Animated Recipe: How To Dice an Onion
Our GIF guide to perfecting your chopping skills
If you don’t know your slicing from dicing and get a little nervous in the kitchen, don’t worry. Here is a step-by-step guide to dicing an onion—resulting in even pieces every time, though we can’t guarantee this will be a tear-free experience. This technique also works well for garlic and tomatoes.
Here are the most common dices, along with the size you should aim for:
Small: ¼ inch
Medium: ½ inch
Large: ¾ inch
Cut the top (not the root end) off the onion.
Place onion, cut side down, on cutting board and slice in half. Remove skin from both halves.
Depending on the size of your dice, make one or more horizontal cuts into the onion, stopping short of the root. This will help keep the vegetable together.
Make vertical cuts in the onion, evenly spaced, also making sure to not cut through the root.
Finally, make cuts in the opposite direction to complete the dice.
Chef Nikki is the founder of Mostly Vegan, a health food consultancy based in NYC. Previously, she was the executive chef at the acclaimed raw vegan restaurant Pure Food and Wine. You can find her at mostlyvegan.com, on Instagram at @mostlyvegan or contact her via email at nikki[at]mostlyvegan[dot]com
