Learning how to cut green onions is an essential skill for any home chef! Luckily it’s both easy and quick and a great way to add flavor to almost any dish. I’ll also teach you how to cut the scallions on a bias for an impressive garnish.
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📋 What are Green Onions (or Scallions)?
If you’ve ever wondered what the difference was between green onions and scallions, they are actually terms used to describe the same vegetable. They are similar in flavor to onions and shallots, but are much milder in flavor.
They are from the Amaryllidaceae family and are closely related to onions, chives, leeks, and garlic. Green onions grow upwards in soft green shoots straight from the soil and typically have small white bulbs at its base.
⁉️ What You'll Need
- Sharp chef's knife - One of the most important tools in the kitchen. It may be counterintuitive, but using a small knife or a dull knife is going to make it more likely that you will cut yourself and have difficulty cutting your onions uniformly. A good chef's knife should glide through whatever you are cutting without resistance and feel comfortable in your hand.
- Cutting board - The larger the better! Using a small cutting board is going to make your workspace feel crowded and take you longer to prep.
🔪 How to Slice Green Onions
This is my standard go-to way to cut green onions. Perfect for weekly at-home dinners.
- Thoroughly wash the green onions. This is going to remove any dirt (remember they grow in soil!), organic matter, or other debris. You can also peel off any portions that look dead or unfavorable. Once washed, pat the onions dry, then cut off the roots.
- Thinly slice the green onions. Starting at the base (the white portion of the green onions), continue to cut small rings of onion until you work your way up through the green portions, all the way to the top of the onions.
🔪 How to Cut Green Onions on a Bias
This is a great cut to use when you are adding a pretty garnish to a dish and want to make it immediately look elevated!
- Thoroughly wash the green onions. This is going to remove any dirt (remember they grow in soil!), organic matter, or other debris. You can also peel off any portions that look dead or unfavorable. Once washed, pat the onions dry, then cut off the roots.
- Cut the onions on a bias. Starting at the base (the white portion of the green onions), position your knife at a 45 degree angle and begin cutting longer, narrow strips instead of small rings of onion.
❄️ How to Store Green Onions
To store whole, uncut green onions: There are a couple of ways to store green onions, but my favorite way is to store the onions upright in a glass jar, covered with a plastic bag.
To do so, fill a small, 16-ounce jar a third of the way with fresh water. Place the whole, uncut scallions in the water, bulb sides in the water. Cover with a plastic zip top bag and lightly cinch it to keep the scallions moist.
If storing for a length of time, replace the water every 3 to 4 days. When stored properly, green onions should last for up to 3 weeks.
To store cut green onions: Once cut, green onions will spoil much quicker, but can still be stored for up to 3 days. For best preservation, store cut green onions in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
🍽 How to Use/Cook Green Onions
Like regular onions, green onions are incredibly versatile and can be added to practically any savory dish. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use them:
- Sprinkle on soups like Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup or Pumpkin, Carrot, and Sweet Potato Soup.
- Add to stir frys or Better than Takeout Inspired dishes like Teriyaki Salmon Stir Fry, Air Fryer Orange Chicken or Air Fryer General Tso’s Chicken.
- Add to salads like Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad, Summer Tortellini Caprese Salad or even Kale Apple Slaw.
- Garnish casserole-style dishes like Ground Turkey Enchiladas or Wild Rice for Thanksgiving.
🔍 FAQs
Although green onions and chives look similar, they are not the same thing. Green onions are considered a vegetable whereas chives are considered an herb and chives are much smaller and thinner. Both, however, make a similar flavored garnish and can be used in very similar ways.
Both the white and green portions of the onion are edible. The white portion is stronger in flavor.
Yes! Green onions can be enjoyed either cooked or raw.
💭 One More Tip
Regrow your green onions! If you purchased green onions from the grocery store, don’t discard the root stems! Follow this simple tutorial and regrow your green onions at home.
If you found this helpful, I'd love to know! Tag @yourhomemadehealthy on Instagram or leave a comment with a rating and some feedback at the bottom of this page!
🍴 Recipe Ideas + More Cooking Tips
📖 Recipe
How To Cut Green Onions (Scallions)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bunch green onions or scallions
Instructions
To Slice Green Onions
- Wash onions thoroughly to remove any dirt. Pat dry. Cut off a small portion of the ends to remove the roots.
- Continue to cut small rings of onion until you work your way up to the top of the onions. Remove any brown or mangled green tops.
- Pay close attention to recipes that may only call for the white or green parts of the green onions.
To Slice Green Onions on a Bias
- Follow instructions from above, but cut with your knife at a 45 degree angle to create longer, narrow strips instead of small rings of onion.
- This shape is a great way to add garnish or style to a dish.
Notes
- Regrow your green onions! If you purchased green onions from the grocery store, don’t discard the root stems! Follow this simple tutorial and regrow your green onions at home.
- Both the green and white parts are edible. However, the white parts have a more intense flavor. Use white parts for cooking and green parts for garnishing.
Nutrition
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