How Many Grams in a Cup of Couscous?
One cup of couscous weighs 157 grams when spooned into the cup and levelled off with a straight edge and this page converts couscous between cups, grams, tablespoons, teaspoons, millilitres and ounces, with full tables, worked examples and a free converter.
| Measure | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | 157 g |
| 1 tablespoon | 9.8 g |
| 1 teaspoon | 3.27 g |
| 1 cup (volume) | 236.6 ml |
| 1 cup in ounces | 5.5 oz |
| 100 grams | 0.64 cups |
One cup of dry couscous weighs 157 grams. This is the fine, instant Moroccan-style couscous that steams in minutes — the larger pearl (Israeli) couscous is a different product with a different cup. Below are the full conversion tables, a converter for any amount, and the water ratio that makes it fluffy rather than stodgy.
Convert couscous instantly
This converter uses the same chef-reviewed database as our Cups to Grams converter for all 128 ingredients. Weights assume a US cup of 236.588 ml; see our methodology and sources.
Cups to grams: couscous
| Cups | Grams |
|---|---|
| ¼ cup | 39 g |
| ⅓ cup | 52 g |
| ½ cup | 79 g |
| ⅔ cup | 105 g |
| ¾ cup | 118 g |
| 1 cup | 157 g |
| 1½ cups | 236 g |
| 2 cups | 314 g |
| 3 cups | 471 g |
| Measure | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 9.8 g |
| 1 teaspoon | 3.27 g |
| 1 cup in ounces | 5.5 oz |
Grams to cups: couscous
| Grams | Cups (decimal) | Cups (fraction) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 g | 0.32 cups | ⅓ cups |
| 100 g | 0.64 cups | ⅝ cups |
| 125 g | 0.8 cups | ¾ cups |
| 150 g | 0.96 cups | 1 cup |
| 200 g | 1.27 cups | 1 ¼ cups |
| 250 g | 1.59 cups | 1 ⅝ cups |
| 300 g | 1.91 cups | 1 ⅞ cups |
| 400 g | 2.55 cups | 2 ½ cups |
| 500 g | 3.18 cups | 3 ⅛ cups |
Working with more than one ingredient? The grams in a cup chart puts 40 ingredients in one table, and the Whole Recipe Converter converts a full ingredient list in a single paste.
How to measure couscous properly
Water at about 1.2 times the weight. Fine couscous needs only slightly more water than its own weight: for a 157-gram cup, use roughly 190 grams of boiling water (or stock), cover and leave ten minutes. Drowning it is the classic error — it absorbs, it does not drain.
Fluff, don't stir. After the rest, rake the couscous with a fork and a knob of butter or a spoon of oil to separate the grains. Stirring with a spoon compacts it into porridge. The weight cooked varies with the water absorbed, so portion from the dry measure.
Pearl couscous is a different ingredient. The large pearl (Israeli) couscous is toasted pasta: it boils in open water like pasta, drains, and fills a cup differently. This table — 157 grams — is for fine instant couscous only; for pearl, follow the packet and weigh the result.
Frequently asked questions
How many grams are in a cup of couscous?
157 grams, for dry, fine instant couscous. It is semolina pasta in miniature, and like all pastas the weight is taken dry — once it has absorbed water, a cup of cooked couscous weighs whatever the water made it.
How many grams are in half a cup of couscous?
79 grams (half of 157, rounded) — enough for two modest servings once it has swollen with water. A tablespoon of dry couscous weighs 9.8 grams.
How much water do I need for a cup of couscous?
About 190 grams of boiling water — just under ⅘ of a cup — for the 157-gram cup, a ratio near 1.2 to 1 by weight. Cover, rest ten minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Sources: the weight on this page is based on published values from the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart and USDA FoodData Central, chosen and checked as described in our methodology.