Techniques
Knife Skills
Skill
Beginner
3 min

How to dice onion into small, medium, and large sizes by changing slice thickness

Control dice size by cutting the onion into thicker slices, then turning and slicing again before separating the layers.

For small dice, cut thick slices about 0.5 cm, turn the angle and slice again, then run fingers through to separate into dice. For medium dice, use thicker slices (about 1.5 cm). For large dice, cut the half onion into three with two incisions, then change angle and make two more incisions, then separate.

The short version

  • Dice size comes from cut spacing (0.5 cm small; ~1.5 cm medium; larger cuts for large dice)
  • Separate layers by running fingers through

What you need

  • knife
  • cutting board

How to do it

  1. 1

    For small dice: cut the onion into thick slices about 0.5 cm.

    Keep slices even for uniform dice.

    Watch this step
  2. 2

    Turn the angle and slice again, then run your fingers through to release/separate the layers into small dice.

    Separating layers finishes the dice.

    Watch this step
  3. 3

    For medium dice: use thicker slices (about 1.5 cm), then proceed similarly (turn, slice, separate).

    Thicker spacing = larger dice.

    Watch this step
  4. 4

    For large dice: cut the half onion into three (two incisions), then change angle and make two more incisions; run fingers through to separate.

    Keep cuts deliberate and even.

    Watch this step

What goes wrong

Uneven dice sizes

Keep slice thickness consistent before turning and cutting again

Why it works

Dice size is primarily determined by the spacing of your cuts; separating the layers (“petals”) yields the final dice pieces.

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