1 Cup Tomato Paste in Grams

1 cup of tomato paste weighs 262 g (spooned and levelled, USDA). Concentrated cooked tomatoes; intensely savoury. 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 tomato paste beats measuring it in cups

Tomato paste is the heaviest cup measure among the tomato products at 262 g, because it is tomatoes cooked down until most of the water is gone, leaving a dense, concentrated paste. A cup of tomato paste weighs more than a cup of tomato sauce at 245 g and far more than a cup of fresh tomatoes, because the water has been removed and the solids remain. That concentration is why tomato paste is used by the tablespoon rather than the cup in most recipes: a little goes a long way, and a cup of tomato paste in a sauce would make it intensely savoury and very thick.

The tablespoon is where the weight matters most for tomato paste. One tablespoon is about 16 g, and a recipe that calls for two tablespoons needs about 33 g, which is a small amount that is easy to over-measure by eye. A heaped tablespoon can hold half as much again as a level one, and in a concentrated ingredient that error changes the flavour of the whole dish. Weighing the paste, or weighing the tube before and after, is the reliable approach. Leftover paste should be frozen in spoonfuls, because an opened tin spoils within days in the fridge, and a frozen spoonful thaws quickly when it is needed.

Tomato Paste cups to grams conversion table

Cups Grams Tablespoons
1/4 cup 65.5 g 4
1/3 cup 87.3 g 5.3
1/2 cup 131 g 8
2/3 cup 174.7 g 10.7
3/4 cup 196.5 g 12
1 cup 262 g 16
1 1/2 cups 393 g 24
2 cups 524 g 32
3 cups 786 g 48
4 cups 1048 g 64

One tablespoon of tomato paste weighs about 16.4 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

Pasta sauce for six

A pasta sauce for six people uses about 1/4 cup of tomato paste, which is 66 g, fried in olive oil with garlic until it darkens, then simmered with tinned tomatoes. Weigh 66 g rather than spooning it, because a tablespoon of paste is easy to heap and a heaped spoon changes the flavour. Frying the paste first removes the raw, tinny taste and deepens the colour.

Chilli con carne for eight

A chilli for eight people uses about 1/3 cup of tomato paste, which is 87 g, stirred into the browned meat with spices before the beans and tomatoes are added. Weigh 87 g so the chilli is rich without being overwhelmingly tomatoey, and fry the paste for a minute before adding liquid so it loses its raw edge.

Tomato paste marinade for a roast

A marinade for a roast uses about 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, which is about 33 g, mixed with oil, garlic, herbs and vinegar. Weigh 33 g on a scale that reads to the gram, because a small error in a concentrated ingredient is a large error in flavour. The paste helps the marinade cling to the meat and caramelise in the oven.

How the weight was measured

The figure on this page comes from USDA, measured spooned and levelled unless the method line says otherwise. Spooning means filling the cup with a spoon rather than plunging the cup into the bag, and levelling means sweeping a knife across the rim. Scooping packs the ingredient down and can add a fifth or more to the weight, which is why two bakers following the same cup-based recipe can get visibly different results.

Confidence in this value is medium. That reflects how consistent the ingredient is from brand to brand: a uniform, factory-packed ingredient is more predictable than a fresh, variable one. Even a high-confidence figure is still an approximation, because moisture, grind size and settling all shift the weight a little. Treat the grams on this page as a reliable starting point and check with a scale when the recipe is fussy, expensive, or being made for the first time.

Practical guidance

Refrigerate tomato paste after opening and freeze leftovers in spoonfuls, because an opened tin spoils within days. Dollop the remaining paste onto a lined tray in tablespoon-sized portions, freeze them, and store the frozen spoonfuls in a bag: they thaw in minutes when needed. When a recipe calls for tomato paste, weigh it rather than measuring it, because it is thick, clings to the spoon, and traps air. If you do not have a scale, use level tablespoons and remember that one tablespoon is about 16 g. Fry the paste in oil before adding liquid, which removes the raw taste and deepens the flavour. The 262 g figure is approximate and medium confidence, so trust your scale for the paste you actually have.

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 tomato paste?

1 cup of tomato paste weighs 262 g when spooned and levelled, according to the USDA. The figure is medium confidence and approximate, because brands vary in thickness, so verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.

How many grams is a tablespoon of tomato paste?

One tablespoon of tomato paste weighs about 16 g, since a cup is 16 tablespoons and 262 g divided by 16 is about 16.4 g. Use a level tablespoon, because a heaped spoon can hold half as much again.

How do I store leftover tomato paste?

Freeze it in tablespoon-sized spoonfuls on a lined tray, then store the frozen portions in a bag. An opened tin spoils within days in the fridge, but frozen spoonfuls keep for months and thaw in minutes.

Can I use tomato paste instead of tomato sauce?

Yes, but dilute it. Tomato paste is concentrated, so one part paste to two parts water approximates tomato sauce, and you will need to adjust the seasoning. Weigh the paste rather than measuring by volume, because it is thick and clings to the spoon.

Why does my sauce taste tinny?

Because the tomato paste was not fried before the liquid was added. Fry the paste in oil for a minute until it darkens and smells sweet, which removes the raw, tinny taste and deepens the flavour of the sauce.

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.