1 tablespoon of white rice weighs 12.4 g. Rice is rarely measured by the tablespoon, but the figure is useful for small amounts, like adding rice to a soup, making a rice pudding for one, or measuring out a portion for a baby. A tablespoon of rice is about 12 g uncooked, and it becomes about 36 g once cooked, because rice triples in weight.
All figures on this page are approximate, and they come from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. When a recipe has to work the first time, verify with a kitchen scale.
Putting the numbers to work
Rice in a chicken soup
A chicken soup for four uses 4 tablespoons of white rice, about 50 g, stirred in during the last 20 minutes of cooking. The rice cooks in the soup and thickens it slightly. Add the rice late, because rice cooked for too long in soup turns to mush and absorbs all the liquid.
A rice pudding for one
A single serving of rice pudding uses 2 tablespoons of white rice, about 25 g, simmered slowly in milk and sugar. The rice should be tender and the pudding creamy, which takes about 40 minutes on a low heat. Stir it often, because rice pudding catches on the bottom of the pan.
A stuffed pepper filling
A stuffed pepper filling uses 4 tablespoons of white rice, about 50 g, per pepper, mixed with minced meat and tomato. The rice absorbs the juices from the meat as it cooks, and it expands to fill the pepper. Measure the rice dry, before it is mixed with the other ingredients.
The numbers in a table
| Amount | Grams of white rice |
|---|---|
| 1 teaspoon | 4.1 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 12.4 g |
| 2 tablespoons | 24.8 g |
| 3 tablespoons | 37.1 g |
| 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) | 49.5 g |
| 1/3 cup | 66 g |
| 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) | 99 g |
| 3/4 cup (12 tablespoons) | 148.5 g |
| 1 cup (16 tablespoons) | 198 g |
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. All figures are approximate; verify with a kitchen scale when it matters.
Tips for best results
Grains, seeds and similar dry goods should be spooned into the cup and levelled, without shaking or tapping the cup to settle them, which packs them down and inflates the weight. If the recipe calls for rinsed rice or oats, measure before rinsing: the water they absorb changes their weight, and a recipe written for dry weight will not work with wet grain. Store grains in airtight containers in a cool, dry place, and check for a stale or rancid smell before using older stock, because whole grains carry oils that go off faster than refined flour.
Scaling with tablespoons is easy once you know the weight of one spoon. To measure 100 g of white rice, count out about 8.1 tablespoons, and for 50 g, about 4.0 tablespoons. Halving a recipe that calls for 4 tablespoons means using 2 tablespoons, or 24.8 g, and doubling it means 8 tablespoons, or 99 g. The key is to scale every ingredient by the same factor, because changing one ingredient without changing the others throws the recipe out of balance. For large amounts, switch to a cup measure or a scale: counting out 16 tablespoons is slow and error-prone, and a cup is faster and more accurate.
When should you weigh white rice instead of measuring it? 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 cup or a spoon. Put the bowl on the scale, press tare, and add the white rice 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, and for liquids, a jug is fine, but for anything where precision matters, the scale is the tool to reach for.
Storage. Airtight container, cool and dry, up to 2 years.
- Measure rice dry, before cooking.
- A tablespoon of dry rice becomes about 37 g cooked.
- Add rice to soup in the last 20 minutes.
Method and source
The figure on this page comes from King Arthur Baking, measured spooned and levelled. Long-grain white rice, uncooked. Pilaf, stir-fries, rice pudding and side dishes.
All results on this page are approximate. Ingredient weights vary with brand, humidity, temperature and how firmly you pack the cup, 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.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is a tablespoon of white rice?
One tablespoon of white rice weighs 12.4 g uncooked, and one teaspoon is about 4.1 g. A cup of white rice is 198 g, and a tablespoon is one sixteenth of a cup.
Is this the weight of cooked or uncooked rice?
Uncooked. A tablespoon of dry white rice is 12.4 g, and it becomes about 37 g once cooked, because it absorbs water. Always measure rice before cooking unless a recipe says cooked rice.
How much cooked rice does a tablespoon of dry rice make?
About 3 tablespoons cooked, or roughly 37 g. Rice roughly triples in weight and volume when cooked, so a tablespoon of dry rice becomes a small mound of cooked rice.
Is brown rice the same weight per tablespoon?
Yes. Brown rice is also 12.4 g per tablespoon uncooked. The grains are the same size, so they weigh the same, even though brown rice takes longer to cook.
How much rice do I need per person?
About 8 tablespoons of dry rice per person, or half a cup, which is 99 g. That becomes about 1 1/2 cups cooked, which is a generous serving for most people.
Common mistakes to avoid
The most common mistake with grains and seeds is measuring them after rinsing, because the water they absorb changes their weight and a recipe written for dry weight will not work with wet grain. The second is shaking or tapping the cup to settle the contents, which packs them down and inflates the weight. The third is confusing cooked and uncooked measurements: a cup of dry rice becomes about three cups cooked, and a recipe that means one will not work with the other. The fourth mistake is storing grains in an open bag in a humid kitchen, where they absorb moisture and can develop mould or pantry moths. Finally, do not assume that all grains weigh the same per cup: oats are 89 g, quinoa is 177 g, and rice is 198 g, and swapping them cup for cup will change a recipe significantly.
Why recipes disagree: if you have ever found two charts giving different weights for the same ingredient, the reason is almost always the method. One chart measured the ingredient spooned and levelled, the other scooped it from the bag, and the two can differ by twenty percent. Brand and humidity add a few more grams of variation. That is why this page states the method alongside every figure, and why a kitchen scale is the only way to be certain. When two sources disagree, trust the one that tells you how it measured.