Introduction
Dicing an onion can be a little intimidating at first (especially if you’re me), but as it turns out, it’s actually very easy.
If you’ve got some time on your hands (and an onion laying around) and want to learn how to dice an onion like a pro, then this guide is for you! So grab your favorite onion and lets jump right in!
1. First, place your onion on the cutting board and get your knife ready.
2. With the root of the onion facing the palm of your hand, cut the top portion of the onion off.
3. Now flip the onion upside down, with the root facing up, and the cut side down.
4. Next, you’re going to cut the onion in half, from the top down.
5. Then, peel off the outer layers.
6. Peel them back, but without tearing them off.
7. Now that the outer layer is all peeled back, wrap your index and thumb around where the layers meet the root, twist and remove.
8. Lay the half of the onion on its big cut side, and lay your knife down, with the blade facing the little cut side.
9. Hold your knife up off the cutting board, about 1/4″-1/2″ up. Get it as parallel (level) to the cutting board as possible. It’s time to make some horizontal (level) cuts.
10. Slice into the onion gently, making a horizontal (level) cut almost all the way through (stop before you get to the root, or you’ll cut your hand.)
11. You can hold the onion down with your palm and use your fingers to gently apply pressure to the back of the knife to help make your horizontal (level) cut. Do this 2-3 times, each time making a horizontal (level) cut about 1/4″-1/2″ above the last one. Remember to be careful! Knives are sharp.
12. The horizontal (level) cuts in the onion should look like this. If they don’t, you did it wrong.
13. Now it’s time to make our vertical (but not really) cuts.
14. When cutting against the rounded edges of the onion, you want to try and angle them inward a little, to match the contour of the onion.
15. Keep going, you’re doing great!
16. Continue making vertical (but not really) cuts every 1/4″-1/2″ after the last, adjusting your angle closer to vertical as you move towards the center of the onion.
17. Once you reach the middle, you should be cutting straight down (actually vertical), then start angling your cuts again as you move towards the end of the onion.
18. Keep cutting down, and slightly angled inward.
19. Last cut! Make sure it’s a good one!
20. After you’ve made your horizontal (level) and vertical (sort of) cuts, your onion should look like the one in the picture above. If it doesn’t look like the one in the picture, you did it wrong.
21. Okay, it’s time make the last cuts: the cross cuts! Hold your knife across the onion, about a 1/4″-1/2″ back from the cut face. Make sure you have your fingers curled back from the blade, using your knuckles as a guide.
22. Start Slicing!
23. Continue making cross cuts every 1/4″-1/2″ and working your way back to the root.
24. Keep going, you’re doing great!
25. Uh oh, looks like we’ve ran out of onion to cut… which is good! Now take the other half of the onion and repeat steps 4-24, if desired.
26. Congratulations! You’ve successfully diced (half) an onion.
The Private Chef 