How many cups is one large onion?

In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question, “How many cups is one large onion?”, discuss answers to other related questions like how much does an onion weigh in ounces, and can you substitute fresh onion with dried minced onion.

How many cups is one large onion?

One large onion is equal to about a 1-cup measuring cup. In general, if you dice one large onion, it will yield about 3 cups of diced onion. However, it is not an accurate way to determine the amount of onion in cups because the size of onions varies greatly. Therefore, it is better to write 3 cups of diced onions for recipes that call for 1 large onion.

How big is a large onion? 

A large onion is about half a kilogram in weight. Onions are typically divided into three distinct categories – small, medium, and large. Any onion is considered to be large if it weighs more than 12 oz. This is equal to 454 grams for one onion to be called large.

How to size up onions for recipes?

Onion is known to be the most basic ingredient which is used commonly in several recipes. It is a necessary part of daily diet and so it is essentially added to various dishes. It is part of countless recipes and added in specific amounts like any other ingredient. It is important to know the weight of the onion because if a recipe calls for a medium onion and you are not having that, then how much of the large onion will you add would be determined by the weight.

Following is the brief description of onion sizes related to their weights in grams:

Onion Size compared with sports ballWeight of onion (in grams)
Small Racquetball115 g
Medium Baseball170 g
Large Softball285 g
Extra largeShot put454 g

How much does an onion weigh in ounces?

To determine the weight of onion in terms of ounces, you need to know the conversion of mathematical units of grams to ounces. For the sake of your ease, you can have the idea of the weight of onion in ounces by looking at the ranges given below:


         Onion 
                              Weight of onion
In terms of grams Range in ounces
Small 115 g/ 4 oz5 oz or less
Medium 170 g/ 6 oz5 to 8 oz 
Large 285 g/ 10 oz8 to 12 oz
Extra large454 g/ 16 oz12 oz or more

Other FAQs about Onions that you may be interested in.

Can you eat a raw onion? 

How long do chopped onions last?

How much dried minced onion equals one medium onion?

Can you substitute fresh onion with dried minced onion?

The substitution of fresh onion with dried minced onion works in some dishes very well, while in some dishes it is not a good idea to use dried minced onion in place of fresh onion at all. For instance, for dishes that require the raw crunchy texture of onion, this replacement would not work, but for soups and stews where the fresh onion would get cooked down anyway, this substitution works very well.

To substitute dried minced onion for fresh onion you need to know that for a recipe that calls for 1 cup chopped fresh onion, you can substitute 3 tablespoons of dried minced onion since it is much more potent.

How much onion substitute to use?

Onion is available in various forms, and you can easily substitute its one form with the other if you know the exact statistics of substitution. If you are a master in cooking, you can easily know that which form is worth substituting the other form as these forms affect the taste and appearance of your recipe, but how this substitution should be carried out is a question that must be dealt with first. As a general approximation, we should start first by comparing the size of the onion with the amount of onion in cups:

  • 1 small onion, about the size of Ramo tomato, is equal to ½ cup of chopped onion.
  • 1 medium onion, about the size of a turnip, is equal to 1 cup of chopped onion.
  • 1 large onion, about the size of a pomegranate, is equal to 1 ½ cups of chopped onion.

Now, let’s discuss the substitution of chopped onion on cups with dried minced onion and onion powder:

  • ¼ cup of chopped fresh onion is equal to ¾ tablespoon of dried minced onion or ¾ teaspoons of onion powder.
  • ⅓ cup of chopped fresh onion is equal to 1 tablespoon of dried minced onion or 1 teaspoon of onion powder.
  • ½ cup of chopped fresh onion is equal to 1-½ tablespoon of dried minced onion or ½  tablespoon of onion powder.
  • ⅔ cup of chopped fresh onion is equal to 2 tablespoons of dried minced onion or 2 teaspoons of onion powder.
  • ¾ cup of chopped fresh onion is equal to 2-¼ tablespoon of dried minced onion or 2-¼  teaspoons of onion powder.
  • 1 cup of chopped fresh onion is equal to 3 tablespoons of dried minced onion or 1 tablespoon of onion powder.

Conclusion:

In this brief guide, we answered the question, “How many cups is one large onion?”, discussed answers to other related questions like how much does an onion weigh in ounces, and can you substitute fresh onion with dried minced onion.

References: 

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