15 Types of Onions and How to Use Each One
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It’s impossible to overstate the importance of onions. But with so many different types of onions all over the world, it can be challenging to know which varieties are best suited for which purpose. Chopped raw white onions add a pop of freshness to tacos, while slow-cooked caramelized onions bring sweet depth to hearty braises. Meanwhile, ramps get us buzzing about spring.
Onions are essential in countless cuisines. In some cases they’ve been for centuries, even millennia. Records of onions date back to the first dynasty of ancient Egypt around 3200 BCE, according to the Oxford Companion to Food. Today onions are widely available and often among the most affordable fresh produce at American grocery stores.
Below, we delve into the many varieties of onions, from plump Vidalias to saucer-like cipolline—plus a few of their allium cousins, like garlic and relative newcomer garleek.
But first, a few tips: Look for onions with firm bulbs, and don’t worry if they have a bit of dried mud on their skin. Onions are root vegetables, which means that their bulbs develop underground. In grocery stores, you’ll usually find pretty clean specimens, but onions purchased from farm stands will probably show some dirt. Clean and dry the bulbs just before using them.
Proper onion storage is critical. Kept in a dark, dry place, bulbs with thin skins, such as Spanish, white, and red onions, will last for several weeks. Wrap green varieties—like scallions a.k.a. green onions, chives, and ramps—in a damp paper towel, tuck them into a sealable bag, and pop them into your refrigerator’s crisper drawer. Their shelf life is generally short, generally about a week.
When it comes to cutting, there are a few ways to reduce eye irritation. (This is caused by a substance called lachrymatory factor.) You could try wearing goggles, but the surest way to slice an onion without crying about it is to make sure your knife is perfectly sharp and honed. If your hands smell of onions after cooking, run them under cold water and then rub them against a stainless-steel surface, such as the kitchen faucet or a piece of silverware.
Photograph by Elliott Brown Jr., Prop by Stephanie De Luca , Food Styling Thu Buser1/15Chives
Long and verdant, chives resemble large blades of grass. This onion relative is more delicate and has a mild flavor profile compared to bulbous varieties. In cooking, chives are often treated like soft herbs, and like basil or dill, perish easily, so use them quickly. Keep in mind that garlic chives, often sold with their blossoms at Asian supermarkets, are similar in use but a different allium with a heartier flavor.
How to use chives: More so than any other allium on this list, chives are often used as a garnish, adding a fresh oniony note to dishes like twice-baked potatoes, spring lamb, and steamed fish with anchovy butter. But they can also be integral to dishes, like in pork and chive dumplings and squishy sour cream and chive dinner rolls. If you have a few chives starting to wilt, finely chop them and add them to almost any salad dressing.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Anna Stockwell2/15Cipolline Onion
Alternate names: Cipollini onion, Italian pearl onion, Bianca di Maggio
Taking their name from the Italian word for “little onions,” diminutive cipolline are squat like a UFO, boasting papery yellow skins reminiscent of many sweet onion varieties (there’s a red variety too).
How to use cipolline onions: Sweet and small in size, this type of onion is easy to cook and can be served whole. Try them roasted, grilled on skewers, in an Umbrian agrodolce with sherry vinegar, or transform them into snackable versions of Outback’s Bloomin’ Onion. Set aside a bit of extra time to remove their skins; blanching can help speed up the process.
Elliott Jerome Brown Jr.3/15Garleek
A creation of chef Dan Barber’s Row 7 Seed Company, garleek (a.k.a. sweet garleek) is precisely what it sounds like: an allium blending the traits of leeks and garlic. At first glance, you might mistake it for a thin, long leek. This vegetable began rolling out in 2023 at Whole Foods in New York, but it is reportedly going nationwide in 2025.
How to use garleek: Garleek can replace leeks in most recipes, providing a blend of sweet leek flavor and savory garlic. The entire stalk is edible, but like leeks, it must be rinsed well to remove dirt and sand.
Elliott Jerome Brown Jr.4/15Garlic
Garlic is arguably the most pungent member of the allium family. Grown in bulbs with as few as six and up to over two dozen cloves, its powerful scent is almost undetectable until the cloves are sliced, smashed, pushed through a press, or cooked. It’s sold as whole, peeled cloves, pre-sliced, minced in a jar, and in small packets in the freezer aisle. We prefer whole heads with tight clusters that feel heavy for their size (lighter bulbs indicate the cloves have dried out). You can store them on your counter when it’s cool or the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator if your kitchen runs hot. The gargantuan variety known as elephant garlic, which may produce as few as four cloves per bulb, is not a true species of garlic, but is actually a member of the leek family, and has a milder flavor than regular garlic.
How to use garlic: Raw garlic packs a punch, but finely grated or chopped garlic garlic can add a certain oomph to dips like tzatziki, hummus, and aioli.
