100 grams of olive oil is about 7.4 tablespoons. One tablespoon of olive oil weighs about 13.5 g, and one teaspoon is about 4.5 g. It is the only common oil where the grade matters as much as the amount: extra virgin for dressings and finishing, refined for frying, and the weight is the same either way.
All figures on this page are approximate, and they come from USDA, measured poured. Oil pressed from olives; extra virgin is best uncooked, refined suits frying. Dressings, roasting, frying and bread dipping. When a recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.
How the measurement works
The figure on this page comes from USDA, measured poured. One US cup is 16 tablespoons, so every figure here is the cup weight of 216 g divided by 16, rounded to one decimal place. Oil pressed from olives; extra virgin is best uncooked, refined suits frying. Dressings, roasting, frying and bread dipping.
A note on disputed figures. USDA gives 216 g per cup (0.91 g/ml); the King Arthur chart lists 200 g. We use the USDA density value.
All results on this page are approximate. Ingredient weights vary with brand, humidity, temperature and how firmly you pack the spoon, so when a recipe has to work the first time, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale and use the numbers here as a guide.
Conversion table
| Amount | Grams of olive oil |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 4.5 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 13.5 g |
| 2 tablespoons | 27 g |
| 3 tablespoons | 40.5 g |
| 4 tablespoons | 54 g |
| 5 tablespoons | 67.5 g |
| 6 tablespoons | 81 g |
| 8 tablespoons | 108 g |
| 10 tablespoons | 135 g |
| 12 tablespoons | 162 g |
| 1 cup (16 tablespoons) | 216 g |
| 100 g | 7.4 tablespoons |
One tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so every figure above is simply the cup weight divided by 16, rounded to one decimal place. The last row is the headline figure for this page: 100 g of olive oil is about 7.4 tablespoons. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
Three real kitchen examples
A vinaigrette for a green salad (Olive Oil)
A vinaigrette for a green salad uses 4 tablespoons of olive oil, about 54 g, whisked with vinegar, mustard and a pinch of salt. Extra virgin olive oil is the right choice here, because its peppery, grassy flavour is the point of the dressing, and a neutral oil would leave it flat. Whisk the oil in slowly so the dressing emulsifies and coats the leaves instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
Roasting a tray of Mediterranean vegetables
Roasting a tray of peppers, courgettes and red onions takes 6 tablespoons of olive oil, about 81 g, tossed through the vegetables with salt before they go into a hot oven. The oil helps the vegetables brown and crisp at the edges instead of steaming, and it carries the flavour of the garlic and herbs. Toss the vegetables until every piece glistens; dry patches burn while oily patches stay pale.
A focaccia brushed with oil
A focaccia brushed with olive oil uses about 8 tablespoons, roughly 108 g, poured over the dough before baking and again as soon as it comes out of the oven. The oil pools in the dimples and fries the top of the bread as it bakes, giving focaccia its crisp, golden crust. Use a good extra virgin oil for the final brush, because its flavour is what you taste first.
Getting it right in your kitchen
Olive oil matters because it is a flavouring, not just a fat. Extra virgin olive oil tastes peppery, grassy and sometimes bitter, and that flavour is the point of a salad dressing, a dip or a finishing drizzle. Refined olive oil is milder and better for frying, because it smokes at a higher temperature. At 216 g per cup by USDA density, a tablespoon weighs about 13.5 g, so 100 g is about 7.4 tablespoons. The King Arthur chart lists 200 g per cup, but we use the USDA value of 216 g. For dressings and finishing, the exact weight matters less than the quality of the oil, but for baking and frying, weighing the oil keeps the recipe consistent.
When should you weigh olive oil instead of measuring it in tablespoons? Whenever the recipe has to work the first time, and whenever the amount is large. A kitchen scale costs less than a single failed cake, and it removes the biggest source of variation in home cooking: the way ingredients pack into a spoon or a cup. Put the bowl on the scale, press tare, and add the olive oil until the display shows the number you need. There is nothing to wash afterwards except the bowl, and the result is the same every time. For small amounts, a level spoon is accurate enough, but for anything where precision matters, the scale is the tool to reach for.
Storage. Cool, dark place away from the stove; use within 6 months of opening.
- Extra virgin for dressings and finishing; refined olive oil for frying.
- Store in a cool, dark place away from the stove, never on a sunny shelf.
- Use within 6 months of opening; rancid oil tastes sharp and stale.
Frequently asked questions
How many tablespoons is 100 grams of olive oil?
100 grams of olive oil is about 7.4 tablespoons, poured, using the USDA density value of 216 g per cup. One tablespoon weighs about 13.5 g. The figure is approximate, so verify with a kitchen scale when the recipe matters.
How many grams is 1 tablespoon of olive oil?
One tablespoon of olive oil weighs about 13.5 g, and one teaspoon is about 4.5 g. The King Arthur chart lists a lower figure of 200 g per cup, but we use the USDA density value of 216 g per cup.
Can I fry with extra virgin olive oil?
You can for gentle frying, but it smokes at a lower temperature than refined olive oil and turns bitter when it overheats. For high-heat frying, use refined olive oil or a neutral oil, and save the extra virgin oil for dressings and finishing, where its flavour shows.
How do I tell if olive oil has gone bad?
Smell it: fresh olive oil smells grassy and peppery, while rancid oil smells like old crayons or stale nuts. Taste it too: rancid oil tastes flat and greasy instead of bright. If it smells off, throw it away, because rancid oil will ruin any dish it goes into.
Does the weight of olive oil change with the grade?
No, not in any way that matters. Extra virgin and refined olive oil have the same density, about 216 g per cup, so 100 g is about 7.4 tablespoons for both. What changes is the flavour and the smoke point, not the weight.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake is cooking with expensive extra virgin olive oil at high heat: it smokes, turns bitter and wastes money, when refined olive oil would do the job better. The second mistake is storing olive oil next to the stove, where heat and light make it go rancid in weeks; it belongs in a cool, dark cupboard. The third mistake is buying olive oil in a clear bottle and keeping it on a sunny shelf, which spoils it faster than any other storage fault. Finally, do not assume all olive oil tastes the same: a peppery Tuscan oil and a mild Spanish oil give a dressing a completely different character.