Kitchen Basics: Cutting Onions (Without the Tears)
Every great dish starts with the right cut — and the humble onion is where it all begins.
In this quick guide, I’m showing you the main onion cuts I use every week and (more importantly) when I use each one, so your prep makes sense and your food cooks the way you want.
And before we even start… here’s the golden rule:
Sharp knife first. Always.
A blunt knife is more dangerous (because it slips), and it also crushes the onion as it cuts — which is exactly what brings the tears on faster. Let’s not do that.
The 3 onion cuts you’ll use forever
1) Fine dice (small, neat)
Best for: sauces (hello Diane), bruschetta, soup bases, flavouring mince, anything where you want the onion to “melt in”.
Why it works: smaller pieces cook quicker and disappear into the dish, giving you flavour without big chunks.
2) Chunky dice (hearty, rustic)
Best for: casseroles, curries, tray bakes, slow cooks.
Why it works: bigger pieces hold their shape longer and give you that proper homestyle bite.
3) Slices (strips or rings)
Best for:
- Asian-style strips for stir-fries
- BBQ rounds / rings for burgers and grilling
- Caramelised onions (even slices = even colour)
- Onion rings (clean, consistent rings)
Why it works: slicing controls how the onion softens, browns, and holds together.
My simple setup (so the onion doesn’t roll around)
- Trim the top, keep the root end until you’re finished (it’s your “handle”).
- Cut the onion pole-to-pole (through the root) to halve it.
- Peel it, then place it flat-side down — stable board = safer hands.
Chef’s tricks to cut faster, safer, and with fewer tears
- Use a sharp knife. (Worth repeating!)
- Flat side down at all times — no wobbly onion.
- Claw grip with your guiding hand (knuckles forward, fingertips tucked).
- Don’t chop the root off early — it holds the onion together while you dice.
- If onions make you cry: chill them 10–15 minutes first, and keep your cuts clean and confident.
- Stabilise your board: damp tea towel underneath = no slip.
Quick “what to use when” cheat sheet
- Fine dice = disappears into sauces/soups
- Chunky dice = hearty, stays visible in slow dishes
- Strips = stir-fries, quick cooks
- Rings/rounds = BBQ, burgers, onion rings
- Even slices = caramelised onions that cook uniformly
Final word from Chef Ian
“A sharp knife and a steady hand — that’s all you need to turn a simple onion into the start of something special.”
Chef Ian
