How do you grate onions without a grater?

Onions are a versatile vegetable used in many recipes. Whether you’re making salsa, guacamole, salads, soups, or sauces, grated or chopped onions add great flavor. But what if you don’t have a grater handy? Don’t worry, there are several ways to finely chop onions without needing any special tools.

Using a Knife

The most basic way to grate an onion without a grater is to use a sharp knife. Here’s how:

1. Peel and halve the onion. Lay each half flat side down on a cutting board.
2. Make horizontal slices across the onion about 1/4-inch thick. Be sure to cut all the way from one side to the other without going through the root end.
3. Make several vertical slices across the horizontal slices. Again, be careful not to cut all the way through the root end.
4. Rotate the onion 90 degrees and repeat steps 2-3, making crisscrossing cuts.
5. Chop up the grated onion pieces more finely if desired.

Cutting the onion this way allows you to finely mince it while keeping the slices attached at the root end. This technique prevents the onion from falling apart into large chunks while chopping.

Using a Mandoline

A mandoline slicer is a handy kitchen tool with adjustable blades to make perfect slices and shreds. If you have one available, it can quickly grate onions:

1. Adjust the mandoline blade to the finest shred setting.
2. Trim off the stem and root ends of the onion.
3. Run the onion up and down over the mandoline blade to shred into fine pieces.

Be sure to use the guard handle and watch your fingers when using a mandoline. The ultra-sharp adjustable blades can cause nasty cuts if you’re not careful.

With a Box Grater

Turn the box grater you use for cheese into an onion grater! Here’s how to grate onions on a box grater:

1. Peel the onion and trim off the stem and root ends.
2. Cut the onion crosswise into quarters or eighths to make thin slices.
3. Holding the onion firmly, rub the slices over the small holes on the box grater.

Keep your fingers clear of the grater blades. You may also want to place a bowl under the grater to catch the onion as it comes out.

Using a Food Processor

A food processor is ideal for quickly chopping onions into a fine texture. Here’s what to do:

1. Peel and quarter the onion, removing the stem and root ends.
2. Place the onion quarters in the bowl of a food processor.
3. Pulse 5-10 times until the onion is finely minced to your desired texture.

Be careful not to overprocess or the onions will get mushy. Check frequently and stop pulsing as soon as you have evenly minced grated onion.

With a Blender

While blenders are great for making smooth purees, you can also use them to finely grate onions. Follow these steps:

1. Peel the onion and cut into 1-2 inch chunks.
2. Place the onion chunks in the blender.
3. Pulse the blender 5-10 times until the onion is finely minced.

Be sure not to blend too long or the onions will get mushy. Check often and stop blending as soon as the onion reaches your desired minced texture.

Using a Microplane

A Microplane is a long, thin rasp grater that excels at finely zesting citrus fruits and grating hard cheeses. But it’s also handy for grating onions:

1. Trim off the stem and root ends of the onion.
2. Rub the onion up and down over the tiny razor-sharp holes of the Microplane.

Apply light pressure and use quick, short strokes to finely grate the onion. The razor-sharp teeth on the Microplane make quick work of producing perfectly minced onions.

With a Cheesecloth

Here’s a creative way to finely grate an onion using just a cheesecloth and your hands:

1. Peel the onion half and place on a clean cheesecloth.
2. Gather up the edges of the cheesecloth to encase the onion.
3. Gently rub the onion around inside the cheesecloth until grated to your desired texture.

The woven fabric helps mince the onion while keeping it contained. Open up the cheesecloth over a bowl to catch the gratings.

Using a Salad Spinner

A salad spinner can double as an onion shredder in a pinch. Here’s what to do:

1. Peel the onion half and cut into quarters or eighths.
2. Place the onion chunks in the salad spinner basket.
3. Put on the lid and spin until the onions shred against the edges.

Check frequently so you don’t over-process. The salad spinner grates the onion with friction and centrifugal force.

With a Coffee/Spice Grinder

Small electric coffee grinders and spice mills make easy work of chopping onions. Follow these steps:

1. Peel the onion and cut into 1-2 inch pieces.
2. Place the onion in the coffee grinder. Use about 1 cup at a time for even chopping.
3. Pulse 5-10 times until the onion reaches your desired finely minced texture.

Be careful not to over-grind into a paste. Check often and remove minced onion from the grinder bowl promptly.

Using a Meat Tenderizer

Here’s a way to use a meat tenderizer as an onion grater:

1. Peel the onion half and place on a sturdy cutting board.
2. Use the textured side of a metal meat tenderizer tool to smash the onion thoroughly.
3. Scrape up the grated onion and mince more finely if desired.

The sharp projecting points on the meat tenderizer break down the onion cell walls to shred and mince it. This works best with raw tenderizer tools, not rubber mallets.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many ways to finely grate an onion without needing a box grater or rasp tool specifically for that purpose. A sharp knife and some elbow grease will get the job done, but tools like food processors, mandolines, and Microplanes can make grating onions much easier. Whatever method you choose, be sure to watch your fingers around sharp blades. Now you know how to quickly and easily mince onions for any recipe.