One cup of lard weighs 227 g, scooped, according to King Arthur Baking. Fats are forgiving to measure compared with flour, but they are not interchangeable: a cup of one fat does not behave like a cup of another, even when the weights are close. Rendered pork fat, prized for flaky pastry. It is used for pastry, biscuits, tamales and frying. This guide covers the weight of lard in every measure you will use — cups, tablespoons and teaspoons — how to measure it correctly, what to use instead when you run out, and how to store it. All weights on this page are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.

Lard: weight and measurement table

The table below gives the weight of Lard in every measure you will use, from a teaspoon up to 2 cups, all derived from the King Arthur Baking figure of 227 g per cup, scooped. Every figure is approximate — scooped is a technique, not a machine setting — so when the recipe matters, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale instead.

| Amount | Weight (approx.) |

| --- | --- |

| 1 teaspoon | 4.7 g |

| 1 tablespoon | 14.2 g |

| 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) | 56.8 g |

| 1/3 cup | 75.7 g |

| 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) | 113.5 g |

| 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) | 170.2 g |

| 1 cup (16 tbsp) | 227 g |

| 2 cups | 454 g |

| 100 g | 0.4 cups |

There are 3 teaspoons in a tablespoon and 16 tablespoons in a cup, so you can move between any of these measures by multiplying or dividing. If a recipe calls for 100 g and you only have measuring cups, that is about 0.4 cups. Keep the cups to grams converter open while you cook and you will never need to do the arithmetic in your head.

What is Lard?

Rendered pork fat, prized for flaky pastry. It is used for pastry, biscuits, tamales and frying. Fat does three jobs in cooking: it carries flavour, it tenderises, and it transfers heat. Lard is used for pastry, biscuits, tamales and frying, and the way it behaves depends on whether it is solid or liquid at room temperature and how hot it gets before it smokes. A cup of fat is a large amount in most recipes — a whole cake or a pan of pastry — so getting the weight right matters, and so does measuring it at the temperature the recipe expects.

How to measure Lard correctly

Scoop the ingredient directly with the measuring cup, then level the top with a knife. Solid fats are measured this way because they hold their shape; press out any air pockets as you fill the cup so the measure is full, not hollow. For fats, temperature is the other variable: a cold solid fat packs differently from a softened one, and a melted fat is measured as a liquid. The King Arthur Baking figure used on this page is 227 g per cup, and confidence in this figure is high. Weighing fat on a scale is the most reliable method of all — put the bowl on the scale, press tare, and add the fat until the display shows the grams you need.

Method and source

All the figures on this page are derived from a single sourced number: 227 g per cup of lard, scooped, from King Arthur Baking. Confidence in that figure is high. Every other number — the teaspoon, tablespoon, quarter-cup and half-cup weights — is that number divided or multiplied, so if the cup figure is right, the rest follow. If a different source gives a different cup weight, every number on this page shifts by the same proportion. Every density-based result on this page is labelled approximate, and the honest advice is the same on every page of this site: when the recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.

Worked examples

Pastry or a cake

A pastry recipe that calls for 2 cups of lard needs 454 g. Keep the fat cold and cut it into the flour quickly: cold fat makes steam in the oven, and steam makes flakes. Weighing 454 g instead of measuring cups of a solid fat is more accurate, because a cup of solid fat is full of air pockets unless you pack it down firmly.

Frying and roasting

Roasting vegetables with 3/4 cup of lard needs 170.2 g, drizzled over the tray. Weighing the oil is the easiest way to keep the amount consistent from one batch to the next, and it stops the vegetables swimming in oil. For frying, heat the fat until it shimmers before the food goes in, so the food seals instead of soaking it up.

Scaling a recipe

Halving a recipe that calls for 1 1/2 cups of lard means using 170.2 g; doubling it means 681 g. Scale the fat with the rest of the recipe, and remember that a recipe's fat is doing structural work — creaming, tenderising, carrying flavour — so changing it without changing the other ingredients changes the result more than the number suggests.

