How To {Quickly} Dice an Onion

 

Did you know there's a relatively quick and easy way to chop an onion?  It's all about how you slice it...

You may have to chop a few onions to get into your slicing groove, but once you've got the hang of it, you won't believe how quickly you can dice them up!

The first order of business: onion anatomy.   This is the "root" end. 

And this is the "tip" end...the green shoots grow out of this end when the onion is underground.

First step: halve the onion from root to tip.

Like so.

Peel off the outer papery layer of skin.

Begin slicing the onion from the root to the tip end.   Do not cut all the way through on the root end.  Leave yourself about 1/2 inch or more. The root end serves as an extra "hand" for you, holding the onion together until you're ready to dice it.

Keep slicing....

Now, make horizontal slices into the onion.  I usually start at the bottom of the onion and work my way up with about 3 or 4 horizontal slices.  Again:  DO NOT SLICE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE ONION ON THE BACK SIDE.  

Now cut horizontally across the onion.  And voila.  You have an even-sized dice.  This is important because when food is cut into an identical size, it cooks evenly.  Also, it look pretty.  :)

I hope this is helpful to you!