Oh, onions. What’s up with all of the slicing, dicing, chopping, mincing, crying? Let’s check out all of the methods for tips on how to reduce an onion!

The mighty onion! Looks as if you’re all the time going to seek out one among these little guys on the base of, like, each recipe. A lot taste! However what’s up with all this slicing, dicing, chopping, mincing, crying? Let’s check out all issues onion, lets?

Additionally, scorching tip alert. Please understand that an onion already has some built-in slices for you so we’ll be utilizing that to our benefit! Some strategies might have advised you to slice horizontally, however, slicing horizontally by way of a slippery vegetable with a really sharp knife sneaking underneath your fingers and headed TOWARDS your physique…feels simply kinda downright bananas. Additionally pointless – these cuts exist already!

Let’s dive in, lets?

In This Submit: The whole lot You Want For How To Lower An Onion

Strategies for Chopping An Onion

Onion Extras

Strategies For Chopping An Onion

Knife Technique

That is most likely the commonest methodology with regards to reducing an onion – whether or not you want a tough chop, a fair cube, or a wonderful mince. Fortunately, all of them begin just about the identical. Get your tear ducts prepared, right here we go!

1. Lower in half. Flip the onion upright on one of many flat ends and reduce it down the center.
2. Trim the tip. Trim one finish of the onion and maintain the opposite as sort of somewhat deal with. (You may chop each ends however this manner it helps the onion half keep intact.)
3. Take away the skins. If the onion pores and skin doesn’t come off simply, take away the outermost layer of the onion too.
4. Slice the onion. Place one half of the onion massive, flat cut-side down in your reducing board. Make even vertical slices in opposition to the grain, skinny or thick relying on the dimensions chop you need, with out slicing during your “deal with” finish in order that the slices keep intact.
5. Flip and chop! Holding the deal with finish, gently squeeze the onion to assist safe your vertical slices and make comparatively evenly spaced slices by way of your authentic cuts. These cubes will begin falling onto your board and also you’ll have a stunning tough chop! Then repeat with the opposite half.

Mandoline Technique

We love our mandoline* for a lot of issues, however to slice an onion? It’s severely clutch. This methodology is usually used for rings and half moons (as you possibly can see above), however if you wish to pull out your knife and chop them up much more from there, you do you!

1. Lower off high of the bulb. You don’t want to chop off a lot – nearly 1/2 of an inch.
2. Lower in half, root to high (non-compulsory). In order for you slices as a substitute of rings, you possibly can reduce it in half from root to high. See video under for reference.
3. Take away the pores and skin. Maintain the foundation intact and peel again the outer layer of the onion.
4. Get your mandoline prepared. There must be 3-Four totally different thickness ranges in your mandoline you could select from based mostly on what you’re on the lookout for. Set your mandoline and also you’re prepared!
5. Slice your onion. Put the reduce aspect in opposition to the mandoline and transfer it backwards and forwards to create slices or rings. Use a mandoline protector to maintain your arms protected or cease earlier than the foundation will get too shut!

Meals Processor Technique

This is likely to be our favourite hack to make chopping an onion the simplest factor you’ll do all day (are you able to think about!?). It’s good for getting a tough chop or a wonderful mince, and is particularly superb for when you’ve gotten a whole lot of issues to cut for soup or desire a perfectly-textured meatball.

1. Lower off each ends of the onion. No want for the foundation right here!
2. Take away the pores and skin. If it’s good to take away the highest layer of the onion too, that’s a-okay.
3. Lower into sections. Lower the onion in half root to stem, after which a few times extra to create even sections of the onion.
4. Chop within the meals processor or chopper. Place the sections of onion within the meals processor and pulse to your required chop consistency.

Onion Lower Varieties and Their Makes use of

Minced

The tiniest of all! Make all of your slices/cuts as small and uniform as potential utilizing a knife or meals processor (or you possibly can simply proceed to run your knife by way of that tough chop pile till every part is actual itty bitty).

That is nice for: Mincing is required if you don’t wish to chew into items onion in any respect like for dressings, soups, and marinades, or additionally in meatballs!

Diced

Smaller than a chop, so make all of your slices thinner. You too can run your knife again by way of your tough chop pile a couple of occasions to get smaller items. They received’t be completely uniform tiny cubes however it’s going to get you the place you’re going!

That is nice for: Dicing is good when you’re going to be consuming the onion extra by itself and don’t wish to chew into too large of a piece of onion, like as a topping or in a salsa or base of an awesome sauce.

Chopped

Barely bigger, rougher cubes.

That is is nice for: A bigger fast tough chop is nice for roasting, sauces, or soups that can cook dinner awhile or get pureed later the place you want the flavour of onion however dimension actually doesn’t matter. Additionally nice for pot roast!

Rings

These want a barely totally different methodology than the cuts above. You’ll trim the non-root finish, take away skins (you might must make a really shallow reduce within the aspect to assist get them eliminated), rigorously place the complete onion your board and begin slicing parallel to the ends forming full rings, or use your mandoline as proven above. If utilizing a knife, it’s also possible to slice a tiny bit off of 1 aspect of the onion to present your self a steadier floor when reducing the entire onion.

