How to measure chopped onion
The USDA entry is “Onions, raw, 1 cup, chopped = 160 g”. King Arthur Baking’s chart gives 142 grams for a cup of fresh diced onion, which shows how much the cut and the way the cup is filled change the figure. Chopped onion is the heaviest of the raw chopped vegetables on this site, ahead of chopped red bell pepper at 149 grams, grated carrots at 110 grams and chopped celery at 101 grams. Chop first, then measure, and level without pressing. Half a cup is 80 grams and a quarter cup 40 grams.
Sources: 160 grams per US cup is the cup weight in USDA FoodData Central (open FDC entry 170000), entry “Onions, raw, 1 cup, chopped = 160 g”. A US cup is about 237 milliliters.
Chopped onion: cups to grams chart
| Cups | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 cup | 20 g | 0.71 oz |
| 1/4 cup | 40 g | 1.41 oz |
| 1/3 cup | 53 g | 1.88 oz |
| 1/2 cup | 80 g | 2.82 oz |
| 2/3 cup | 107 g | 3.76 oz |
| 3/4 cup | 120 g | 4.23 oz |
| 1 cup | 160 g | 5.64 oz |
| 1 1/2 cups | 240 g | 8.47 oz |
| 2 cups | 320 g | 11.3 oz |
| 3 cups | 480 g | 16.9 oz |
| 4 cups | 640 g | 22.6 oz |
Tablespoons and teaspoons of chopped onion
Three teaspoons make a tablespoon and 16 tablespoons make a cup, so the spoon weights follow straight from the 160 grams per cup. Use level spoons, not heaped ones.
| Spoons | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1/4 tsp | 0.8 g |
| 1/2 tsp | 1.7 g |
| 1 tsp | 3.3 g |
| 1 tbsp | 10 g |
| 2 tbsp | 20 g |
| 3 tbsp | 30 g |
| 4 tbsp | 40 g |
Grams of chopped onion to cups
Going the other way, divide the grams by 160. A cup of chopped onion weighs 77 grams less than a cup of water, which is 237 grams.
| Grams | Cups | In the kitchen |
|---|---|---|
| 25 g | 0.16 cup | about 2.5 tbsp |
| 50 g | 0.31 cup | just under 1/3 cup |
| 100 g | 0.63 cup | about 5/8 cup |
| 150 g | 0.94 cup | just under 1 cup |
| 200 g | 1.25 cups | about 1 1/4 cups |
| 250 g | 1.56 cups | just over 1 1/2 cups |
| 300 g | 1.88 cups | about 1 7/8 cups |
| 400 g | 2.5 cups | about 2 1/2 cups |
| 500 g | 3.13 cups | about 3 1/8 cups |
| 1,000 g | 6.25 cups | about 6 1/4 cups |
Other vegetables per cup
- Grated carrots: 110 grams per cup
- Chopped celery: 101 grams per cup
- Corn kernels (frozen): 136 grams per cup
- Green peas (frozen): 134 grams per cup
- Spinach (raw): 30 grams per cup
- Sliced mushrooms: 70 grams per cup
- Chopped red bell pepper: 149 grams per cup
- Mashed potatoes: 210 grams per cup
- Mashed sweet potato (canned): 255 grams per cup
For every ingredient in one place, open the cups to grams converter. The recipe scaler resizes a recipe before you weigh the vegetables, and the grams to ounces converter helps if your scale shows ounces.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams is 1/2 cup of chopped onion?
About 80 grams. A full cup is about 160 grams and 1/4 cup about 40 grams.
How many cups is 100 grams of chopped onion?
About 0.63 cups, about 5/8 cup. Divide the grams by 160 to get cups.
How many grams are in a tablespoon of chopped onion?
About 10 grams in a tablespoon and 3.3 grams in a teaspoon, measured level.
How many cups is 100 grams of chopped onion?
About 0.63 cups, a little under 2/3 cup. Divide the grams by 160. For 250 grams that is 1.56 cups.
Why do chopped and diced onion weigh differently?
USDA FoodData Central gives 160 grams per cup of chopped onion and King Arthur Baking’s chart gives 142 grams per cup diced. The two sources measured different cuts, so neither is wrong. If a recipe names its source, follow that.