Size Of An Onion

Our answer

When a recipe gives the size of an onion as "medium" or "large" it will mean that the recipe does not need an exact amount of onion and it will work within a range of weights, which is usually as the size of produce can vary between seasons and different markets. In many cases Nigella doesn't specify the size of the onion and you can use whatever size you have to hand. If the amount of onion is large and important to a recipe, such as for a chutney, then Nigella will also give guidance as to the weight required.

We are not aware of any standard sizes or charts for produce, but from Nigella's previous recipes we would consider a large onion to be in the region of 225-275g (8-9 ounces). A medium onion would be smaller than this and around 150-170g (about 6 ounces) and a small onion around 125g (4 1/2 ounces) or below. However we would emphasise that these sizes are only approximate and the vast majority recipes will work with a range of weights of onion.