Onion slices rewards a little know-how: how to choose them, cook them, store them, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 10 recipes to cook with them.

What are onion slices?

Onion slices are simply a fresh onion cut crosswise into rings or half-moons. This is a cutting form rather than a separate ingredient, so when a recipe lists onion slices it is telling you the shape it wants, not a special product to buy.

The cut matters because shape changes how the onion behaves. Rings hold together for grilling, frying, and layering, while thinner slices wilt fast into a pan or melt into a sandwich.

For a primer on onion types and basic knife work, lean on the onions hub. This page is about what the sliced form does best.

How to Use Onion Slices

Thick rings, around 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch, are the move when you want the onion to stay intact. They hold their shape on the grill, under a broiler, on top of a pizza, or battered as onion rings.

Layered raw, slices add crunch and sharp bite to burgers and sandwiches, the way they finish a Boboli Four Cheese White Pizza.

Thin slices are for cooking down. They soften and sweeten quickly when sauteed, and they slip into braises and bakes such as this Baked Red Snapper Italian Style or a simmered Grandma's Sweet & Sour Chicken.

To slice cleanly, halve the onion pole to pole, set the flat side down, then cut. Slicing with the grain (pole to pole) holds up better in long cooking; slicing across the grain breaks down faster and is better for quick saute.

Pairing and What Goes Wrong

Raw slices are sharp, so soak them in cold water for 10 minutes to tame the bite for salads and sandwiches. The common mistake is cutting slices too thin for the grill, where they fall through the grates and burn.

Match thickness to the job: thick to hold, thin to melt.

Buying and Storing

Slice from any fresh onion as needed; there is no separate sliced product worth buying except pre-cut packs sold for convenience. Choose firm, heavy bulbs with dry, papery skin and no soft spots.

Whole onions keep for weeks in a cool, dark, ventilated spot. Once you have sliced one, the cut surface dries and the smell spreads, so wrap leftovers airtight and refrigerate them for three to five days.

A cut onion in the fridge will perfume nearby butter and dairy, so seal it well.

Quick facts

In Chinese

洋葱片

British (UK) term

Onion slices

en français

tranches d'oignon

en español

rodajas de cebolla

Recipes using onion slices

There are 10 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 10 recipes