How to Chop Onions: 7 Onion Cuts and Their Uses

You can cut onions in various ways for different culinary uses. Here are some of the most common onion cuts for home cooks:

1. 1. Chopped: Chopping describes a general method of cutting fruits, veggies, or other ingredients into smaller pieces than their original size. When you chop onions, they should be slightly larger than diced pieces, which may vary from ¼-inch chunks (a fine chop) to 1-inch large chunks (a rough chop). Chopping ingredients will typically yield larger, differently-sized pieces of ingredients than a dice cut or a mince.
2. 2. Diced: Diced onions are small, uniformly-sized cubes that cook quickly and evenly. A dice refers to cutting food into cubes of a specific size. A small dice yields ¼-inch pieces, which are great additions to sauces, toppings, and condiments such as tomato relish. A medium dice involves cutting onions into ½-inch pieces, which work well in chunky salsas and toppings. A large dice yields ¾-inch cubes for salads, stews, and soups.
3. 3. Grated: Grating a raw onion involves shaving it down into very small slices that you couldn’t achieve with a dice cut or even a very fine mince. The grating process allows you to create small onion pieces that caramelize quickly and evenly, rather than chopped onions or diced onions which you’ll usually need to pre-cook before incorporating into a sautéed mixture. Learn how to grate an onion.
4. 4. Minced: Mincing onions involves cutting them as finely as possible into nearly ⅛-inch pieces. You can use minced onions in any recipe that requires plenty of onion flavor without the toothsome texture of larger pieces.
5. 5. Rings: Ring-cutting an onion is similar to slicing it, but instead of keeping the layers together, you separate them. Cutting onions into rings is the best cut for making homemade fried onion rings. They’re also great to include in roasts or french onion soup.
6. 6. Sliced: Slicing an onion involves cutting it along a latitudinal plane so that you end up with half rings of onions. You can eat sliced onions raw in salads, garnish burgers with them, or use them to make caramelized onions.
7. 7. Wedges: Onion wedges involve cutting an onion into four-equally sized sections, first along the vertical plane and then horizontally.

Chopping and dicing are similar cuts: A chop is essentially a larger, less uniform cut. However, the quickest and easiest way to chop onions is to use a dice cut and make slightly larger pieces. Follow this quick step-by-step guide that will help you cut down on prep time for any recipe that calls for this flavorful root veggie:

1. 1. Remove the stem end: Onions have a root end, where the basal plate is, and a stem end at the top where its skin forms a pointy peak. Using a sharp chef's knife, cut the stem end off your onion.
2. 2. Cut in half: Lay the cut part of the onion against the cutting board. Slice the onion down the middle from the stem end to the root end, keeping part of the basal plate intact.
3. 3. Peel the skin: Get your fingers under the outer layer of onion skin where you've made the cut and peel it away. Dispose of the skin in your compost or trash can.
4. 4. Slice horizontally: Place the cut half of the onion against your chopping surface. Cut the onion in horizontal slices from the stem end to just above the basal plate. Don’t cut your slices through the root end of the onion because it keeps the layers together as you work.
5. 5. Slice vertically: Next, make a series of vertical cuts perpendicular to the horizontal cuts you’ve just made. Work from the top of the onion to the root end. Allow the diced onion pieces to fall away from the onion as you cut. Discard the root end afterward.
6. 6. Mince or slice (optional): If you don’t want to make cubes, you can use a similar method to make onion slices or minced onions. Make onion slices by following all of the above steps and skipping the fourth step in this list. For mincing, continue to finely chop the diced onion pieces until they become much smaller.

Onions add sweetness and flavor to various dishes, but the tears that come from cutting them are a pesky obstacle that compromises your ability to use a sharp knife. This reaction occurs because of an irritant called syn-propanethial-S-oxide, a sulfuric compound that triggers your lachrymal glands to release tears. Here are some tips for cutting an onion, tear-free:

1. 1. Sharpen your knives. The sharper the knife you use to cut your onions, the less likely you’ll be to cry. Use a knife sharpener on your knife before cutting your onions to reduce the likelihood of tears.
2. 2. Keep exposed sides face down. Keep the cut sides of the onion face down on your cutting board as you cut. In addition to stabilizing your onion, this can also make you cry less.
3. 3. Freeze the onion before cutting. Freezing an onion before chopping it will prevent you from tearing up as you're slicing it by reducing the odorous liquid that irritates your eyes and nose. Learn how to freeze an onion.
4. 4. Use a kitchen vent or fan. Cutting your onions under a kitchen vent or fan can help clear the air of the sulfuric compounds in the onions that cause you to cry.

Store whole onions in their skins in a dark, dry place with plenty of air circulation, such as a basket or hamper. Ensure the area is well-ventilated; keeping your onions in an airtight container or plastic wrap will trap moisture and make them go bad.

You can store raw, chopped onions in an airtight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to two days. To determine whether the onions are edible, give them a quick smell and discard if they have a stale odor.

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