To get garlic that's sweet and fragrant, sauté or roast it until it’s golden. You can also confit cloves of garlic or submerge slices of garlic in cold oil and place over moderate heat. Stir frequently until crispy for delicious garlic chips that make an excellent garnish for soups, stews, and porridges, such as the Filipino dish arroz caldo. (You can also “fry” garlic in the microwave.) With any cooking method, watch closely—garlic can burn quickly, and burnt garlic can impart an acrid smell and taste to your dish. Now, can someone pass the garlic bread?
Photo by Shutterstock5/15Garlic Scapes
In late spring and early summer, newly harvested garlic is sometimes sold at farmers markets with the curled green stems still attached to the bulb. The ends of these stems are known as scapes. You can also find bundles of curly scapes—featuring little unopened flowers at their ends—sold separately. Store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a couple of weeks.
How to use garlic scapes: Though subtler than whole cloves, scapes still pack a garlicky punch. To reel them in, you can blanch them, but it’s not necessary if you love that assertive flavor. Chop a bundle of scapes and sauté them in butter or oil, like garlic. Or, use a bunch to make a garlic-forward pesto to toss with pasta or spread over a salmon fillet. They also work nicely in a spring frittata that’s loaded with greens and herbs or a veggie-packed fried rice.
Photograph by Elliott Brown Jr., Prop by Stephanie De Luca , Food Styling Thu Buser6/15Green Garlic
Alternate name: Spring garlic
Like garlic scapes, you are most likely to find green garlic at a farmers market in spring. The stalks, which resemble scallions, are the immature shoots of what will develop into fully grown garlic bulbs.
How to use green garlic: More subtle than garlic, green garlic is best suited for recipes that won’t overwhelm its flavor, such as a simple risotto, leek matzo brei, or pan-roasted squab. You can also mince green garlic and add it to a simple vinaigrette with olive oil for a spring salad.
Elliott Jerome Brown Jr.7/15Leek
Leeks look like scallions for giants—they are considerably longer and thicker than their more demure cousins. Their flavor is earthier and sweeter than most onions, so they can easily play a central role in dishes like potato leek gratin or gnocchi with leeks and bacon. They can be used as an alternative to onions in springtime dishes like Persian kuku sabzi.
How to use leeks: Because they’re grown in sandy soil, you must clean leeks very well before cooking. Cut the leeks first, to reveal their tight spiral of layers, and then wash them. If you’re cutting the leek into rings, simply drop the slices into cold water, swish them around, and give the sand a little time to settle before scooping out the floating rounds. (If you have a salad spinner, you can fill the bowl with water, then lift up the colander and drain.) For stuffed leeks or a braised dish like leek vinaigrette, where you’ll want to slice the leek in half vertically, hold the cut side under cold, running water. Use your fingers to separate the leaves and rinse all the crevices.
While the entire leek is edible, most recipes call for the white and light green parts of the leek. Instead of discarding the dark green tops, which are tough and can be a bit stingy, add them as a flavoring element to your stockpot or pot of dried beans (you can fish them out after cooking).
Elliott Jerome Brown Jr.8/15Pearl Onion
Alternate name: White cocktail onion
Bigger than most pearls but still charmingly petite, pearl onions are sweet, delicate, and typically served whole. There are white, yellow, and red varieties, but the white ones are the most readily available and often sold in netted begs. Like cipolline, removing their papery skins can take some patience—blanching the onions helps, or you can purchase pre-peeled frozen pearl onions, which work well in many recipes.
How to use pearl onions: Pearl onions can be stewed, creamed, and topped with crispy breadcrumbs, roasted with a variety of other onions, or glazed. Pickled pearl onions make an excellent garnish for a classic martini, rendering it a Gibson. Alternatively, serve them on a charcuterie board for a pop of acidity.
Photo by Shutterstock9/15Ramps
Alternate names: Tennessee truffles, wild leeks, ramson, ail des bois
The short season for ramps—a wild leafy onion that pops up every spring—causes mini frenzies at farmers markets and restaurants. Ramps have a garlicky taste when raw and a milder, sweeter one once cooked.
How to use ramps: Ramps are delicate and should be used shortly after purchase, figure within a few days. The entire plant, from the small bulb to the soft, broad, green leaf, is edible. You can sauté them for soft scrambled eggs on sourdough toast or pasta with lemon. Add them to springtime roast chicken, use them in an avocado-yogurt dip, or make pesto with them. If you’re looking to extend their shelf life, consider pickling ramps.
Elliott Jerome Brown Jr.10/15Red Onion
Alternate name: Purple onion
The bright reddish-purple skin makes this onion hard to miss. It’s a favorite ingredient in salads like one with fennel and orange. To many, red onions have the most pungent flavor in the onion family, so use uncooked ones sparingly. To soften the taste, rinse raw sliced or chopped red onions under cool running water or chill them in ice-cold water for 20 minutes before serving.
How to use red onions: Red onions are a popular choice for pickling, where the color diffuses throughout the onion slivers, turning them a radiant magenta (slice them pole to pole for optimal visual impact). Pickled red onions are a wonderful condiment to keep on hand, adding a bright pop of color and vivid flavor to grilled kebabs, a homemade version of Court Street Grocers’ beloved veg-Italian sandwich, or tacos. Looking to bring out their sweetness? Try roasting them.
