How to Cut Green Onions

Learning How to Cut Green Onions is a quick and easy way to add the bright crunch of fresh scallions to any recipe! From washing to trimming to slicing, you can make the most of every part of this delicious vegetable in no time at all. Green onions serve as the perfect addition to tons of dishes, and will quickly become one of your favorite kitchen staples.

Despite their humble appearance, green onions – also sometimes referred to as scallions – are SO much more than just an ordinary garnish. 

This inexpensive member of the allium family is extremely versatile, and can add both a bright pop of color and a sharp, peppery freshness to an endless variety of dishes.

What’s more, the entire plant is fully edible. But the two main parts of a green onion can be easily broken down to the green and white sections, which each have their own characteristics. 

Closer to the tip of the plant, the thin, hollow tubes of the greens have a more fresh, mild onion flavor. They’re perfect for slicing thin and using as a fresh garnish, or for mixing into dishes to bring a delicate crunch to every bite.

The denser white portions down toward the roots, however, are much more pungent and similar to regular raw onion in flavor. These usually need to be cooked down slightly, either in a quick sauté or tossed in a soup, to take off their edge.

It’s incredibly easy to master this simple technique for preparing green onions – as well as How to Store Green Onions, How to Freeze Green Onions, and the valuable differences between Green Onions vs. Chives vs. Shallots. With this information, you can make these a beloved kitchen staple all year-round!

How to Cut Green Onions

The basic steps for cutting Green Onions are simple to follow:

Rinse and Remove

Green onions should be rinsed and gently scrubbed with the tips of your fingers to ensure any lingering surface dirt is washed away. 

Running water also helps with removing any thin, loose layers of the onions which may have gone soft or slimy toward the root end. This is very common, occurring naturally as a side effect of the harvesting and shipping process in store-bought scallions, and doesn’t indicate any spoilage of the main vegetable.

Likewise, unless the onions are extremely fresh, the more beaten up outermost layer of onion will most likely have to be pulled off and discarded. This should be taken into account when buying them, to ensure that enough are bought to be used in their intended recipe.

Cut the Ends

Every part of the scallion, besides the very tip of the root end, is good for cooking. This too is safe to eat, but not very appetizing – so the first step to cutting them is to remove these roots. 

With one hand, gather together the green onions in a bunch on the cutting board, held together steadily in an even line with all the roots lined up.

Using a sharp chef’s knife, cut straight through the bottom of the onions crosswise, trimming away roughly ½-inch of the white portion along with the roots. This ensures the tougher bulb portion is cut away as well.

At the other end, roughly ¼ inch of the green stalks – or however much has a broken, beaten, or otherwise worn-down appearance – should be trimmed away, too. This will leave nothing but the fresh, crisp whites and greens of the onions behind.

Slice in Half

For easier use, it is best to cut the onions in half crosswise before slicing, to separate the whites from the greens. 

It is easy to tell where the whites meet the greens, as the color takes a distinct turn toward a lighter green and the texture goes from thin and tubey to solid and firm. This is also the point where the solid base of the onion splits off into its multiple stalks.

Cut the Green

Ensure the knife is sharp before slicing, as it will allow for much smoother cuts and prevent the onions from crushing or bruising under any dull pressure. Gather the greens evenly together in one hand again, and with the other, guide the knife in a smooth, circular chopping motion to slice them.

The thin, delicate green stems of the scallions can be sliced as thick or thin as you like, depending on preference and what their use will be. They can be cut straight across, or in longer pieces on the diagonal, or at a bias, for a prettier presentation.

Recipes will usually indicate what to do, but more fine slicing may be desired for uses like garnishing, whereas thicker cuts are ideal for mixing into dishes like stir fries, for flavor and crunch.

Chop the White

Gather together the whites of the onions in one hand as well, if using them, and slice them in exactly the same way. It is recommended to slice the whites of the scallions thinly, as their flavor is much more intense and it will allow for easier cooking later.

While the whites are perfectly safe to be eaten raw alongside the greens as well, be aware that their taste can easily overpower dishes in their uncooked form. So it’s recommended to cook these up for the most satisfying results.

Meal Prep and Storage

• To Prep-Ahead: Whole green onions can be washed and trimmed of old leaves ahead of slicing, and when properly stored, can keep in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks.
• To Store: Sliced green onions, when stored in an airtight container – ideally, separated by whites and greens – can keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. For more information, see How to Store Green Onions. Root ends can also be wrapped in damp paper towels in the fridge, to save for replanting.
• To Freeze: Either whole or sliced green onions may be frozen easily. They should be washed and left to dry completely before freezing, as excess water can cause freezer burn. Stored in an airtight container or freezer bag, they can keep in the freezer for up to 3-4 months. For more information, see How to Freeze Green Onions.

FAQs

Expert Tips and Tricks

• Let it grow. Don’t discard the roots – if left with at least 1-1½ inches of stalk left above the bulb, they can be germinated and planted to grow a fresh batch of green onions.
• Stay sharp. Especially because of their delicate nature, a very sharp knife should be used when slicing green onions, to prevent bruising.
• Work in bulk. To save time, hold green onions together in a bunch in one hand while slicing with the other, instead of slicing them one at a time.
• Look for deals. Green onions are very inexpensive, but turn to places like your local Asian grocers for particularly good deals on green onions sold in bulk. 
• Purchase wisely. When buying from the grocery store, keep an eye out for green onions that are fresh, crisp to the touch, and unbroken – limp stalks indicates a lack of freshness.

Recipes that Use Green Onions

Enjoy the amazing versatility of sliced scallions in both their raw and cooked forms across a wide variety of dishes:

• Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Egg Roll in a Bowl
• P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Green onions also serve as a very popular addition or garnish in dishes like potato salad, Japanese ramen, Vietnamese phở, and even delicious scallion pancakes!