Couscous Weights and Conversions (With Calculator & charts)

In this ultimate guide to couscous weights and conversions, I’ve researched and experimented with before and after cooking weights and put my findings together in charts a calculator so you can quickly work out servings of any size.

I’ll also show you how you can quickly work out couscous to water cooking ratios, so you know how much water to use for any serving size of couscous.

Couscous Weights Before and After Cooking

When it comes to couscous weights and most dried foods that absorb liquid, weights can be a little confusing because it’s not always clear if they apply to the cooked or uncooked weight.

Because couscous is cooked by using a simple process of water (or liquid) absorption, as long as you use the right amount of water, the cooked weight will be equal to the original dried couscous weight plus the water weight.

The image below shows an example of a before and after cooking weight; I used 50g (1.76oz) of dried couscous and soaked it for five minutes in 38ml of boiling water.

The cooked weight is 86g (3oz), which is the water and couscous weight combined, minus a nominal amount of 2g, which was lost in evaporation.

This is an increase of 75% of the original weight; for example, if you have 100g of dry couscous and soak it in 75ml of water, you will have 175g of cooked couscous.

Dried couscous weight increases by 75% once cooked if you use the absorption method of four parts couscous to three parts liquid.

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Couscous to Water Ratio

A simple rule you can use for any serving size of couscous is four parts dried couscous to three parts boiling water.

An example of this is; if you want to cook 100g of dried couscous, you would need 75ml of water (a milliliter of water is equal to a gram of couscous).

Another way of working out the water weight you’ll require is by taking the dry couscous weight and subtracting 25%; for example, 100g – 25% = 75ml of water.

The couscous to water ratio is four parts couscous to three parts water or simply minus 25% from the dry couscous weight to work out how much water you need.

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Uncooked to Cooked Couscous Conversion Chart

Use the chart below to work out uncooked to cooked couscous weights based on an increase in weight of 75% using the absorption method to cook the couscous.

The uncooked weight is based on the dry couscous weight, and the liquid amount applies to either water or stock, depending on your recipe.

How Much is a Serving of Couscous?

If you search for couscous servings, there are different versions of what is deemed as a serving, and it’s not always clear whether the amount is the dry or cooked weight.

The UK pack information suggests that a serving of dry couscous is 35g (1.23oz), whereas, in the USA, the recommended serving is 56g (1.98oz) or 1/4 cup of dry couscous.

When cooked, a small 35g (1.23oz) portion will weigh around 86g (3.03oz), and a 56g (1.98oz) portion will weigh about 98g (3.46oz).

Couscous Servings Per Person

I measured the servings above to see how much couscous you get per suggested serving and 35g (1.23oz) is a small portion, with 56g (1.98oz) being a more sensible amount for an average-sized serving.

If you’re feeding hungry guests or you want a larger portion, I would aim for 75g (2.65oz) of dry couscous per person.

The chart below shows each serving size and how much cooked couscous you will get per serving.

Couscous Serving Calculator

If you need to calculate how much couscous you need to feed your family or a large crowd, use the calculator below to work exactly how much you need.

Choose either a small, medium, or large serving per person (see above) along with the number of people you want to feed to begin:

Weight of a Cup of Couscous (in Grams & Ounces)

I weighed dry couscous in a US cup to see how much it weighed, and here are the results:

A level US cup of uncooked couscous weighs around 200g/7.1oz, is enough for three-four medium-large portions of portions, and once cooked using the absorption method, the couscous will weigh about 350g.

There is conflicting information around how much a cup of couscous weighs, but the image below shows two different cup types weighing 200g/7.1oz per US cup.

The table below shows dry to cooked couscous conversion weights from cups to grams and ounces, along with how many people you can expect to feed per weight (based on a medium-sized portion).

This is based on the absorption method of four parts couscous to three parts water (see above for more information).

More Couscous Weight FAQ’s