1 Cup Ketchup in Grams

1 cup of ketchup weighs 240 g (spooned and levelled, USDA). Sweet tomato condiment. All the figures on this page are approximate conversions based on the USDA value, so when a recipe really matters, verify with a kitchen scale.

Why weighing ketchup beats measuring it in cups

Ketchup weighs 240 g per cup, close to the weight of water, because it is mostly water, tomato solids and sugar in a smooth, pourable sauce. The smoothness is what makes the cup measure relatively reliable for ketchup: it pours, levels itself, and traps little air, unlike mayonnaise or tomato paste. Even so, a cup of ketchup poured from the bottle can be a little short, because the sauce clings to the sides of the cup and the bottle, and a recipe that needs a full cup of ketchup for a glaze or a sauce will be short on sweetness and acidity if the measure is careless.

Ketchup is also a concentrated source of sugar and salt, and the weight matters because a small error in ketchup is a large error in both. A cup of ketchup contains roughly a third of its weight in sugar, so a barbecue sauce made with a cup and a half of ketchup instead of a cup will be noticeably sweeter than intended. Brands vary in thickness and sweetness, and the USDA figure of 240 g is medium confidence for that reason, but the variation between brands is small compared with the variation between a careful and a careless measure, so weighing the ketchup is still the most reliable approach.

Ketchup cups to grams conversion table

Cups Grams Tablespoons
1/4 cup 60 g 4
1/3 cup 80 g 5.3
1/2 cup 120 g 8
2/3 cup 160 g 10.7
3/4 cup 180 g 12
1 cup 240 g 16
1 1/2 cups 360 g 24
2 cups 480 g 32
3 cups 720 g 48
4 cups 960 g 64

One tablespoon of ketchup weighs about 15 g, since a cup is 16 tablespoons. That is useful when a recipe calls for a spoonful or two rather than a whole cup, though for small amounts a scale that reads to the gram is far more reliable than a spoon, because a heaped tablespoon can weigh half as much again as a level one.

Worked examples

Barbecue sauce for a cookout, one large batch

A large batch of barbecue sauce uses about 2 cups of ketchup, which is 480 g, simmered with vinegar, brown sugar, mustard and spices. Weigh 480 g rather than pouring from the bottle, because ketchup clings to the measuring cup and a poured measure can be 20 g short. Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes until it thickens, and taste before adding more sugar: the ketchup already brings plenty of sweetness.

Ketchup glaze for a meatloaf

A glaze for a family meatloaf uses about 1/2 cup of ketchup, which is 120 g, mixed with brown sugar and mustard and spread over the top. Weigh 120 g so the glaze is thick enough to coat the meatloaf without running off, and spread it on in the last 15 minutes of baking so it caramelises without burning.

Fry sauce dip for a party

A fry sauce for a party uses about 3/4 cup of ketchup, which is 180 g, mixed with an equal weight of mayonnaise and a little pickle relish. Weigh 180 g of ketchup and 180 g of mayonnaise so the dip is balanced: too much ketchup and it is sweet and thin, too much mayonnaise and it is rich and bland.

How the weight was measured

Spooned and levelled means spooning the ingredient into the measuring cup until it is heaped, then sweeping a straight knife across the top to level it off. Never scoop the cup through the bag or jar, and never tap the cup down, because both pack the ingredient and add weight. The difference between a spooned cup and a scooped cup can be 15 to 25 percent, which is enough to change a bake from tender to tough, so the method matters as much as the number.

The source for the figure on this page is USDA, and the confidence in the value is medium. USDA publishes a standard ingredient weight chart that recipe developers use as a reference, and this page follows that chart rather than any single cookbook. Where the chart gives a range or a note, we say so plainly instead of hiding the uncertainty. All the figures here are approximate conversions: natural ingredients vary by brand, variety, moisture and how finely they are chopped or ground, so when a recipe really matters, verify the weight with a kitchen scale.

Practical guidance

Refrigerate ketchup after opening and use it within 6 months, because it spoils once opened, especially in a warm kitchen. Store the bottle upside down or shake it well before pouring, because the sauce separates and the watery top pours out first. When a recipe calls for ketchup by the cup, weigh it rather than measuring it, because it clings to the cup. If you do not have a scale, pour the ketchup slowly into the cup and level it, remembering that the 240 g figure is approximate and medium confidence. Check the label: some ketchups are much sweeter than others, and a recipe balanced around one brand may need adjusting for another.

Common mistakes with condiments and sauces

The most common mistake is measuring thick sauces by the cup as if they poured like water. Tomato paste, mayonnaise and jam cling to the cup, trap air, and leave a film behind, so the amount that reaches the pan is less than the amount measured. A scale removes the problem entirely: weigh the jar before and after, or spoon the sauce onto the scale. The second mistake is eyeballing a tablespoon of paste or jam from the jar and calling it a cup's worth of accuracy; small errors in concentrated ingredients are large errors in flavour. The third is storing opened sauces at room temperature for weeks: most need the fridge once opened, and a sauce that has turned will spoil a whole dish. Finally, do not swap one sauce for another by volume alone: a cup of tomato paste and a cup of tomato sauce differ in concentration, salt and water, so the swap changes the recipe, not just the weight.

Frequently asked questions

How many grams is 1 cup of ketchup?

1 cup of ketchup weighs 240 g when spooned and levelled, according to the USDA. The figure is medium confidence and approximate, because brands vary in thickness and sweetness, so verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.

How many cups is 100 g of ketchup?

100 g of ketchup is about 0.42 cups, or just under 1/2 cup. At 240 g per cup, divide 100 by 240 to get the answer, and use a scale for the most accurate result.

How many tablespoons is 100 g of ketchup?

About 6 to 7 tablespoons. A cup is 16 tablespoons and weighs 240 g, so one tablespoon is about 15 g, and 100 g divided by 15 g is about 6.7 tablespoons.

Does ketchup need to be refrigerated?

Yes, after opening. Refrigerate ketchup and use it within 6 months, because it spoils once opened, especially in a warm kitchen. Unopened bottles keep in a cool cupboard until the date on the label.

Can I use ketchup instead of tomato sauce?

In some recipes, yes, but ketchup is much sweeter and more vinegary than tomato sauce, so the flavour changes. Weigh the ketchup and reduce the sugar and vinegar elsewhere in the recipe to compensate.

Related conversions

If you need a different amount, the table above scales in both directions, and the converter tool will do the maths for any quantity. When a recipe really matters, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale rather than trusting the cup alone, because the figures on this page are approximate and natural ingredients vary by brand, variety and moisture.