Ingredient Weight Converter · vegetable
Diced Tomatoes (Canned, Drained): cups to grams
1 cup of diced tomatoes (canned, drained) weighs 180 grams. Use the converter below for any other amount, or check the quick-reference table.
By Andrew Flores, Editor and publisher, Nathan Management. Last reviewed .
Density source: USDA FoodData Central, cross-checked against the King Arthur Baking weight chart. How these figures are derived and corrected is documented in our editorial standards.
Diced Tomatoes (Canned, Drained) baseline: 1 cup = 180 g.
Common amounts
| Cups | Tablespoons | Grams | Ounces (weight) | Milliliters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 cup | 4.0 | 45 g | 1.59 oz | 59 mL |
| 1/3 cup | 5.3 | 60 g | 2.11 oz | 79 mL |
| 1/2 cup | 8.0 | 90 g | 3.17 oz | 118 mL |
| 2/3 cup | 10.7 | 120 g | 4.23 oz | 158 mL |
| 3/4 cup | 12.0 | 135 g | 4.76 oz | 177 mL |
| 1 cup | 16.0 | 180 g | 6.35 oz | 237 mL |
| 1.5 cups | 24.0 | 270 g | 9.52 oz | 355 mL |
| 2 cups | 32.0 | 360 g | 12.70 oz | 473 mL |
| 3 cups | 48.0 | 540 g | 19.05 oz | 710 mL |
| 4 cups | 64.0 | 720 g | 25.40 oz | 946 mL |
Spoon weights
Derived from the same 180 g per cup — a US tablespoon is 1/16 of a cup and a teaspoon is 1/48.
| Amount | Grams |
|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon | 11 g |
| 1 teaspoon | 3.8 g |
| 1/2 teaspoon | 1.9 g |
| 1/4 teaspoon | 0.94 g |
Diced Tomatoes (Canned, Drained) at a glance
- 14.5 oz can
- 411 g total, yielding about 1 1/3–1 1/2 cups drained
- 28 oz can
- 794 g, roughly 2 3/4 cups drained
- Why the cubes stay cubed
- Calcium chloride is added as a firming agent — great for salsa, wrong for a silky sauce
What a cup of diced tomatoes (canned, drained) actually weighs
The published 180 g assumes one specific way of filling the cup. Here is what the same cup weighs under the other common handling methods and product forms, and how far off the recipe you end up.
| How it was measured | Grams per cup | vs. published | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canned diced, drained | 180 g | published figure | The published figure — tomatoes only, packing liquid poured off. |
| Canned diced, undrained | ~240 g | +33% | With the juice included a cup is mostly liquid by volume, close to the weight of water. |
| Fresh diced tomatoes | ~156 g | -13% | Fresh cubes hold less surface water than canned ones that have been sitting in juice. |
A tilde (~) marks a working estimate rather than a published figure — it varies with brand, grind, or how hard the cup was packed.
Why measuring diced tomatoes (canned, drained) by cup goes wrong
Canned diced tomatoes, drained, weigh about 180 grams per cup. The packing liquid you drain off accounts for nearly as much weight as the tomatoes themselves — a 14.5 oz can (411 g) yields roughly 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 cups of drained diced tomatoes. Canned diced tomatoes also hold their cubes in a way fresh ones do not, because calcium chloride is added to keep them firm.
Practical tips for working with diced tomatoes (canned, drained)
Reserve the packing liquid; it has real tomato flavor. For pasta sauce, use it to deglaze the pan. For chili, use it to thin a too-thick pot. For a quick salsa, drain the tomatoes hard and save the liquid for a Bloody Mary. Do not pour it down the drain — it is free umami. Also worth knowing: the calcium chloride that keeps diced tomatoes cubed also keeps them from breaking down, so for a smooth sauce use crushed or whole peeled tomatoes instead.
Note from this ingredient's record: Weight is after draining the packing liquid. Fresh diced tomatoes run closer to 156 g/cup because they hold less surface water.
Substitutions that work — and what they cost you
Whole peeled tomatoes for diced
Ratio: 1:1, crushed by hand
Trade-off: Better flavor and a smoother sauce, because whole peeled tomatoes have no firming agent. Crushing them by hand takes 30 seconds.
Tomato passata or crushed tomatoes
Ratio: 1:1
Trade-off: No texture left at all. Right for a smooth sauce, wrong for chili or a chunky salsa.
Fresh for canned
Ratio: About 1 1/2 lb fresh per 14.5 oz can
Trade-off: Only worth it in peak season. Off-season fresh tomatoes have less flavor than a good can, and they need peeling and longer cooking.
When diced tomatoes (canned, drained) ruins the recipe
| What you see | What went wrong | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Sauce stayed watery no matter how long it simmered | Undrained canned tomatoes measured as if they were drained. | Drain and measure the solids, then add the juice back deliberately as your liquid. |
| The tomato pieces never broke down into a sauce | Calcium chloride in diced tomatoes keeps the cubes intact indefinitely. | Use whole peeled or crushed tomatoes when you want the tomatoes to melt. |
Storing diced tomatoes (canned, drained)
Unopened cans keep for years. Once opened, move the contents to a glass or plastic container — the acid attacks the exposed metal seam — and use within 5 days.
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