Dice an Onion
Dicing an onion, or finely chopping it into small pieces, is a basic cooking skill you'll see in many recipes. Use a sharp knife and a good cutting board to make sure the onion doesn't slip. Read on for a quick, effective dicing technique.
Contents
Steps
- Cut off the ends with a sharp chef's knife. Don't cut too much; just remove the dry part of the tip and root.
- Put the onion cut-side down on the cutting board.
- Cut the onion in half lengthwise.
- Peel off the skin. If the first layer of onion is slimy or dry, remove that as well.
- Place an onion half face down with the root end facing away from you.
- Make vertical cuts. Cut finely spaced vertical stripes into onion, top to bottom, making sure not to cut all the way through the root. You want to leave a section of the root intact, to hold the onion together.
- Turn the onion half 90 degrees.
- Cut across the onion half, top to bottom, working your way from right to left.
- Behold! Diced onion. Now do the same to the other half.
- Finished.
Tips
- A sharp knife is essential.
- Practice on large onions.
- Do not use a steak/serrated knife.
Warnings
- Always make sure that your knife is as sharp as possible. Most accidents are a result of a blunt blade!
