How to Mince Celery & Carrots

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Celery and carrots are staple ingredients in cooking. But to get the most flavor, you'll want them minced. Learn how to quickly mince carrots and celery with our easy, step-by-step guide.

Minced celery and carrots on a cutting board.
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

From veggie burgers to hearty soups, celery and carrots are staple ingredients in cooking. That being said, learning how to mince celery and carrots is one of the most important skills you can know.

Compared to slicing and dicing, mincing celery and carrots takes a bit more work. But the extra steps will be well worth it, as the technique will infuse your recipe with maximum flavor.

After all, when vegetables are finely chopped, they can be evenly incorporated into your dish. Ahead, check out our guide for mincing celery and carrots, plus tips for making the process even easier.

How to Mince Celery

The best way to mince celery involves flattening the “hump” in each stalk. This will make it easier to slice the celery into strips, which can then be minced into smaller pieces.

Also, as always, it’s important to use a knife with sharp blade. This will not only make mincing celery easier, but safer too!

Here are the steps for mincing celery:

1. If you haven’t already, chop off the bottom and tops of the celery stalks. Using a chef’s knife, slice each stalk into 2- or 3-inch pieces.

Chopping celery into 2-inch pieces on a wooden cutting board.
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

2. To flatten a piece of celery, place it on your cutting board, “bump” side facing up. Lay the flat side of your knife on top of the bump.

Placing flat side of a large chef's knife on top of celery on a cutting board.
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

3. With your other hand, place the base of your palm on top of the knife. Firmly press down to flatten the celery.

(If this feels uncomfortable for your wrist or hand, you’re welcome to skip this step and move on to step 4.)

Using the palm of hand on the flat side of knife to press on top of the celery.
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

4. Slice the piece of celery lengthwise to create strips, about 1/4-inch thick.

Slicing celery on a wooden cutting board.
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

5. Cut the slices into thinner strips, if needed.

Slicing celery into thin strips on a wooden cutting board.
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

6. Gather the strips and cut across to create 1/4-inch wide cubes.

Mincing celery on a wooden cutting board.
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

7. Gather the cubed celery. Place your knife across the celery and lay your non-dominant hand on the blunt top. Rock your knife back and forth, moving across your cutting board, to mince the celery into smaller pieces.

Mincing celery on a wooden cutting board.
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

8. Your minced celery is now ready to use in recipes.

Minced celery on a wooden cutting board.
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

How to Mince Carrots

The steps for mincing carrots involve a similar process. Again, make sure to use a sharp knife.

Here’s the best way to mince carrots:

1. If you haven’t already, peel the carrots and chop off the tops.

Cut each carrot into 2- or 3-inch pieces.

Cutting peeled carrots into 2-inch pieces on a cutting board.
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

2. Slice each piece in half, lengthwise.

Slicing carrots in half lengthwise on a wooden cutting board.
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

3. Place the flat sides on the cutting board. Slice each piece lengthwise to create planks.

Slicing carrot halves into strips on a cutting board.
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

4. Slice into thin strips, about 1/4-inch thick.

Slicing carrots into thin strips on a cutting board.
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

5. Gather the strips and cut across to create small cubes, about 1/4-inch wide.

Chopping carrot strips into small cubes on a cutting board.

6. Gather the cubed carrots. Place your knife across them and lay your non-dominant hand on the blunt top. Rock your knife back and forth, moving across your cutting board, to mince the carrots into smaller pieces.

Using the palm of hand on the back of a knife to mince carrots.
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

7. You can now use the minced carrots in recipes.

Minced carrots on a wooden cutting board.
Photo: Kirsten Nunez

How to Use Minced Celery and Carrots

Minced celery and carrots are staple ingredients in cooking. You can use them in recipes like:

Minced celery and carrots on a cutting board

How to Mince Celery and Carrots

With this easy step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to mince celery and carrots for burgers, soups, and more. It’s a basic kitchen skill that’s essential for evenly infusing flavor into your recipes.
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2 Ratings
Print Pin Recipe
Course: Knife Skills
Cuisine: Any
Keyword: celery, glazed carrots, how to cut carrots, how to cut celery, how to mince carrots, how to mince celery, kitchen skills
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Author: Kirsten Nunez, MS

Ingredients

Instructions

How to Mince Celery

  • Chop the bottoms and tops of the celery stalks, and slice each stalk into 2- or 3-inch pieces.
  • To flatten the celery, place it on your cutting board, “bump” side facing up, and use the flat side of a large chef's knife to press down firmly.
  • Slice the celery lengthwise to create strips, about 1/4-inch thick. Cut the slices into thinner strips, if needed.
  • Gather the strips and cut across into 1/4-inch cubes.
  • Gather the cubed celery. Place your knife across the celery and lay your non-dominant hand on the blunt top. Rock your knife back and forth, moving across your cutting board, to mince the celery into smaller pieces.

How to Mince Carrots

  • Peel the carrots and chop off the tops. Cut each carrot into 2- or 3-inch pieces.
  • Slice each piece lengthwise into thin strips, about 1/4-inch thick.
  • Gather the strips and cut across into 1/4-inch cubes.
  • Gather the cubed carrots. Place your knife across them and lay your non-dominant hand on the blunt top. Rock your knife back and forth, moving across your cutting board, to mince the carrots into smaller pieces.

Notes

  • Always use a sharp knife. This will make mincing vegetable safer and easier.
  • If flattening the celery feels uncomfortable for your wrist or hand, feel free to skip this step.
  • Avoid overcutting vegetables, especially when mincing celery. Otherwise, they might become mushy and fall apart.

Recommended Tools & Products

Chef's Knife
Cutting Board
Cutting Board
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Kirsten Nunez

About the Author

Kirsten Nunez is a journalist who focuses on healthy food and cooking. Her vegan and plant-based recipes have appeared on VegNews, eHow, Shape, and more. When she’s not creating and photographing vegan recipes for Clean Green Simple, you can find her experimenting in the kitchen and sharing plant-based meals with friends and family. More articles by Kirsten.