You've Been Dicing Onions Wrong All Along (Here's A Better Way)

I have a confession to make: I cut onions wrong. I spent ages following the curve of the veg with no formal instruction on how to otherwise accomplish the task, and by the time professionals taught me the proper technique, bad habits had already set in and became tough to break. One person who knows how to do it right is Shanna Jantz Kemp, a knifemaking pro at knifemaking.com. She was happy to share the correct method with The Takeout so we could pass it along to anyone who may not know a better way.

I began cutting onions at an angle years ago, primarily because it felt more intuitive and quicker. Yet it never fails that my portions aren't the same size with this approach. "When you angle the knife along the curve of the onion, you end up with uneven shapes because the layers are all different lengths," says Kemp. "It can feel faster, but you trade speed for consistency."

Following the correct technique takes some practice, but constant repetition is one of the best ways to improve your knife skills. "Cutting the onion in half through the root gives you stability, which is half the battle. The key is making vertical cuts toward the root without slicing all the way through," explains Kemp. "That root acts like a handle, keeping the layers aligned. Once those cuts are in place, slicing straight across does the work for you."

If you're like me and your onion-cutting skills aren't up to snuff, don't feel bad. You're not alone, and at the end of the day, slicing the veg at an angle can work with certain recipes, according to Shanna Jantz Kemp. "For home cooks who just need chopped onion for a stew or sauce, that angled method can be perfectly fine," she says. "Cutting an onion against the grain is great when you want softer pieces or more pronounced flavor, but it is not a shortcut to a clean dice."

Still, many dishes require vegetables and other ingredients to cook consistently. That can happen when your onion pieces are all the same size, which can be accomplished by mastering the proper slicing technique. "A true dice relies on straight, predictable cuts across the layers," notes Kemp. "Angled cuts follow the onion's shape, not the end result you are aiming for. That is why chefs still stick to the traditional method."

Making sure your knife isn't dull is crucial to accurate cuts, but aside from that, it's all about practicing the routine over and over until you get it down. And don't be surprised if it feels awkward and sluggish at first. "It looks slower, but once you learn it, it is actually quicker and far more dependable," shares Kemp. Once you've become proficient, it's then time to read up on the latest research on how to cut onions without crying.