A cup of soy sauce is 255 g — the USDA figure, measured poured. Salty, umami-rich fermented soybean sauce. It is used for stir-fries, marinades, dressings and dipping. It is one of the saltiest ingredients in the kitchen, and at 255 g per cup it is also one of the heaviest liquids on this page. A cup of soy sauce is a serious amount of salt and umami, which is why recipes measure it in tablespoons, and why a single extra spoonful can make a whole dish too salty to eat. This guide covers the weight of soy sauce 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.
Soy Sauce: weight and measurement table
The table below gives the weight of Soy Sauce in every measure you will use, from a teaspoon up to 2 cups, all derived from the USDA figure of 255 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 | 5.3 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 15.9 g |
| 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) | 63.8 g |
| 1/3 cup | 85 g |
| 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) | 127.5 g |
| 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) | 191.2 g |
| 1 cup (16 tbsp) | 255 g |
| 2 cups | 510 g |
| 100 g | 0.39 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 0.39 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 Soy Sauce?
Salty, umami-rich fermented soybean sauce. Soy Sauce is used for stir-fries, marinades, dressings and dipping. The ingredient is a familiar one in most kitchens, but it is worth knowing what it actually is before you measure it, because the form it comes in decides how it behaves in a recipe. Soy Sauce as sold is the form the weight on this page refers to: 255 g per cup, poured, from USDA. If you buy it in a different form — chopped, ground, toasted, sweetened or unsweetened — the weight per cup changes, sometimes by a lot, so weigh the ingredient in the form the recipe asks for, or weigh it before you change its form. That single habit, weighing before chopping, grinding or toasting, is what keeps the recipe consistent from one bake to the next.
How to measure Soy Sauce
Pour the soy sauce into a liquid measuring jug at eye level, and read the meniscus at the bottom of the curve, not the top. A dry measuring cup is the wrong tool for a liquid, because it is hard to pour accurately and easy to spill. Pour slowly, especially near the line, because it is easy to overshoot and hard to take liquid back out. When the recipe matters, weigh the soy sauce on a kitchen scale instead: put the jug on the scale, press tare, and pour until the scale reads the weight you need. Weighing a liquid is faster and more accurate than pouring to a line, and it works for any amount.
How to store Soy Sauce
Cool cupboard; refrigerate after opening for best flavour. That storage advice is worth following, because soy sauce goes stale faster than most cooks expect, and stale soy sauce will spoil a whole batch of baking. Keep it sealed, because air and moisture are what make it go stale, and keep it away from strong smells, because it absorbs odours from the cupboard. Check the ingredient before you use it: smell it, taste a little, and look at it. If it smells sharp, stale or off, or if it has changed colour or texture, replace it rather than risking a recipe on it. A small amount of fresh soy sauce is always better than a large amount of stale soy sauce, and the cost of replacing it is far less than the cost of a ruined bake.
What to use instead of Soy Sauce
There is no exact cup-for-cup substitute for soy sauce in the ingredient data, so the best approach is to use a small amount of table salt dissolved in water for the saltiness, and to accept that the flavour will be different. Salt itself is far more concentrated: fine table salt weighs 288 g per cup, so a pinch goes a long way, and it is easy to over-salt a dish by swapping carelessly. For most recipes, it is better to leave the soy sauce out and season the dish at the end, rather than forcing a substitute that changes the flavour completely.
Worked examples: Soy Sauce in real recipes
1. A stir-fry sauce for a weeknight dinner
A stir-fry sauce for four uses 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, about 63.8 g, mixed with a little honey, garlic and ginger. The soy sauce gives the sauce its saltiness and its umami depth, and the weight is what decides the seasoning: too much and the dish turns too salty to eat, too little and it tastes flat. Mix the sauce in a small bowl first, taste it, and adjust before it goes into the pan, because once the sauce is in the stir-fry it is hard to fix.
2. A marinade for grilled chicken
A marinade for grilled chicken uses 6 tablespoons of soy sauce, about 95.6 g, mixed with olive oil, lemon juice and herbs. The soy sauce seasons the chicken and helps the skin brown, and the amount matters: too much and the chicken turns too salty, too little and it tastes plain. Marinate the chicken for at least an hour, or overnight for the best flavour, and do not reuse the marinade as a sauce unless you boil it first, because it has been in contact with raw chicken.
