This Easy Trick Will Help You Peel an Onion in Seconds

Onions add amazing flavor to meals, but they can be a hassle to prepare. Even before they get the chance to make us cry, peeling off the papery outer layers might make you wonder if you really need them in your dish. That is, unless you use this super-quick hack for making those peels slide off effortlessly. 

The trick can also come in handy if you’re looking for a way to let go of a little frustration (perhaps caused by fighting with your onion). Apparently, all you need to do is give it a good whack!  

Take a look at the video to see what we mean: 

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Basically, slicing an onion in half and bashing it with your fist will crack it and loosen the peel so that it’s easier to remove. And it makes sense — you might already use a similar method for peeling garlic cloves, so why wouldn’t it work for larger bulbs? (Psst: If you’re using more than just a few cloves of garlic, we recommend trying Nadiya Hussain’s one-minute peeling trick.) 

I obviously had to give this a try myself and can happily report that it works! You do need to make sure the innermost layer is taken out so it can collapse into itself, but that was fine by me as I usually end up chopping that small section on its own anyway.  

Comments on the post point out that this isn’t actually a new hack — home cooks have been using it in India for years. Indian celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor even mentions it in one of his blog posts, crediting the Punjabi community for coming up with it. Or as he writes, “Punjabis are smart: All they do is take a good strong fist and smash the onion!” He also claims that using a sharp knife and not cutting off the roots of the onion can help avoid tears as you chop.  

Give this smashing trick a try the next time you’re whipping up a yummy onion-y meal!