How To Cut Onion Petals

Making onion petals is pretty much my favorite way to slice an onion because it's so easy to get uniform shapes and sizes. These are great for roasting (like in Roasted Mixed Vegetables), caramelizing (like in my Creamy Potato & Caramelized Onion Soup), or frying.

Recommended Equipment

• Chef's knife or other large, sharp knife.
  • Use a sharp knife that has been properly maintained. A sharper knife results in a cleaner cut, which means no tears when you're cutting an onion.
  • If you don't have a chef's knife, a knife with longer blade, such as a utility knife, would work.
• Cutting board. Almost any cutting board will do, but don't use glass or stone because those will dull your knives. love Boos boards and the Epicurean cutting boards.

Steps and Tips for Slicing Onion Petals

Step 1: Peel the onion

Peel the onion first so you don't have to deal with pesky skin while you're cutting it.

Step 2: Cut off the non-root end

Cutting off the root end makes a flat surface so the onion isn't rolling around while you're trying to cut it, but it also holds things together while you make the other cuts in the next step.

The non-root end is the one that doesn't look hairy. (Someone commented on this post a while back suggesting it was icky to call it the hairy or non-hairy end and I should instead call it the root end. While it is the root end, not everyone knows that, and "hairy" or "non-hairy" is the best way I can think of to describe.)

Step 3: Cut off the four sides around the root end

Place the onion with the flat side you made on the cutting board and the root end (hairy end) up. Cut each side off like you're cutting around the core of an apple. Set aside or discard the "core." Tip: Save the any scraps and freeze them to make stock later on. I keep a gallon bag in my freezer all the time for saving up veggie scraps.

Steps 4 and 5: Slice the four segments into petals and pull apart the layers

Set the segments onto the cutting board with the flat side down and slice into petal sized pieces. Cut in the same direction as the "lines" on the onion. The pieces should be sized as evenly as possible so that they will all take about the same amount of time to cook. Then pull apart the layers of the onion and you have petals!

How to Cut Onion Petals

Step-by-step instructions for slicing an onion into petals in five quick and easy steps!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Servings 1 onion

Diet Vegetarian

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• Chef's knife or other long, sharp knife
• Cutting board

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 onion

Instructions

 

• Peel the onion.
• Cut off the non-root end (the end that doesn't look "hairy").
• Place the onion with the cut side against the cutting board. Cut off all four sides around the center like you're cutting around the core of an apple.
• Slice the four cut segments into petals. Slice in the same direction as the "lines" on the onion. The pieces should be sized as evenly as possible so that they will all take about the same amount of time to cook.
• Pull apart the onion layers. Now you have onion petals!

Notes

Tip: Use your sharpest kitchen knife to avoid tears!