3. A dipping sauce for dumplings
A dipping sauce for dumplings uses 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, about 47.8 g, mixed with a little rice vinegar and chilli oil. The soy sauce gives the sauce its saltiness, and the vinegar cuts through the richness of the dumplings, making a sauce that suits them better than plain soy sauce. Mix the sauce in a small bowl and serve it on the side, so each person can take as much as they like, and taste it before serving, because the balance between salty and sour depends on the ratio.
Why the weight of Soy Sauce matters
Soy sauce matters by weight because it is so salty that a small error changes a dish a lot. In a stir-fry, the soy sauce content decides the seasoning, and a 15 g error, about one tablespoon, is enough to make the dish too salty or too bland. Soy sauce is also the main source of umami in many dishes, so too little leaves the food tasting flat, while too much overwhelms everything else. The cup measure is unreliable because soy sauce is a thin liquid that is easy to over-pour, and a cup is far more than any recipe needs. Weighing it, or measuring it in tablespoons, keeps the seasoning right: one tablespoon weighs about {tbsp} g, and most recipes need only two or three. The type matters too: light soy sauce is saltier and thinner, while dark soy sauce is sweeter and thicker, so the same weight gives a different flavour.
The USDA figure, and how it was measured
The USDA figure for soy sauce is not disputed: 255 g per cup, poured, is the accepted value, and other sources agree within a few grams. Small differences between brands and batches are normal, because natural ingredients vary, but the variation is small enough that the figure on this page is a reliable guide for everyday cooking. The figure on this page, 255 g per cup, was measured poured, which is the standard method for this kind of ingredient. If you measure it differently — scooping instead of spooning, packing instead of levelling, or measuring after chopping — the weight changes, and the recipe changes with it. The source matters too: USDA is the reference used throughout this site, because its figures are consistent and widely used in baking, and the USDA figures are used where King Arthur does not publish one. When two sources disagree, this site says so, and the figure given is the one judged most reliable for everyday cooking.
Common mistakes with Soy Sauce
The most common mistake is adding soy sauce at the start of cooking and then adding salt as well, which makes the dish far too salty. Taste before adding any extra salt, because soy sauce is already salty enough. The second mistake is using dark soy sauce in a recipe written for light: dark soy sauce is sweeter and thicker, and it darkens the dish, while light soy sauce is saltier and thinner. Check the bottle. The third mistake is pouring soy sauce straight from the bottle into the pan, where it is impossible to judge the amount; measure it in a spoon first. Finally, do not store soy sauce in a warm place with the lid off, because it loses its flavour and can grow mould; keep it in a cool cupboard and refrigerate it after opening for the best flavour.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1 cup of soy sauce?
One cup of soy sauce weighs about 255 g, poured, using the USDA figure. That is for soy sauce as sold, and the weight is high because soy sauce is a dense, salty liquid. Most recipes need only a few tablespoons, so the tablespoon weight of about 15.9 g is the number that matters most. The figure is approximate, so verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.
How many tablespoons is 100 grams of soy sauce?
100 grams of soy sauce is about 6.3 tablespoons, poured, because one tablespoon weighs about 15.9 g. Six level tablespoons is just under 100 g, so add a small spoonful more, or weigh the sauce on a scale for accuracy. Most recipes need only two or three tablespoons, so 100 g is a large amount for a single dish.
What is the difference between light and dark soy sauce?
Light soy sauce is saltier, thinner and paler, and it is used for seasoning, while dark soy sauce is sweeter, thicker and darker, and it is used for colour and a richer flavour. The weight per cup is similar, but the taste is different, so use the kind the recipe asks for. In most Western recipes, light soy sauce is the default.
Can I use salt instead of soy sauce?
Only partly: salt gives saltiness, but soy sauce also gives umami and colour, which salt cannot. If you have no soy sauce, use a pinch of salt plus a splash of water, and expect a flatter flavour. The swap works best in a stir-fry, where the other ingredients provide the flavour, and worst in a dipping sauce, where the soy sauce is the main taste.
How should I store soy sauce?
Keep it in a cool cupboard, and refrigerate it after opening for the best flavour. An opened bottle keeps for months in the fridge, while one left in a warm cupboard loses its flavour faster. If it smells sharp or looks cloudy, it has gone past its best and should be replaced.