--- title: "Slice: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "To slice is to cut food into flat pieces of even thickness. Good slicing is about a sharp knife, a safe grip and, for meat, cutting across the grain." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/slice" --- # Slice To slice is to cut food into flat pieces of even thickness. Good slicing is about a sharp knife, a safe grip and, for meat, cutting across the grain. Also called Sliced, Slices, Thinly sliced. To slice means to cut food into flat pieces of the same thickness. It is the first step of most other knife cuts. Recipes slice vegetables, fruit, bread, cheese and cooked or raw meat, and they often say how thick: thinly, thickly, or a measurement in millimeters or inches. ## How to do it 1. Use a sharp knife that fits the job: a [chef's knife](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/chefs-knife)for most food, a serrated [bread knife](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/bread-knife) for crusty bread and ripe tomatoes, a long carving knife for roasts. 2. Make the food stable. Cut a thin strip off one side of round food so it sits flat. 3. Hold the food in a claw grip: fingertips curled under, knuckles touching the side of the blade. 4. Cut with a long forward or backward stroke, not by pressing straight down. Let the knife do the work. 5. Move your claw back by the same distance after each cut, so every slice is the same thickness. ## How to tell it is done Rough guides when a recipe gives no number: * Thinly sliced: 1 to 3 mm (1/16 to 1/8 inch). * Sliced: about 6 mm (1/4 inch). * Thickly sliced: about 1 to 2 cm (1/2 to 3/4 inch). For paper-thin, even slices, use a [mandoline](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/mandoline) with its hand guard. ## Common mistakes * Pressing down hard with a dull knife. It crushes tomatoes and bread and is more likely to slip. Keep your knives sharp. * Slicing meat along the grain. Look for the lines of muscle fiber and cut across them. The short fibers make each slice tender. * Slicing a roast straight out of the oven. Let it [rest](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/resting-meat) first so the juices stay in the meat. * Sliding food off the board with the knife edge. Turn the knife and use the spine. ## In recipes "Sliced on the diagonal" means a [bias cut](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/bias-cut). "Sliced into rounds" means a [rondelle](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/rondelle). "Sliced against the grain" means across the muscle fibers, which matters most for flank steak, skirt steak and brisket. ## Recipes that use this technique 384 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Shawarma-Spiced-Grilled-Chicken-with-Garlic-Yogurt-Sauce-3.jpg)Shawarma-Spiced Grilled Chicken with Garlic Yogurt Saucewww.skinnytaste.com · 85 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/shawarma-spiced-grilled-chicken-with-garlic-yogurt/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pan-bagnet-11.jpg)Pan Bagnatwww.skinnytaste.com · 25 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/pan-bagnat/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Guiltless-Banana-Ice-Cream.jpg)Banana Ice Cream (Nice Cream)www.skinnytaste.com · 10 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/guiltless-banana-ice-cream/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Green-Curry-Noodles-9-scaled.jpg)Green Curry Noodleswww.skinnytaste.com · 40 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/green-curry-noodles/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Turkey-Meatloaf-with-Zucchini-5.jpg)Turkey Meatloaf with Zucchiniwww.skinnytaste.com · 70 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/turkey-meatloaf-with-zucchini/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/blackened-salmon-skewers-3-2.jpg)Blackened Grilled Salmon Skewerswww.skinnytaste.com · 90 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/blackened-grilled-salmon-skewers/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Coconut-Lemon-Almond-Cake-9.jpg)Coconut-Lemon Almond Cake Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 65 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/lemon-coconut-almond-cake/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Grilled-Chicken-Salad-with-Strawberries-5.jpg)Grilled Chicken Salad with Strawberrieswww.skinnytaste.com · 55 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/grilled-chicken-strawberry-avocado-salad/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Almond-Cake-20.jpg)Almond Cakewww.skinnytaste.com · 60 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/5-ingredient-almond-cake-with-fresh/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/SlimmedDownShrimpPoBoy.jpg)Shrimp Po’ Boywww.skinnytaste.com · 25 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/slimmed-down-shrimp-po-boy/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Vodka-Sauce-Penne-with-Chicken-9.jpg)Penne alla Vodka with Chickenwww.skinnytaste.com · 60 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/penne-alla-vodka-with-chicken/) * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Tofu-Poke-Bowl-8.jpg)Tofu Poke Bowlwww.skinnytaste.com · 50 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/tofu-poke-bowl/) ## Related terms * [Bias cutA bias cut is a slice made at an angle, usually around 45 degrees, to give long oval pieces that cook fast and look good in stir-fries and salads.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/bias-cut) * [RondelleA rondelle is a round slice cut straight across a carrot, cucumber, zucchini or other long, round vegetable, usually 3 to 6 mm thick and all the same.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/rondelle) * [MandolineA mandoline is a flat slicer with a fixed blade that cuts vegetables into even, paper-thin slices. Here is how to use one safely.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/mandoline) * [Chef's knifeA chef's knife is the all-purpose kitchen knife, with a wide 20 cm (8 in) blade for chopping, slicing and mincing. Here is how to hold it.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/chefs-knife) * [Bread knifeA bread knife is a long serrated knife that saws through crusty bread and soft cake without crushing them. Here is how to use it well.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/bread-knife) * [Resting meatResting meat means leaving it to stand after cooking before you slice it. Juices settle, the center finishes cooking and less liquid ends up on the board.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/resting-meat) [More in knife skills and preparation](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/knife-skills)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)