How Many Grams in a Cup of Rice?
Rice is one of the most common ingredients where cup-to-gram conversions actually matter. Whether you're scaling a recipe, tracking nutrition, or following a recipe from a different country, knowing the exact gram weight of a cup of rice saves you from guesswork. The answer depends on the type of rice and whether it's dry or cooked.
Grams per Cup by Rice Type (Dry, Uncooked)
| Rice Type | Grams per Cup (dry) |
|---|---|
| Long-grain white rice | 185g |
| Medium-grain white rice | 195g |
| Short-grain white rice | 200g |
| Brown rice (long-grain) | 190g |
| Basmati rice | 180g |
| Jasmine rice | 185g |
| Sushi rice (short-grain) | 200g |
| Wild rice | 160g |
Grams per Cup — Cooked Rice
Cooked rice is significantly heavier than dry rice because it absorbs water during cooking. A cup of cooked white rice weighs approximately 175–195g, and cooked brown rice weighs approximately 195–210g.
This matters when following nutritional information or recipes that specify cooked rice. A recipe that calls for "1 cup cooked rice" is not the same as "1 cup dry rice" — dry rice roughly triples in volume and roughly doubles in weight when cooked.
| Rice Type | Grams per Cup (cooked) |
|---|---|
| White rice (cooked) | 186g |
| Brown rice (cooked) | 202g |
| Basmati rice (cooked) | 175g |
| Wild rice (cooked) | 164g |
Why Rice Type Changes the Weight
Different rice varieties have different grain sizes, densities, and shapes. Short-grain rice (like sushi rice) packs more tightly into a cup than long-grain varieties like basmati, which have more air space between grains. Wild rice is notably lighter because the grains are long and thin with a hollow center.
For everyday cooking, these differences are small enough that using the standard 185–200g range for dry white rice is fine. For precise nutritional tracking or recipe development, use the specific figure for the rice type you're working with.
How Much Does 1 Cup of Dry Rice Yield Cooked?
This is one of the most practical rice conversion questions. As a general rule:
- 1 cup dry white rice → approximately 3 cups cooked (around 555g)
- 1 cup dry brown rice → approximately 2.5–3 cups cooked
- 1 cup dry basmati → approximately 3 cups cooked (basmati expands more than most)
- 1 cup dry wild rice → approximately 3.5 cups cooked
These ratios vary slightly depending on how much water you use and how long you cook it. Absorption methods typically yield a bit less than boil-and-drain methods.
How to Measure Rice Accurately
For dry rice, use a standard dry measuring cup and level it off. Don't pack or shake the cup — rice settles slightly during measurement, which can add 5–10% extra. For anything requiring precision (nutritional tracking, scaling large batches), weigh it on a kitchen scale.
For cooked rice, pack it lightly into the measuring cup. Cooked rice compresses easily, so a packed cup can weigh noticeably more than a loosely filled one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many grams is ½ cup of dry white rice?
½ cup of dry long-grain white rice is approximately 92–93g. Half of the standard 185g per cup.
How many grams is 1 cup of jasmine rice?
1 cup of dry jasmine rice is approximately 185g — the same as long-grain white rice, since jasmine is a long-grain variety.
How many cups is 100g of rice?
100g of dry white rice is approximately 0.54 cups, or just over half a cup.
Does the measurement change between white and brown rice?
Slightly. Brown rice has the outer bran layer intact, making the grains slightly bulkier. 1 cup of dry brown rice weighs about 190g versus 185g for white — a small but real difference that matters when scaling large batches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does rinsing rice change how much it weighs?
Rinsing removes a small amount of surface starch, which slightly reduces the weight — typically by 1–3g per cup. This is negligible for cooking purposes. The more significant effect is that rinsed rice absorbs water differently during cooking, resulting in less sticky, more separate grains.
How much cooked rice does 1 cup of dry rice make?
Most types of rice roughly triple in volume when cooked. 1 cup (185g) of dry white rice yields about 3 cups of cooked rice, enough for 3–4 side dish servings. Brown rice yields slightly less — about 2.5 cups cooked per cup dry — because it absorbs water more slowly.
Can I substitute one type of rice for another in recipes?
Often, but with adjustments. Short-grain rice (like sushi rice) is stickier than long-grain — don't substitute in pilafs or fried rice. Basmati and jasmine are interchangeable in most recipes. Brown rice can replace white rice but needs more water and longer cooking time (typically 45 minutes vs. 18–20 minutes for white rice).