One cup of sesame oil weighs 216 g, poured, according to USDA. 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. Toasted sesame oil is dark and intensely nutty; refined sesame oil is neutral. It is used for stir-fries, dressings and marinades; toasted oil is a finishing oil. This guide covers the weight of sesame oil 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.

Sesame Oil: weight and measurement table

The table below gives the weight of Sesame Oil in every measure you will use, from a teaspoon up to 2 cups, all derived from the USDA figure of 216 g per cup, poured. Every figure is approximate — poured 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 | 4.5 g |

| 1 tablespoon | 13.5 g |

| 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) | 54 g |

| 1/3 cup | 72 g |

| 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) | 108 g |

| 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) | 162 g |

| 1 cup (16 tbsp) | 216 g |

| 2 cups | 432 g |

| 100 g | 0.5 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 0.5 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 Sesame Oil?

Toasted sesame oil is dark and intensely nutty; refined sesame oil is neutral. It is used for stir-fries, dressings and marinades; toasted oil is a finishing oil. Fat does three jobs in cooking: it carries flavour, it tenderises, and it transfers heat. Sesame Oil is used for stir-fries, dressings and marinades; toasted oil is a finishing oil, 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 Sesame Oil correctly

Pour the liquid into a liquid measuring jug, set the jug on a flat surface, and read the level at eye height, at the bottom of the meniscus. Or weigh it directly into the bowl on a kitchen scale, which is the most accurate method of all and needs no jug at all. 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 USDA figure used on this page is 216 g per cup, and confidence in this figure is medium. 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: 216 g per cup of sesame oil, poured, from USDA. Confidence in that figure is medium. 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 1/2 cups of sesame oil needs 540 g. Keep the fat cold and cut it into the flour quickly: cold fat makes steam in the oven, and steam makes flakes. Weighing 540 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 1 cup of sesame oil needs 216 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 3 cups of sesame oil means using 324 g; doubling it means 1296 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 sesame oil, 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:

  • Sesame Oil to Vegetable oil: 1:1 (much stronger flavour — use half for frying). 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 sesame oil, these swaps go the other way:

  • Vegetable oil to Sesame Oil: 1:1 (adds nutty 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 toasted sesame oil after opening.

The most common mistake with sesame oil 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 sesame oil 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 sesame oil?

One cup of sesame oil weighs approximately 216 g, measured poured, according to USDA. That is the figure every other number on this page is derived from: a tablespoon is 13.5 g, a teaspoon is 4.5 g, and 2 cups are 432 g. All figures are approximate, so verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.

How do I measure sesame oil without a scale?

Pour the liquid into a liquid measuring jug, set the jug on a flat surface, and read the level at eye height, at the bottom of the meniscus. Or weigh it directly into the bowl on a kitchen scale, which is the most accurate method of all and needs no jug at all. 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 sesame oil?

The substitution database lists Vegetable oil as a swap for sesame oil: 1:1 (much stronger flavour — use half for frying). 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 sesame oil?

Refrigerate toasted sesame oil after opening. 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 sesame oil 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 sesame oil for the uses it is listed for — stir-fries, dressings and marinades; toasted oil is a finishing oil — 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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