How to Properly Dice an Onion

One of the most important cooking skills is knowing how to properly dice an onion.  Whether you're starting a saute, cutting onions for a salad or for chili, onions add immense flavor and nutrition to all different types of cuisines.  If you want to succeed in the kitchen, knowing how to cut an onion is a must.  Learn how in less than 3 minutes in the below video or scroll down for written instructions.  Then complete our Take Control Now onion challenge and let us know how it goes by commenting below. 

How to Properly Dice an Onion

1.  Cut off the papery end of the onion.  This is the end that grows upward, out of the soil, when growing in the garden.  This is the "northern" tip of the onion.

2.  Cut the onion in half from north to south.

3.  Remove the papery, non-edible skin from both halves.

4. Starting on the western side of the onion, make a cut from the root end toward the equator, being sure not to cut completely through the root or southern end of the onion.  Doing so will keep the onion together while cutting, making it a lot easier to complete your dice cuts. Continue to make parallel, equal distant cuts, cutting south to north.

5.   Make equal distant, horizontal cuts from the equator towards the root, using your thumb and pointer finger to hold and secure the onion on the top of the onion, above your knife.  These cuts are perpendicular to the first cuts made in step 4.

6.  Now make equal distant cuts parallel to the equator.  Move from the equator toward the root or southern end.  Now, equal sized dices of onion should fall onto the cutting board, ready to be used.

** It's much easier to understand if you watch the video above :)

Take Control Now Onion Challenege

Dice every onion you need to prepare this week by using this method.  It takes practice.  Then let us know your thoughts by clicking comment below.  Share insights or questions.  We'll answer :)