You'll Never Guess Bobby Flay's Magic Trick For Grilled Onions

Believe it or not, there's a National Onion Association, which sounds like a group of people who spend a lot of time crying. However, through their tears, those people managed to cobble together a fairly impressive history of the humble onion. Their findings show that the onion has been used in cooking for more than 5,000 years, though the actual origin of the vegetable remains a mystery.

Despite being old enough to have seen the changeover from B.C. to A.D., there are still many common mistakes that people make when cooking onions. Though tossing them in a pan will get them hot, if you want your onions to bring their level best to your dish, you might need to find some good onion hacks, lest you accidentally ruin something that could have been spectacular.

To help you on your quest to use onions properly and enhance how you cook with them, Bobby Flay is offering a few ideas. Previously, Flay provided an enticing way to make Spanish onion rings. Now, he's coming back to explain how to make grilled onions like a true maestro and turn your next barbecue into a celebration of this simple food.

Grilled onions are a common sight at many a barbecue. They're often included in grilling recipes because they typically act as a general condiment that can be laid on a hamburger, sprinkled over a hot dog, or merely popped straight into your mouth for a snack that will wake up even the most dormant of taste buds. They're a versatile food, which is why it's tragic that many people may be cooking them incorrectly.

"When I grill red onions, I actually keep the skin on so that they stay in circles," says chef Bobby Flay via Instagram as he hacks onions in preparation for their trial by fire. He then says to "take the skin off after they're grilled."

By leaving the skin on the onions, they're held together by the same thing that has been keeping them in shape their entire lives. This helps with both the cooking, since it's easier to move solid rings of onion than it is a heap of broken pieces, and with the presentation, because the end result looks whole, instead of a scattered mess. The next time you're looking to dazzle with your grill skills, this is the way to do it.