This Viral Onion Peeling Hack Changes Everything

If you added up all the minutes we've spent picking sticky bits of papery onion skin off of our onions, our fingers, and our knives, it would likely amount to days and days worth of oniony nonsense. That all changes today though, thanks to a life-altering video posted by @james_rembo on Instagram, and shared by 1sarahrose on TikTok (via The Daily Mail). The onion peeling hack has gone viral, leaving the internet a better place in its wake. 

Because anyone who has ever struggled with the tedious task of peeling the thin, fragile skin off an onion, making sure to get that one sliver that always insists on sticking to the side, knows how irritating it can be. When all you want is to get your chopped onions in a pan of hot oil and move on with your meal, those brittle little skins can really slow you down. With this hack, annoying onion obstacles are a thing of the past.

In his 6-second video, a man shows us how simple peeling onions should be. He begins with an onion sliced in half, with the skin still on, placed on a cutting board, cut-side down. Then, he proceeds to blow our minds by smashing his fist on top of the onion, effectively splitting the papery skin, separating it from the flesh of the onion, and dislodging it from the root end, all in one fell swoop. 

With two fingers, and gratifying ease, he plucks the skin up and away and tosses it aside. No picking, sticking, scratching, or scraping. And, if you previously employed the strategy of just peeling off and discarding the first layer of the onion with its skin still attached, this method saves you from any onion waste. Not only is this hack a total time-saver, you'll look pretty cool punching and smashing your way through meal prep.

As is often the case with a good hack, this one leaves us wondering what else we don't know. Are there other onion hacks out there? Has anyone figured out a solution to onion tears yet? You know, those stinging, burning tears that leave you looking like a hot, sobbing mess standing over your cutting board. Buzzfeed suggests chewing gum while you chop onions, or refrigerating them first helps, too. 

However, Food 52 puts their faith in a simple sharp knife, explaining the cleaner the slice through the onion cells, the less eye-stinging vapor is released. For now, we'll just be satisfied with our newly-attained onion peeling skills and put those to good use. With all those onion skins lying around, don't forget they can serve a purpose! The skins are loaded with flavor and antioxidants. So, try putting them in your next homemade stock or soup for extra oomph.