How To Chop An Onion

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Onions. If they didn't exist already, we'd have to invent them. Otherwise, we would not be able to make most of the dishes we do, as they are a base ingredient common to a great many recipes. So what's the best way to dice an onion? Well, there may not be a "best" way, since there are a number of ways that people can accomplish this. But there are bad ways to chop an onion with a knife. Ways that are less safe, or messy and inefficient. There are even bad knives, that contribute to bad ways of cutting an onion.

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10" serrated chef's knife.
Even cuts Ginsu knives.

To cut an onion safely, you should use a sharp chef's or slicing knife. This helps insure you will cut through the soft layers of the onion, and not just cause them to slip under your fingers, causing you to lose your grip. Or if you're worried about safety, a fine serrated chef or slicing knife is excellent. Even a good serrated tomato knife can do, on occasion. For onions, it is better to use a cheap serrated knife (if you have to), than a cheap plain edge.

There's worse, though. There's mangling an onion, using kitchen fad gadgets, like a "Slap Chop", or a food processor. Not unlike garlic, if you're crushing and slicing an onion at disparate angles (as these gadgets do), you will get unwanted results. You'll end up releasing bitter onion juices, which can have a negative impact on the flavour of what you're using the onion in. In the raw state, you can see and taste the difference if you compare methods of preparation. (Tip: If you are sensitive to onion gases, wear swimming goggles while chopping onions).

Below, I demonstrate two good methods of dicing an onion in even-sized pieces. The reason for showing two methods is because some may not be comfortable using the method I use (Method #1). Though it shouldn't be a problem, because with your palm resting on the onion, at no point are your fingers in the way of the knife blade. The idea is, once you've cut the onion in half widthways, you create slices across the onion, then cut lengthwise, and the onion will fall into square pieces. (I recommend holding only half the slices at a time, to make things safer).

In Method #2, you do not cut the onion in half widthways. Instead, you create slices across, as in Method #1, but then you stack half the slices up, and chop that into dice. (I'm not sure this is any safer, because the stacks can shift as you are slicing them).

1. Start by slicing onion in half  lengthways. (Showing is the root end).

2. Keeping knuckles resting against the side of the blade, with the tips of your fingers curled inwards, cut off the root end.

3. Showing root end cut off.

4. In the same way, cut off the opposite end.

5. Showing opposite end cut off.

6. Peel off the skin.

7. Chopping Method #1: With palm resting firmly on top of the onion, slice in half widthwise. Start slicing the onion with the tip of your knife. You should arrive near the blade of the knife when finished.

8. Slice across the onion, approx. 1/4" slices.

9. Showing first crossways slice

10. Showing onion sliced crossways. (To dice using Method #1, cut across the length of half the slices. Repeat for the other half).

11. Chopping Method #2: Skip Step #7, go straight to Step #8. Stack half the slices from Step #10 (as shown).

12. Slice across the top of the stack to create a dice.

13. Showing one quarter of the onion diced into squares.

14. Dicing the other half of the onon. Remember to keep your knuckles against the side of the blade, and fingers curled in.

15. Showing the onion fully diced.