We Tried 4 Popular Methods for Dicing an Avocado and the Winner Was Also the Easiest
published about 1 hour agoAvocados are one of our favorite ingredients — you can add them to salads , whirl them into pasta sauce , or smash them into guacamole . Avocados even make smoothies creamier and more filling. This wonder food isn’t without its pitfalls, though (there are viral internet memes dedicated to the fickle ripening process of avocados), and recently we got into a little bit of a debate about the easiest way to peel and dice an avocado.
Their textured-but-smooth skin and soft interior makes avocados seemingly hard to tackle. Do you halve and remove the pit, carefully? Can you get neater cubes and avoid cutting your hand by peeling and then dicing? Is there safer way to cut them? We really needed to know! So we put four popular methods for prepping avocados to the test to find the best. Here are the results!
How We Selected and Tested These Methods
After polling Kitchn’s editorial staff and scrolling the internet, we landed on four of the most common methods for creating beautiful, neat avocado cubes. We did our best to select avocados of similar ripenesses — yielding but firm, with a nice bright green flesh underneath the stem end . Each avocado was washed and dried before testing . The avocados were cut back-to-back with the same knife.
Avocado Dicing Method: Halve, Loosen, Dice the Avocado in the Peel
- Timing: 5 minutes
- Rating: 4/10
About this method: We mention this method — a variation on the halve, cube, spoon method below — at the end of our How to Slice an Avocado article. Using this method you halve the avocado; remove the pit; use a thin, wide spoon to detach the flesh from the skin; and then dice the avocado in the skin with the tip of a knife.
Results: Beyond the promise of minimal cleanup, we can’t recommend this method at all. Because the flesh is loose in the skin, there is too much potential for the avocado to slip, which means you could cut through it and into your hand. If you want to avoid a lot of cleanup, use the method below instead.
Buy NowAvocado Dicing Method:
- Timing: 4 minutes
- Rating: 7/10
About this method: You’re probably familiar with this method, as it seems to have been popularized by many food sites, including Simply Recipes . You halve the avocado, remove the pit, and then carefully cut a grid in the avocado flesh with the tip of a knife before spooning out the cubes. You might not get perfectly uniform cubes, but you don’t have any avocado flesh to clean off the cutting board either.
Results: Having used this method a lot over the last 10 years or so, we know that it’s quick and easy, making it a great entry-level technique. There are a couple of downsides, though. First, there’s the risk of cut through the avocado peel and into your hand. (Remedy that by wearing a cut-proof glove or putting a towel between your hand and the fruit.) Secondly, if you aren’t careful, you can leave lots of flesh behind when you try to spoon out the flesh.
Avocado Dicing Method: Halve, Quarter, Peel, and Dice the Avocado
- Timing: 5 minutes
- Rating: 8/10
About this method: Gaby Dalkin wrote a whole book on avocados , making her a great source for avocado-dicing advice . Dalkin calls for halving and pitting the avocado, cutting each half in half again and then peeling before dicing. There’s no need to dirty a spoon for peeling, you can pull the skin right off, and this technique is reported to make the prettiest cubes (and thin slices) for topping salads, grain bowls, and more. This pre-peeling method is meant to be safer, too — no holding a knife and slippery avocado at the same time.
Results: This method takes a few minutes longer than some of the other options, but it definitely yielded the prettiest pieces. This technique was also recommended by Kitchn’s Studio Food Editor Jesse Szewczyk: “It helps me keep the shape really clean. I can peel off the skin easier without ripping any flesh off!” When neatness counts, this is the way to go.
Avocado Dicing Method:
- Timing: 5 minutes
- Rating: 9/10
About this method: We first saw this method on Well Seasoned Studio’s Instagram and booked marked it for later , but you can find many other sources calling for this method. After halving and pitting the avocado, you put the fruit cut side down on a cutting board. Using your fingers, you peel off the skin and then dice up the flesh.
Results: While the first half was a little rough to peel (see the above photo), the second half peeled like an absolute dream. After peeling, you can slice, dice, or cube the avocado halves with as much precision as you like. This method felt slightly less fussy than quartering and gave more options for cutting the avocado, making it the clear winner for ease and neatness.
Final Thoughts
There’s no wrong way to dice an avocado. The method you choose depends on your culinary comfort level and the final destination of your avocados ( please adopt this method for all future guac ). The only universal rule is not to try any of these methods with an unripe avocado because you’re much more likely to mangle the avocado or cut yourself.
Meghan Splawn
Food Editor, Skills
Meghan is the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the first 10 years of her career as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. She co-hosts a weekly podcast about food and family called Didn't I Just Feed You.
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