What to use instead

When you run out of lard, the substitution data lists these swaps. Every ratio below comes from the site's substitution database, and each one has a page of its own in the substitutions section:

  • Lard to Shortening: 1:1. Solid fats swap 1:1; butter and ghee add flavour that shortening and lard do not. Do not swap butter for shortening in a recipe that relies on butter's flavour, and do not use lard where pork is not wanted.

  • Lard to Butter: 1:1 (less flaky). Solid fats swap 1:1; butter and ghee add flavour that shortening and lard do not. Do not swap butter for shortening in a recipe that relies on butter's flavour, and do not use lard where pork is not wanted.

And if a recipe calls for something else and you only have lard, these swaps go the other way:

  • Shortening to Lard: 1:1. Solid fats swap 1:1; butter and ghee add flavour that shortening and lard do not. Do not swap butter for shortening in a recipe that relies on butter's flavour, and do not use lard where pork is not wanted.

  • Butter to Lard: 1:1 (richer, pork flavour). Solid fats swap 1:1; butter and ghee add flavour that shortening and lard do not. Do not swap butter for shortening in a recipe that relies on butter's flavour, and do not use lard where pork is not wanted.

One warning applies to every substitution: a swap changes the recipe. A different flour changes the crumb, a different sugar changes the browning, a different fat changes the flavour. Use the butter to oil converter to check the swap before you commit, and when the recipe has to work the first time, buy the ingredient the recipe actually calls for.

Storage and common mistakes

Storage. Refrigerate up to 6 months; freeze longer.

The most common mistake with lard is measuring it at the wrong temperature. A solid fat measured cold packs differently from one measured soft, and a melted fat is a liquid, not a solid. Measure it the way the recipe expects it. The second mistake is reusing frying fat too many times: it picks up flavours and breaks down, and the smoke point drops. The third mistake is guessing the amount — weighing fat is fast and far more accurate than eyeballing it.

When the conversion matters most is when the recipe is unforgiving: a cake, a loaf, a meringue, a sauce that has to set. In those recipes, weigh the lard on a kitchen scale and use the numbers on this page as a check, not as the measurement itself. For everyday cooking — a soup, a salad, a stir-fry — a level spoon or a jug is accurate enough, and the figures here will keep you close. The rule of thumb is simple: the more the recipe depends on the exact amount, the more you should weigh it.

Frequently asked questions

How many grams is 1 cup of lard?

One cup of lard weighs approximately 227 g, measured scooped, according to King Arthur Baking. That is the figure every other number on this page is derived from: a tablespoon is 14.2 g, a teaspoon is 4.7 g, and 2 cups are 454 g. All figures are approximate, so verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.

How do I measure lard without a scale?

Scoop the ingredient directly with the measuring cup, then level the top with a knife. Solid fats are measured this way because they hold their shape; press out any air pockets as you fill the cup so the measure is full, not hollow. For small amounts, use proper measuring spoons and level them with a knife. For liquids, use a jug on a flat surface and read the level at eye height. These methods are accurate enough for everyday cooking, but for baking — where the ratio of ingredients decides the result — a kitchen scale is worth the small cost.

What can I use instead of lard?

The substitution database lists Shortening as a swap for lard: 1:1. Solid fats swap 1:1; butter and ghee add flavour that shortening and lard do not. Do not swap butter for shortening in a recipe that relies on butter's flavour, and do not use lard where pork is not wanted. See the substitution section above for the full list of swaps, and remember that any substitution changes the flavour or texture of the finished dish — a swap is a rescue, not a replica.

How should I store lard?

Refrigerate up to 6 months; freeze longer. Storing it properly also keeps its weight consistent: an ingredient that has absorbed moisture or dried out will not weigh the same per cup as a fresh one, so a recipe that worked last month can drift if the storage has changed.

Can I use lard for frying?

That depends on how hot the frying gets and on the smoke point of the fat, which is not a number this page publishes — the data file carries weight, not smoke points. As a rule, use lard for the uses it is listed for — pastry, biscuits, tamales and frying — and for high-heat frying choose a fat you know can take the heat. Whatever fat you use, heat it until it shimmers before the food goes in, so the food seals instead of soaking up oil.

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