In this quick visual guide, you’ll learn How to Segment an Orange. It’s great for any dish where you only want the juicy orange flesh, without the membranes.

Whenever I make salads with oranges, whether sweet or savory, I always use segmented orange pieces.

Orange Segments in a White Bowl on Wooden Board

It takes a couple minutes, but it makes for a worthwhile eating experience where you get to enjoy the sweet and juicy pieces of orange, without any membrane.

How to Segment an Orange:

Start by trimming off the top and bottom of the orange:

Slicing the Top Off a Navel Orange

Place the orange on its flat bottom side, then use a knife to cut off the peel on the sides:

Slicing the Sides Off a Navel Orange

Make sure to remove all of the white pith:

A whole Navel Orange With the Rind Removed

Now use a knife to cut alongside each one of the white lines:

Slicing Against Membrane on Both Sides of Orange

And the orange segments will come right out:

Hand Holding the Released Orange Segment

Keep repeating this process, cutting on both sides of each white line:

How to Segment an Orange by Continuing to Slice Against the Membranes

You want to get as close to the membrane lines as possible, to maximize the bits of orange you’re taking out:

Cutting an Orange Along the Membranes

Once you’ve gone all the way around, you’ll have your orange segments, and then the leftover membranes:

Oranges Segments and Membranes on a Cutting Board

Don’t let the leftovers go to waste!

I like to put it into a lemon squeezer, and squeeze out any remaining juice that I can:

Squeezing Fresh Cut Orange in Handheld Squeezer

I can usually get several tablespoons!

Then, you can discard the membranes.

Feel free to use the segments for fruit salads, or even dishes like this Seared Ahi Tuna with Orange Avocado Salsa.

Orange Segments in a White Bowl on Wooden Board

Enjoy!

Recipes Where You Can Use Orange Segments: