One tablespoon of quinoa weighs 11.1 g (spooned and levelled, King Arthur Baking). Quinoa is a tiny seed — not a grain at all, though it cooks like one — and its tablespoon weight reflects that: the small, round seeds pack together fairly tightly, but each seed is light, so a tablespoon weighs less than a tablespoon of rice. The figure matters when you are measuring a small amount for a salad or a breakfast bowl, scaling a recipe, or working out portions, because quinoa doubles in volume when cooked and it is easy to make far too much. All weights on this page are approximate; red and black quinoa weigh almost the same as white, so verify with a scale when precision matters.
How much does 1 tablespoon of quinoa weigh?
One level tablespoon of quinoa weighs 11.1 g, spooned and levelled, according to King Arthur Baking. That is the headline number, but a single tablespoon is rarely the whole story — most recipes use several spoonfuls, or a fraction of a cup, so the table below gives the weights you will actually reach for, from a teaspoon up to a full cup. Every figure is derived from the same source value of 177 g per cup, so the whole table is consistent. Treat all of these as approximate: spooned and levelled is a technique, not a machine setting, and two cooks measuring the same ingredient can differ by a gram or two per spoonful. When the recipe matters, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale instead.
| Amount | Weight (approx.) |
| --- | --- |
| 1 teaspoon | 3.7 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 11.1 g |
| 2 tablespoons | 22.1 g |
| 3 tablespoons | 33.2 g |
| 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) | 44.2 g |
| 1/2 cup (8 tbsp) | 88.5 g |
| 3/4 cup (12 tbsp) | 132.8 g |
| 1 cup (16 tbsp) | 177 g |
A useful rule of thumb: 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 2 teaspoons and you only have a tablespoon measure, that is two-thirds of a tablespoon — about 7.4 g. If a recipe calls for a quarter cup and you only have a tablespoon, that is 4 level tablespoons. Keep the tablespoons to grams converter open while you cook and you will never need to do the arithmetic in your head.
Worked examples
A quinoa salad for two
A quinoa salad for two uses 8 tablespoons of dry quinoa — about 89 g — cooked in 1.5 cups of water. The tablespoon weight is what makes this a reliable recipe: 89 g of dry quinoa cooks up to about 270 g, or roughly 1.5 cups, which is the right amount for two generous salad portions. Weighing the quinoa also lets you scale the salad — a single serving needs 4 tablespoons (44 g), and a dinner party for eight needs 32 tablespoons (355 g). The quinoa is rinsed before cooking to remove saponin, the bitter coating on the seeds, and cooked until the tiny spiral germs unfurl, which is the sign it is done.
A breakfast quinoa porridge
A breakfast porridge for one uses 4 tablespoons of dry quinoa — about 44 g — simmered in milk with cinnamon and honey. The tablespoon weight matters because porridge is a ratio dish: 44 g of quinoa to 250 ml of milk gives a creamy, spoonable porridge, while a tablespoon too many makes it thick and stodgy. The quinoa is cooked for about 15 minutes, until it is tender and the milk has thickened, then topped with fruit and nuts. Weighing the quinoa once teaches your hand what a single portion looks like, and after that you can measure it by the spoonful with confidence.
Stuffed tomatoes for four
A stuffed tomato recipe uses 3 tablespoons of dry quinoa per tomato — about 33 g — cooked and mixed with herbs, feta and pine nuts. The tablespoon weight is the bridge between the dry and cooked figures: 33 g of dry quinoa cooks up to about 100 g, which is exactly the amount that fills a large tomato without overflowing. Measuring the quinoa dry and cooking it first is the reliable method — measuring it cooked is inaccurate, because cooked quinoa's weight depends on how much water it absorbed. Four tomatoes need 12 tablespoons of dry quinoa, or about 133 g, which is a little under 1 cup.