Elliott Jerome Brown Jr.11/15Scallions
Alternate names: Green onions, bunching onions, Chinese onions, Welsh onions
Typically sold in bunches bound by a rubber band or a twist tie, scallions are long, hollow green leaves that shoot up from a small white or purple bulb. The entirety of a scallion stalk is edible; however, recipes often call for the white and green parts to be separated, with the green portion reserved for garnish. For a fun project, you can place the root end of a scallion stalk in water and watch it regrow from the comfort of your very own kitchen.
How to use scallions: Scallions are incredibly versatile. Their savory-fresh bite is crucial in many East Asian flatbreads, such as Korean pajeon and Chinese bing. They’re essential in pa muchim (a salad of crunchy scallion curls often served with Korean BBQ), as a flavoring for whole steamed fish, and can easily upgrade a pot of rice. You can also use them in a scallion-lentil salad, char and chop them into a salsa, grill them to serve with lamb and polenta, or turn a pile of chicken and greens into an oniony masterpiece.
Treat scallions like fresh herbs. Store them in the refrigerator, wrapped in a damp paper towel, and placed in a sealable bag. Use them soon after buying. If a layer has gone off, simply peel it away and rinse the remaining scallion before using it.
Photograph by Elliott Brown Jr., Prop by Stephanie De Luca , Food Styling Thu Buser12/15Shallot
Varieties: Gray shallots, red shallots
With its thin, coppery-brown skin, the shallot resembles a small red onion with an elongated shape. Within that skin is a bulbous cluster more akin to garlic in appearance with just one or two large cloves. Shallots have a sweet flavor, compared to their relatives, with a pungent, almost garlicky kick and a sharp bite when uncooked. To temper their punch, soak them in an ice bath while you prepare the rest of your dish.
How to use shallots: French cuisine incorporates shallots into many dishes, such as a shallot vinaigrette or beurre blanc, where they impart a delicate savoriness. Shallots are also popular throughout Southeast Asian cooking. You will spot its thin rings in dishes like goreng bawang (Indonesian fried shallots), larb (a staple in both Laos and Thailand), and the Thai fried egg salad yum khai dao. You’ll often spot a jug of store-bought crispy shallots in our shopping carts—they make an excellent topper for salads, congee, stews, toasts, baked sweet potatoes, and more.
Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Anna Stockwell13/15Sweet Onion
Popular varieties: Vidalia onions, Walla Walla onions, Maui onions
These onions are perceived as sweeter than other varieties due to their lower sulfur concentration, which allows their sugar content to shine. Some folks even eat them raw, biting into them like a ripe apple.
In addition to the onion varieties mentioned above, you may find Bermuda onions (whose name refers to a time when most onions imported to the US were grown in Bermuda), Sweet Imperial, Texas Super Sweet, and others. Sweet varieties don’t keep as well as other onions, so try to use them up as soon as possible—and unlike most other kinds of onions, you should store them in the fridge.
How to use sweet onions: While you can caramelize these onions or substitute them for a white or yellow onion, what they truly excel at compared to any other variety is transforming into classic diner-style onion rings. They are also an excellent choice for French onion soup.
Elliott Jerome Brown Jr.14/15White Onion
Named for the color of their thin skin and white flesh, white onions are notable for their juicy crunch when raw and have a milder flavor than red or yellow onions.
How to use white onions: White onions are a staple ingredient of Latin American cuisine, especially Mexican food, where they’re a grounding element in sofrito, the aromatic base of many dishes. They also add a pop of savory freshness when used to garnish things like mushroom tacos and enchiladas. For the same reason, diced white onion is an excellent choice for raw sauce preparations like fresh salsa and guacamole. If sliced thinly and soaked in an ice bath, they can also be a welcome addition to salads and burgers.
Photograph by Elliott Brown Jr., Prop by Stephanie De Luca , Food Styling Thu Buser15/15Yellow Onions
Alternate names and varieties: Brown onion, Spanish onions
Round, with a thin brownish papery skin, yellow onions are the most common type of onion in the United States and are arguably the most versatile cooking onion. Popular varieties include yellow globe onions and slightly larger and sweeter Spanish onions. The two are interchangeable in recipes. Often sold in 3-pound mesh bags, it’s helpful to always have these on hand; be sure to remove them from the bag so the onions have some breathing room.
How to use yellow onions: With a balanced flavor that is neither too sweet nor too sharp, yellow onions work well in a variety of cuisines and dishes, including an Indian stir-fry, Marcella Hazan’s iconic Italian tomato sauce, and Spanish paella. If a recipe simply calls for an onion without specifying the type, a yellow onion is the best choice.
Yellow onions shine brightest when cooked into a jammy pile of caramelized onions—not the quick-cooking kind, but the ones that are deep mahogany throughout. Preparing them this way concentrates their mild onion flavor into something both deeply sweet and wonderfully savory. Making them is a lesson in patience.
