I Tried This No-Fuss Onion-Peeling Hack and It’s the Only Method I Want to Use Now

Onions seem to find their way into almost everything I cook. I’ve been a fan of their sweet, peppery flavor ever since I can remember, and it’s stuck with me. When I was growing up, my friends and family knew the drill — if they got raw onions on their salads, they’d know who to fork them over to.

Now that my palate is a bit more refined, I’ve learned to appreciate the onion in all its forms. Pickled, caramelized, sautéed, fried — they’re the perfect addition to burgers and salads, and make great add-ins for dips, salsas, and soups. Their preparation, however, is often so bothersome (cue the tears, papery skin, and peel-resistant outer layer), I sometimes question whether it’s worth the time and effort.

As someone who appreciates any bit of kitchen wisdom, I was excited to stumble upon this fuss-free onion-peeling hack that food stylist and recipe developer Kate Ramos (@holajalapeno) shared. And, naturally, since I had an onion on hand, I had to try it out for myself.

Try the method: No-Fuss Onion-Peeling Hack

While not mentioned in the video, if you’re a crier like I am, you’ll want to first put on your onion goggles. These are perhaps my best Amazon purchase of the year.

Once your eyes are protected, turn the onion onto its side. With a sharp kitchen knife, cut slits through both the top and base of the onion (rotating on opposite sides), cutting all the way to, but not through, the outer layer. This creates two “tabs.”

Using each tab, peel back the skin to reveal the shiny inner layer. Then easily remove the rest of the skin around the onion with the path you just created.

This hack was rather straightforward, although my particular onion probably wasn’t well-suited to the cuts. I had a wider, flatter onion, which was difficult to stabilize on its side. A more spherical one, as shown in Kate’s video, would have offered greater stability on the cutting board.

Nevertheless, it worked. While not jaw-droppingly novel, I would say this is my new preferred method going forward.

Pro tip: Don’t throw those onion tops away — throw them, along with any other vegetable scraps, into a pot for some flavorful stock!