How to Chop an Onion Quickly

Chop onions like a professional chef.

Most recipes for soups or stews call for chopped onions in large amounts. Many people use a paring knife to cut slices in an onion, then cut each slice into smaller pieces. Professional chefs and other kitchen workers know that the secret to quickly chopping many uniform onion cubes is in the slicing technique. Chop your onions like a pro and you'll be done in a fraction of the time.

Things You'll Need

• Onion
• Sharp kitchen knife
• Cutting board

Instructions

1. Lay the onion on the cutting board with the root side facing out. Cut a small slice off of the root end. Cut a small slice from the stem end. You now have an onion with a flat top and bottom. Remove the onion skin.

2. Lay the onion on the cutting board with one of the flat sides down. Make a series of slices through the top half of the onion. Cut halfway through the onion, about 1/2 inch in from the right side. Make another slice parallel to the first slice, about 1/2 inch farther toward the center. Continue making slices in this manner until the surface of the onion is covered in slice lines.

3. Give the onion a 1/4 turn. The slice lines that were vertical will now be horizontal. Make another series of slices down through the onion toward the center. This set of slices will be vertical on the newly positioned onion, making a grid design on the onion surface. Continue cutting new slices until the surface of the onion is covered in grid slices.

4. Tip the onion over so the the round side is on the cutting board and the flat end that you sliced is aimed toward your right hand. Hold the bottom half of the onion with your left hand. Position the knife over the right end of the onion, 1/2 inch in from the end. Slice off the end of the onion. The already-scored bits will fall away, creating perfect onion cubes.

5. Make another slice in the same end of the onion, 1/2 inch in from the original slice. Continue slicing the onion until you reach the part where the grid hasn't reached yet.

6. Turn the onion back so that the flat center is on the cutting board. Cut another series of slices on the other half of the onion, both across and up & down, then turn and slice these cubes onto the cutting board. Finish the onion by cubing the center slice that is left.

References

• Mediterrasian.com