If you ask us, there is nothing better than the smell of sliced onions cooking in olive oil. They add amazing flavor to any dish (soup recipes, healthy stews, all kinds of weeknight dinners!), but if you don’t know how to chop an onion the right way, this important ingredient that appears in so many dinner recipes may leave you with watery eyes, or worse, a finger injury. Here’s how to slice an onion the best way, in a few simple steps — with no tears!
The trick to chopping an onion without crying isn’t to purchase some snazzy new glasses, nor to refrigerate your onions before slicing into them. Instead, the best way to cut onions — no matter the shape you’re looking for (diced, sliced, or chopped) — is to protect your fingers and to cut quickly. Once you’re armed with these onion cutting tips, you’ll be able to perfectly chop, cut, and dice an onion for any tasty dish.
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Follow these six steps to learn how to chop an onion like a professional chef.
1. Cut off the stem ends, then cut in half.
2. Peel off the outer layer.
Use your hands to remove and discard the outside papery layer.
3. Make horizontal cuts.
Place the onion, cut-side down and holding the top of the onion, make a few horizontal cuts (about 4) from the stem end to the root, making sure to leave the root end intact (don’t cut all the way through so the onion stays together).
5. Chop the onion.
Cut down perpendicularly to the other vertical cuts. The thinner you make each of the original cuts, the finer the chop will be.
6. Start cooking!
Now that you have perfectly diced onions, you can use them as the base of so many amazing dishes.
Follow these three steps to learn how to slice an onion like a professional chef.
1. Remove ends and cut in half.
Using a knife, slice a ½ inch off the top of the onion. Place it face down on the cut side and slice in half.
2. Peel off the outer layer of the onion.
Use your hands to remove and discard the outside papery layer.
3. Slice straight through the onion.
Place the onion cut-side down, and slice downwards from root to stem.
