a nice, fresh onion. Look for one that’s firm, with no signs of sprouting or soft spots. Then, stand the onion upright and cut it in half vertically, from stem to root. Cutting the onion in half will make it much easier to peel and dice later on.
Now, lay one half of the onion on a cutting board and use a sharp knife to slice off the top stem end. You can discard this end or save it for stock. Leave the root intact – do NOT cut the roots off!
Now it’s time to peel the onion. If you can’t get a grip on it, try gently scoring the skin lengthwise, making sure not to cut too deeply into the onion itself. Once you’ve made several shallow cuts, use your fingers to peel away the papery skin toward the root, revealing the fresh onion layers beneath.
Once the onion is peeled, cut the onion once down the middle, parallel to your cutting board. Remember not to slice all the way through the root end! Keeping that end intact will ensure that the onion stays together for a better cut!
Pro Tip: Make more cuts for a mince or finer dice!
Now, hold the onion firmly and make vertical cuts, creating even slices from the top, close to the root. Make sure not to cut the root.
It’s also important to use a proper cutting technique! Be sure to keep your fingers safely tucked away from the blade when you cut the onion.
Now that you have evenly sliced onion strips, it’s time to dice them into smaller pieces. Hold the onion with your fingers curled and the blade against your knuckles to make safe horizontal cuts across the length of the onion. Remember, the size of your dice can vary depending on your recipe!
Pro Tip: Aim for uniformity to ensure even cooking.
And there you have it—six simple steps for the best way to cut an onion! Now all you need is a tasty recipe to try it out with, and the good news is we have a ton of Spice World favorites for you to choose from!
If you find that this “How to Cut an Onion” technique just isn’t cutting it, we have just the thing for you. We’ve found a better way for home cooks to add chopped onion to any meal with our newest innovation, Easy Onion!
Available in an easy-to-use squeeze bottle or convenient jar, Easy Onion makes it simple to enjoy fresh onion flavor with no peeling, no chopping, and no tears! Not to mention all the time saved by not having to cut an onion yourself.
Now that you know how to cut an onion, you may be curious about the nutritional differences between each type of onion. The common onion varieties are red, white, and yellow, with each type containing mostly water, carbohydrates, and fiber. Onions are also a great source of important vitamins like iron, calcium, and vitamin B6—not to mention their incredible health benefits!
Here are some nutritional value estimates you can expect from a regular-sized onion (about 110g), according to the USDA:
| Calories | 43 |
| Total Fat | 0 g |
| Fiber | 1.2 g |
| Protein | 1.2 g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 9.4 g |
| Total Sugar | 5.7 g |
| Calories | 44 |
| Total Fat | 0 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Protein | 1.2 g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| Total Sugar | 5.7 g |
| Calories | 44 |
| Total Fat | 0 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 11 g |
| Total Sugar | 9 g |
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