How to measure a tablespoon of quinoa correctly
Quinoa is measured spooned and levelled, and the method is simple: spoon the dry seeds into the tablespoon measure and level the top with a knife. Quinoa seeds are small and round, so they settle evenly and the tablespoon weight is consistent at 11.1 g across white, red and black varieties. For amounts above a few tablespoons, weighing is better: tare the bowl, pour the quinoa in, and stop at the target. Rinse the quinoa before cooking, even if the packet says it is pre-rinsed — the bitter saponin coating is water-soluble, and a good rinse makes a noticeable difference to the flavour. Cook quinoa in twice its volume of water for about 15 minutes, then let it rest off the heat for 5 minutes with the lid on; the resting time is when the seeds finish absorbing the water and become fluffy instead of wet. The King Arthur figure of 11.1 g per tablespoon is for dry white quinoa.
When the weight matters most
Quinoa's tablespoon weight matters most for portion control, because it more than doubles in volume when cooked and it is very easy to make three times as much as you need. A tablespoon of dry quinoa becomes about 3 tablespoons cooked, so the difference between 4 tablespoons and 8 tablespoons dry is the difference between one portion and two. The weight also matters for nutrition: quinoa is a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids, and a tablespoon of dry quinoa carries about 40 calories and 1.5 g of protein. Knowing the gram weight lets you plan a meal's protein content accurately, which is why quinoa is a staple for vegetarian and vegan cooking. And it matters for meal prep: cooked quinoa keeps for 5 days in the fridge and freezes well, so cooking a large batch by weight and portioning it into 150 g servings is an efficient way to plan lunches.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake is not rinsing quinoa. The seeds are coated in saponin, a bitter compound that protects them from birds, and unrinsed quinoa tastes soapy and unpleasant. Rinse it in a fine sieve under running water for 30 seconds. The second mistake is using too much water: quinoa needs about twice its volume, not the three times that rice needs, and too much water gives a soggy, mushy result. The third mistake is skipping the resting time — quinoa that is served straight off the heat is wet, while quinoa rested for 5 minutes with the lid on is fluffy and separate. Finally, do not measure cooked quinoa with the dry figure: a cup of cooked quinoa weighs about 185 g, which is a completely different number from the 177 g per cup of dry quinoa, and confusing the two throws off any recipe.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1 tablespoon of quinoa?
One tablespoon of dry quinoa weighs 11.1 g, spooned and levelled, according to King Arthur Baking. One teaspoon weighs 3.7 g. These are approximate weights — red and black quinoa weigh almost the same, so weigh it for the most accurate result.
How many tablespoons of quinoa are in 100 g?
There are about 9 tablespoons in 100 g of dry quinoa (100 divided by 11.1 is 9). A standard 500 g bag holds about 45 tablespoons, which is roughly 2.8 cups.
How much does quinoa expand when cooked?
Quinoa roughly triples in volume when cooked. One tablespoon of dry quinoa (11.1 g) becomes about 3 tablespoons cooked (about 33 g). One cup of dry quinoa (177 g) makes about 3 cups cooked.
Do I need to rinse quinoa?
Yes, even if the packet says pre-rinsed. Quinoa seeds are coated in saponin, a bitter compound. Rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve under running water for 30 seconds before cooking — it makes a noticeable difference to the flavour.
How long does quinoa last?
Dry quinoa keeps for about 1 year in a cool, dry cupboard, sealed tightly. Cooked quinoa keeps for 5 days in the fridge and freezes well for up to 3 months. Discard dry quinoa if it smells musty.
Related conversions
If you cook with this ingredient regularly, these pages will help: the tablespoons to grams converter for any amount, the cups to grams converter for larger quantities, and the full ingredient guide for storage, substitutes and the weight of a whole cup. You can also compare the cup weight on the Quinoa cups to grams page or work backwards from a gram amount on the Quinoa grams to cups page.
You may also want Brown Rice tbsp to grams, White Rice ingredients, Quinoa cups to grams and Quinoa grams to cups.