10 Minute Mexican Rice

Chopping an Onion 101

The humble onion can seem to be a bit tricky to master when it comes to preparation, but learning the correct way to cut one can be achieved by following a few simple and effective tips. Chopping an onion is one of the most important cooking skills to learn because a variety of recipes call for them.  

First things first, make sure you choose a good onion to chop. Choose one that is firm and unblemished. Look for onions that have tight, dry skins. Then you need to peel your onion. To peel an onion, start by slicing about a 1/2 inch off the top/ends of the onion, then remove any papery skins. There will usually be a couple of layers of this to peel off. Then, grab your cutting board and a sharp knife and slice about 1/2 inch off the end/root of the onion; cut the onion in half, then lay the flat side on the cutting board. 

Cut in one direction in whatever size pieces you want. 3/4 inch is a good standard size for a recipe that doesn’t specify.

Then moving in the other direction, cut again in 3/4 inch slices.

Tips to Cut Onions without Tears

Most of us know that cutting onions usually leads to eyes that burn and water. This happens because onions release an irritant that affects your eyes. Here are a few tips that can help you get through the process without shedding any tears:

One of the main ways to avoid crying is to keep the cut ends of an onion facing away from you. 

Using a properly sharpened knife will cut into the onion better and cause less of that chemical irritant to be released. 

Don’t touch your eyes or your face directly after chopping onions. Make sure you thoroughly wash your hands.

As soon as you’re done cutting, set the onions away from you until you need to add them to your dish.

Chilled onions will usually be less of a problem. So let the onion sit in the refrigerator for a bit before cutting.