When a recipe lists vegetable stock in tablespoons and your scale reads grams, the conversion is 15 g per tablespoon. The maths is a single division: one cup of vegetable stock weighs 240 g, and one tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so 240 ÷ 16 = 15 g. That one number unlocks the whole table below, from a single teaspoon at 5 g up to a full cup at 240 g.
Every figure here is approximate and comes from USDA, measured poured. Small spoonfuls are the hardest amounts to weigh accurately, so if the recipe matters, check the weight on a kitchen scale.
About Vegetable Stock
Savoury liquid made by simmering vegetables and herbs. Soups, risottos, sauces and braising. That is why it shows up in recipes measured by the tablespoon: it is used in amounts too small for a cup measure to be practical, yet large enough that guessing the weight can throw a dish off. Knowing that one tablespoon weighs 15 g lets you move between the spoon and the scale without stopping to work it out.
Storage. Refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze up to 3 months.
Worked examples
A marinade for a weeknight dinner
A marinade for two portions of chicken or fish uses 3 tablespoons of vegetable stock, about 45 g, mixed with oil, garlic and herbs. The liquid carries the flavour into the food and keeps the surface moist while it cooks. Marinate for twenty to thirty minutes, and discard any leftover marinade that touched raw meat rather than reusing it as a sauce.
A glaze for roasted vegetables
A glaze for a tray of roast vegetables uses 2 tablespoons of vegetable stock, about 30 g, brushed over the vegetables in the last ten minutes of cooking. Brushing it on late stops the sugars in the glaze from burning, and two tablespoons is enough to coat a full tray without making it soggy. Brush it on, return the tray to the oven, and watch it closely, because a glaze goes from glossy to burnt in a couple of minutes.
A drink or a sauce base
A sauce or a drink that serves four people often starts with 4 tablespoons of vegetable stock, about 60 g, as its liquid base. Four tablespoons is a small amount in a jug, which is why recipes list it by the spoon: it is the seasoning and the lift, not the bulk of the dish. Measure it with a spoon rather than guessing from the bottle, because a free pour is almost always more than you intended.
Tablespoon to grams table
| Tablespoons | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 5 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 15 g |
| 2 tablespoons | 30 g |
| 3 tablespoons | 45 g |
| 4 tablespoons | 60 g |
| 5 tablespoons | 75 g |
| 6 tablespoons | 90 g |
| 7 tablespoons | 105 g |
| 8 tablespoons | 120 g |
| 9 tablespoons | 135 g |
| 10 tablespoons | 150 g |
| 11 tablespoons | 165 g |
| 12 tablespoons | 180 g |
| 13 tablespoons | 195 g |
| 14 tablespoons | 210 g |
| 15 tablespoons | 225 g |
| 16 tablespoons | 240 g |
One tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup, so every figure above is the cup weight of 240 g divided by 16 and rounded to one decimal place. Sixteen tablespoons make one cup, which is why the last row of the table matches the cup weight exactly. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
Cups to grams for reference
Most recipes switch between cups and tablespoons, so here is the same ingredient measured in cups. Use this table when a recipe gives a cup amount and you want to weigh it, or when you have already measured in tablespoons and want to check the total.
| Cups | Tablespoons | Grams |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 4 tablespoons | 60 g |
| 1/3 cup | 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon | 80 g |
| 1/2 cup | 8 tablespoons | 120 g |
| 2/3 cup | 10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons | 160 g |
| 3/4 cup | 12 tablespoons | 180 g |
| 1 cup | 16 tablespoons | 240 g |
| 1 1/2 cups | 24 tablespoons | 360 g |
| 2 cups | 32 tablespoons | 480 g |
How the figure is measured
Vegetable Stock is a liquid, so it is measured poured: fill the tablespoon to the brim and level it by eye, or pour it into a small jug and read the level. Liquids are the easiest ingredients to measure by volume, because they settle flat and leave no air pockets, but they still cling to the spoon, so let the spoon drip for a moment before you count it as added. For larger amounts, pour into a jug rather than counting spoonfuls, since counting sixteen tablespoons is slow and each pour adds a small error.
The cup weight of 240 g comes from USDA. The tablespoon figure is that cup weight divided by 16, rounded to one decimal place, which is why the table is consistent from one row to the next. All results are approximate: brand, grind, humidity and temperature all move the real weight a little, so when a recipe has to work the first time, weigh the ingredient on a kitchen scale and use these numbers as a guide.
When you do not have a scale
Not every kitchen has a scale, and a tablespoon measure is a perfectly good tool for small amounts of vegetable stock. The key is technique: fill the spoon the way the source data assumes, which for vegetable stock is poured. A level spoon is the standard, and a heaped spoon is a different measurement altogether, so level the top with a straight edge and do not guess.
For amounts larger than a few tablespoons, a cup measure is more reliable than counting spoons, because each spoonful adds a little error and the errors add up. One cup of vegetable stock is 240 g, which is 16 tablespoons, so if a recipe calls for a cup, use the cup measure rather than counting sixteen spoonfuls. And when a recipe has to work the first time, borrow or buy a scale: it costs less than a single failed bake, and it removes the biggest source of variation in home cooking, which is the way ingredients pack into a spoon or a cup.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is a tablespoon of vegetable stock?
One tablespoon of vegetable stock weighs 15 g, approximately. The figure comes from dividing the cup weight of 240 g by 16, since one tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup. One teaspoon is 5 g, and one cup is 240 g.
Can I use a regular eating spoon instead of a measuring tablespoon?
It is not a good idea. Eating spoons vary widely in size and shape, and a tablespoon from a cutlery drawer can hold noticeably more or less than a standard measuring tablespoon. A set of measuring spoons costs very little and is the only way to make the figures on this page true in your kitchen.
Is 15 g per tablespoon exact or approximate?
It is approximate. The cup weight of 240 g comes from USDA, measured poured, and the real weight of a tablespoon varies with brand, grind, humidity and how the spoon is filled. For most cooking the approximation is fine, and for baking or any recipe that has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.
How do I measure vegetable stock without a scale?
Fill a measuring tablespoon poured and level it off with a straight edge. For amounts up to a few tablespoons, that is accurate enough. For larger amounts, use a cup measure: one cup of vegetable stock is 240 g. Count spoonfuls only for small amounts, since the error on each spoon adds up over sixteen of them.
How much does 60 g of vegetable stock work out to in tablespoons?
That is 4 tablespoons, which weigh 60 g. Four tablespoons is a quarter of a cup, so it is a convenient amount to measure with a quarter-cup measure if you have one. The same arithmetic works for any amount: divide the grams by 15 to get tablespoons.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Measuring a liquid in a dry cup, where it clings to the sides and some of it never reaches the bowl.
- Counting spoonfuls for a large amount instead of switching to a jug or a scale, which lets small errors add up.
- Reading a jug at an angle instead of at eye level, which makes the level look higher or lower than it is.
- Pouring straight from the bottle into the pan, which is almost always more than the recipe asked for.
The thread running through all of these is the same: a tablespoon is only a standard measure when it is filled in the standard way. Measure vegetable stock poured, level it off, and check the weight on a scale when the recipe has to be right, and the numbers on this page will serve you well.