What’s The Best Way To Chop Onions In A Food Processor?

Chopping onions by hand can be time-consuming, especially if you are also chopping other vegetables. Maybe you have heard that you shouldn't put onions in a food processor, or that you need to be careful when you do. You want to be sure to have food that looks and tastes good but doesn't take you all day to prepare. We've searched the web for the best practices for chopping onions in a food processor.

Peel and quarter the onion. Place the S-blade in your food processor. Latch the container into place and put the lid on top. Use the pulse button up to 7 times to get to your desired size. Do not over-blend or pulse because it causes the onions to taste bitter and have off-flavors. 

Now you know the best way to prepare raw onions to be cut and processed. It's important not to turn the food processor on an automatic setting because it will cause off-flavors in your final dish. This may also cause the food to spoil more quickly. You might be wondering if you can dice, chop, or grate onions in a food processor. You might also wonder if there is a way to chop onions without crying. We will answer all of those questions, so keep reading to learn more.

What's The Best Way To Chop Onions In A Food Processor?

Onions have a lot of water content. As onions are chopped smaller, more water is exposed and oxidizes. This causes off-flavors up to a half-hour after chopping them. To avoid creating off-flavors in your onions, you must use the pulse button no more than 7 times. You should peel and quarter the onion before placing it in the food processor with an S-blade.

If you're more of a visual learner, this video should help you out:

The S-blade is the best option for processing food. Your food processor will have at least one S-blade attachment. It can be made of plastic or metal. You don't want to make onion juice, so it's vital that you use the pulse option on your food processor.

In need of a food processor? This one by Hamilton Beach is an excellent option:

Click here to buy this 10-cup food processor on Amazon. 

Can You Dice In A Food Processor?

Food processors can chop, but they cannot dice. Dicing creates uniform tiny squares of vegetables, which can provide a more beautiful presentation of your final dish. Food processors can cut things into various size pieces, but it does not cut them evenly.

Onions are even more difficult to dice because they have different layers. If you need diced vegetables, the best way is to use a knife or a mandolin.

For more information, check out this post: Can You Dice Vegetables In A Food Processor?

Can You Grate An Onion Using A Food Processor?

You can use a food processor grating attachment to grate onions or other foods. The attachment works like a cheese grater, where you will push and scrape the food against the attachment to grate the onion. The grated vegetables will fall into the food processor bowl. You do not turn the power on to the food processor machine. Alternatively, you can use a cheese grater for grating onions or other vegetables.

Can You Chop Onions In A Blender?

You can use a blender in the same way that you use a food processor to chop onions. The container for the blender is more narrow and has smaller blades than a food processor. You should cut the onion into quarters or eighths before placing them in the blender. Then, you will pulse up to 7 times or when the onion is chopped to your desired size.

Check out this video to see how you can chop onions with the help of a blender:

How Do You Chop An Onion Without Crying?

There are several folklore ways to prevent crying while cutting onions. There are some tried and true methods that will release less of the crying chemical or protect your eyes while you are cutting. You can chill the onions for a half-hour in the fridge before you start cutting. Alternatively, you can give the onions an ice bath. You can also cut the onion directly in cold water, but that might be strange and difficult.

According to Martha Stewart, the one way to absolutely cut onions without crying is to be near an open flame. You may use a candle flame, the flame from a stove, or a match. You might also place a fan nearby to blow air with the crying chemical away from your eyes.

Lastly, you can simply wear a pair of onion goggles that will protect your eyes and prevent you from crying. Sound silly? Don't knock it until you try it!

Click here to see these "No Cry" onion goggles at Amazon.

What Is The Best Knife For Chopping Onions?

An 8- to 10-inch chef's knife is the best option for chopping onions by hand. It has a large blade that is ideal for chopping, dicing, and cutting into small pieces. Before getting started, you should learn the correct way to hold and chop the chef's knife for the most efficiency. For more information, check out this post, What Knife Is Best For Cutting Onions?

Wusthof Classic 8-Inch Chef's Knife

Click here to buy this chef's knife on Amazon. 

Can You Chop Onions With A Vegetable Chopper?

Vegetable choppers are very convenient kitchen devices that can cut down the amount of time you spend cutting veggies by hand. A veggie chopper is perfect for creating perfect diced vegetables that are uniform in size.

There are some small choppers and larger choppers available, depending on the portion sizes you need. There are also different attachments for the chopper to match the size and shape you want your veggies to be cut into.

There are two kinds of choppers that you can purchase. One is manual and requires you to push the vegetables through the attachment to chop or dice. The other is electric and is basically a smaller food processor. Just like food processors, they can be used to chop, but are not ideal for dicing or mincing. Here are a couple of our favorite food choppers:

Mueller Chopper 4 Blade Pro Series

Click here to see this chopper on Amazon. 

Black + Decker 1.5 Cup Food Chopper

Click here to see this chopper on Amazon. 

What Is The Best Way To Store A Cut Onion?

The best way to store cut onions is in an airtight container. There are some false claims that onions are bacteria magnets when they are cut. This is not true. This ties in with another myth that putting an onion in your fridge will absorb all of the toxins. These myths are not true. It is still a good idea to use an airtight container to prevent spoilage.

For more guidance, check out this post: What’s The Best Way To Store A Cut Onion?

In Closing

You can chop onions in a food processor, but the pieces will not be uniform in size. You must use the pulse setting to avoid overprocessed onions that will produce an off-flavor. You should pulse no more than 7 times to avoid making off-flavors. A good alternative to a food processor is a vegetable chopper for cutting onions. If you are planning on cutting most of your vegetables by hand, then you should invest in a good chef's knife.