How to Slice and Dice Onions like a Pro

Nearly all popular dishes in the kitchen start with a base of sliced, chopped, or diced onions – but do you know how to correctly cut an onion?

Many who have been through catering college (including me) have been taught how to cut an onion in the first few weeks of culinary school, and it is one of the fundamentals you seem to get taught when leaning the different knife cuts and how to cut correctly.

Cutting an onion correctly does take a little practice but once you’ve master this knife skill you’ll be pleased you did.

Below is how I personally cut an onion and how I’ve been taught; there are many different ways to cut and slice an onion and everyone thinks that their way is the best, so please feel free to leave a comment below on how you like to cut your onions.

Before you begin make sure you have a chopping board set up on your kitchen counter top (tip: I like to place a damp tea towel under my cutting board to stop it slipping and sliding around) and also a sharp Chef’s Knife.

Right are you ready to get started?

The essentials: Chopping Board, Chef’s Knife, and The Onion

Cut the Onion in half

Place your knife blade across the center of the upward-facing end of the onion. The edge of the blade should intersect with the in the center of the onion. Carefully cut the onion in half by slicing straight down through the center.

Cut the Onion in half

Peel the onion and let’s start to dice and slice!

Now that you have 2 halves of your onion trim both ends and then peel them both. Take one half and place it flat side down on your cutting board so that you have the round part facing upwards.

Now start to slice crossways through the onion slicing off little semi-circular sections as you work your way from right to left (or left to right if you’re left handed like me ;-)).

Make sure you keep the onion tightly together; we don’t want it to fall apart just yet!

Slice the Onion

Place and flip the sliced onion on its other side

Now that you’ve flipped the onion over on its other side start slicing thin slices, about the same thickness as matchstick (but depends how big you want your onion sliced) and continue until you reach the end. Be careful of your fingers as you get towards the end as those onions can get a bit slippery!

Flip the Onion on its side

slice towards the finish line!

All done; sliced and diced like a pro

You should now see that you have a perfectly diced and cubed onion on your cutting board – that was easy right? See I knew you could do it!

Finish up the other half of the onion the same way, and your all done – a perfectly cut onion.

Once you know how to slice, dice, and karate chop an onion like Jackie Chan you’ll be able to impress your friends and family with you newly found onion cutting skills!

>>Click here to see the latest deals on the best Chef Knives at Amazon<<

How do you slice and cut your onions?..