That is nice for: Onion rings, YAY! But additionally possibly you desire a full ring in your burger or in your salad for fanciness?

Half-Moon Slices

Sliced with the grain of the onion to your required thickness.

That is nice for: Burger/sandwich toppings or salads, when extra outstanding items of onion are key!

Strips

Slim or broad strips made by these vertical cuts in opposition to the grain. You may use on skewers or in fajitas.

That is nice for: Kebabs, fajitas, or caramelized onions.

Varieties Of Onions

For probably the most half, you possibly can swap out onions in most recipes relying on what you’ve gotten readily available. However here’s a normal breakdown for the place every one can shine. All the time bear in mind when choosing out onions, no matter kind, to search for ones which might be agency with dry skins!

• White onions: They could be a little extra pungent so they’re extra ideally suited in cooked dishes or sauces. 
• Yellow onions: Tremendous versatile and have some actual star energy for caramelizing.
• Purple onions: These are your salad and salsa queens as a result of they will have an actual kick!
• Candy onions: (like a Walla Walla or Vidalia). These are nice in issues that want uncooked onion as a result of they’re gentle and candy.

How To Not Cry Whereas Chopping Onions

Goggles? Simply ask another person to do it and go away the room? Yeah, it appears sort of inevitable to shed a tear or two, however listed below are some suggestions/methods folks say assist ease the burn.

• Goggles. Like severely, they work. Any barrier in entrance of your eyes will assist somewhat! Here’s our favorite pair*.
• Chopping with a pointy knife! A uninteresting knife will smash and break down the cells of the onion extra which releases extra of the chemical syn-propanethial-S-oxide which is what’s chargeable for these teary eyes!
• Chill them! You need to assume forward however some counsel popping peeled onions within the freezer for a bit or within the fridge or in a bowl of ice water for about 30 minutes to reduce the chemical’s impact.
• Put a slice of bread in your mouth and let it hang around. In case you wanted a cause to eat bread (spoiler: you by no means want a cause). Some say it really works, some say it does nothing. Apparently the bread is meant to soak up the sulphuric compounds earlier than it reaches your eyes. Attempt it and report again!

Getting Onion Scent Off Your Arms

Oh! Yay! Now for some enjoyable science! Do you know you possibly can do away with the scent in your arms by merely rubbing them on any chrome steel object underneath chilly operating water? It’s true! You’ll be able to seize a spoon or a spatula (possibly skip a knife), and even use the underside of your chrome steel sink. The sulfuric chemical in onions will bind to the metals in chrome steel and follow these as a substitute of your arms, no cleaning soap required! (However let’s be trustworthy, cleaning soap by no means helped anyway, proper?!)

You may additionally seize your self one among these useful dandy little stainless steel “soap” bars* when you actually wish to be fancy.

If you happen to don’t wish to make use of your knife-work within the kitchen, you do have a pair different choices.

• Pre-cut onions. We love a very good shortcut typically so thanks, grocery retailer! Or make your personal pre-cut ones by simply doing a ton of onions directly, so long as you’ve received your tear ducts going, after which retailer them within the freezer!
• A mandoline. Although it may be intimidating, a mandoline* could make very straightforward work out of getting completely evenly skinny slices.
• Meals processor. Peel and slice these onions into sections, and buzz these infants up in a food processor* for a chop-cheat!
• A spiralizer. Onions are tremendous straightforward to spiralize* – who knew?! Simply use a flat blade because the onions are already layered by nature, and two seconds later, you’ll have a pile of thinly sliced rings which might be good for an entire number of makes use of. See tips on how to do it here!

Chef’s Knife

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Food Processor

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Mandoline Slicer

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Onion Goggles

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The part comprises affiliate hyperlinks to merchandise we all know and love.

Storing Lower Onions

So long as you’re already crying, you possibly can chop up a bunch of onions after which maintain them readily available and able to go to your different cooking wants this week. Simply be sure to maintain issues hermetic to keep away from oxidation and moisture absorption (howdy Stinksville, USA).

• To Refrigerate: You’ll be able to maintain chopped onions in a sealed, hermetic container (ideally a glass one since plastic will take up odor which…doesn’t assist your trigger) within the fridge for as much as to 10 days. {A partially} used onion might be wrapped in plastic wrap and saved within the fridge as effectively.
• To Freeze: If you happen to’re going to be cooking the onions the place texture doesn’t matter as a lot because you received’t be consuming them uncooked, it’s also possible to freeze chopped onions for simple use. Simply toss them in a freezer bag and so they’ll final 3-6 months!
• BONUS! To Pickle: We looooove pickled onions (see these bowls and these tacos). Simply switch your onion slices to a jar, fill the jar half to three-fourths of the way in which with vinegar and the remainder of the way in which with water. Add 1 tsp. of salt and 1 tbsp. of sugar. Shake a couple of occasions and set within the fridge.

A Few Of Our Favourite Recipes with Onions