How to Slice Carrots

Learn how to slice carrots for chunky soups, stir fry, or just for a healthy snack. If you have a chef knife and a cutting board, you can master the important knife skill of slicing carrots.

When to slice carrots

Carrots are the base of many dishes made from scratch. They are absolute staple in my kitchen and one of my favorite versatile root vegetables in my cheap grocery list. A bag of carrots is incredibly inexpensive.

Cutting carrots is a skill every home cook should know. There are many different ways to cut a carrot: a small dice, julienne cut, carrot sticks, matchstick carrots, etc. Today we are focusing on the easy technique of slicing carrots into round coins.

You may want to use this cut when making a chunky soup like kale and white bean soup or chicken noodle. You could also use thin slices for quick stir fries like my easy shrimp stir fry. I also like to boil the sliced carrots and toss with butter for an easy side dish.

Tools needed

The equipment needed is as basic as it gets.

sharp knife: A chef knife is absolute must-have in a kitchen. No dull knives allowed and no cutting vegetables with a steak knife. A sharp chef's knife glides through your vegetables easily and is much safer and faster than cutting with an improper knife.

wooden cutting board: Everyone also needs a sturdy wooden cutting board in their kitchen so you can cut on a flat surface. You don't want your cutting board sliding around creating an unsafe cutting environment. Wooden cutting boards are also better for your knives than other materials.

carrots: Of course you need carrots to slice. It does not matter what kind of carrot. Any whole carrots will do. This method works the same with large carrots as small carrots.

 

The Method

Watch the video below or follow along with the instructions and pictures.

Wash and peel the carrots

Prep the carrots. Wash and peel carrots using a vegetable peeler.

Slice off both ends

Using your knife, slice off both ends of the carrot (top of the carrot and bottom) and return to the cutting board.

Steady the carrot

Put your knife in your dominant hand and steady the carrot with the other.

Slice using a rocking motion

Using a rocking motion with your knife, starting at one end, carefully slice through your carrot straight down. Take care to make even uniform cuts. You can decide how thin or thick you would like your slices to be. For stir fry, I recommend thinner cuts. Continue to slice through the entire length of the carrot making thin carrot rounds. Make sure your fingers stay a safe distance away from your knife as you cut.

Storing cut carrots

To store fresh cut carrots, place the carrot pieces in an airtight container or jar and cover with cold water.

Carrots will stay fresh and crisp for a week. Change water every couple of days to prevent bacteria growth.

Other knife skills:

How to dice potatoes

How to cut onion rings