Arborio Rice: How Much Per Person, Cups & Cooked Yield
1 cup of arborio rice (uncooked) (also called risotto rice) weighs about 200 g. Half a cup is 100 g, a tablespoon about 12.5 g, and a full cup is 7.05 ounces on a scale.
💡 Tip: Don't rinse arborio before risotto — the surface starch is what makes it creamy (the opposite of basmati)
How much arborio rice per person?
Risotto rice swells a lot, so portions are smaller than they look. Per person, uncooked:
| Serving | Per person |
|---|---|
| Starter / side | ~¼ cup (50 g) |
| Main course | ~⅓ cup (75 g) |
| Hearty main | ~½ cup (100 g) |
Uncooked to cooked yield
1 cup of uncooked arborio (200 g) makes about 3 cups of cooked risotto — enough for 2 as a main or 3–4 as a side. The rice roughly triples as it absorbs the stock.
Converting grams of arborio rice (uncooked) back to cups
| Grams | Amount | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 1/4 cup | 1.76 |
| 100 | 1/2 cup | 3.53 |
| 150 | 3/4 cup | 5.29 |
| 180 | 7/8 cup | 6.35 |
| 200 | 1 cup | 7.05 |
| 250 | 1 1/4 cups | 8.82 |
| 300 | 1 1/2 cups | 10.6 |
| 400 | 2 cups | 14.1 |
| 500 | 2 1/2 cups | 17.6 |
| 750 | 3 3/4 cups | 26.5 |
| 1000 | 5 cups | 35.3 |
How many grams in a cup of arborio rice (uncooked)?
| Cups | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4 | 50 | 1.76 |
| 1/3 | 66.7 | 2.35 |
| 1/2 | 100 | 3.53 |
| 3/4 | 150 | 5.29 |
| 1 | 200 | 7.05 |
| 1 1/2 | 300 | 10.6 |
| 2 | 400 | 14.1 |
| 3 | 600 | 21.2 |
| 4 | 800 | 28.2 |
For smaller amounts: a tablespoon of arborio rice (uncooked) is about 12.5 g, and a teaspoon about 4.17 g.
Is arborio rice (uncooked) heavy or light for its category?
Among the 17 grains & legumes charted here, arborio rice (uncooked) is 14th heaviest at 200 g per cup, between dried pinto beans at 195 g and popcorn kernels at 225 g.
It weighs the same per cup as pearl barley (200 g), so those two swap one-for-one whether you measure by cup or by scale.
Common questions about measuring arborio rice (uncooked)
- How many grams is 1 cup of arborio rice (uncooked)?
- A level US cup of arborio rice (uncooked) comes to roughly 200 g (7.05 oz on a scale).
- How much arborio rice per person for risotto?
- Allow about ⅓ cup (75 g) of uncooked arborio per person for a main course, or ¼ cup (50 g) as a starter or side. Hungry eaters may want up to ½ cup (100 g).
- How much does 1 cup of arborio rice make cooked?
- 1 cup of uncooked arborio (200 g) makes about 3 cups of cooked risotto — it roughly triples as it absorbs stock.
- How many grams is 1 cup of arborio rice?
- 1 cup of uncooked arborio (risotto) rice weighs about 200 grams.
- Can I use regular rice instead of arborio for risotto?
- Not ideally — arborio's high surface starch is what makes risotto creamy. Carnaroli or another short-grain risotto rice is the best substitute; long-grain or basmati won't give the same texture.
- How many cups is 100g of arborio rice (uncooked)?
- 100 g of arborio rice (uncooked) works out at roughly 1/2 cup.
- How many cups is 200g of arborio rice (uncooked)?
- 200 grams of arborio rice (uncooked) is about 1 cup.
- How many cups is 250g of arborio rice (uncooked)?
- 250 g of arborio rice (uncooked) works out at roughly 1 1/4 cups.
- Why do my numbers differ slightly?
- Grain size and moisture vary by variety and age. Long thin grains stack with more air between them than short round ones, and older, drier stock weighs a little less per cup.