Egg Size Conversions for Recipes

Most recipes calling for eggs are geared toward large chicken eggs. But what if you have only small bantams eggs? Or extra large duck eggs, or even jumbo turkey eggs? Some recipes can be ruined by using the wrong size eggs. So for which recipes is egg size important? And how do you figure out egg size conversions between large chicken eggs and whatever eggs you happen to have on hand?

When Egg Size Matters

Different recipes use eggs to perform different functional roles. When you’re making scrambled or fried eggs, or deviled eggs or an omelet, the number of servings you want will mainly dictate the number of eggs you use. But if you’re making any recipe for which the proportion of egg liquid makes a big difference, especially for baked goods, egg size conversion is essential for a successful outcome.

The first thing you need to do is determine what size eggs your birds are laying, which varies not only with species but with breed and age. Regardless of breed, a pullet’s first few eggs will be small. A large-size Plymouth Rock, for instance, may start out laying bantam size eggs. As she matures, she’ll likely lay large eggs. As she continues to age, the size of her eggs will increase slightly each year to extra large or even jumbo. So the first thing you need to do is find out how the size of your eggs compares to a USDA designated large chicken egg.

Egg Size Conversions by Weight

The most accurate measure is by weight. To determine an egg’s weight, you’ll need a kitchen scale. Weighing in grams is more accurate than weighing in ounces, and any good kitchen scale will tell you both.

The edible portion (yolk plus albumen) of one large chicken egg weighs about 50 grams. On average, the yolk accounts for about 40 percent of the weight, or 20 grams. The albumen weighs about 30 grams.

If the recipe calls for whole eggs, crack a few into a bowl and weigh them. Determine the average weight (total weight divided by the number of eggs). If it’s 50 grams, use the eggs just as you would large chicken eggs.

When the average weight differs, weigh out as many eggs as you need to make the equivalent of large chicken eggs. For instance, if your recipe calls for 4 eggs and 4 of your eggs weigh less than 200 grams, add more eggs until you get 200 grams.

On the other hand, if your 4 eggs weigh more than 200 grams, stir them together and remove some until the total weight is 200 grams. Use this method even if your eggs aren’t all the same size.

Okay, so suppose your recipe calls for separating the yolks from the whites? The same method applies. The only difference is that the yolks and whites are weighed separately. In our example, 4 egg yolks would weigh 80 grams, and 4 whites would weigh 120 grams.

If you’re working with eggs other than chicken eggs, be ready for differences in their proportion of yolk to albumen. The yolk of a turkey egg, for instance, weighs 49 percent of the edible portion. A duck egg yolk is 56 percent. And a goose egg yolk is 73 percent.

Large Chicken Egg

Equivalents in Grams

Eggs	Total	Yolks	Whites
1	50 g	20 g	30 g
2	100 g	40 g	60 g
3	150 g	60 g	90 g
4	200 g	80 g	120 g
5	250 g	100 g	150 g
6	300 g	120 g	180 g

Egg Size Conversions by Volume

If you don’t want to use a kitchen scale, you can make adjustments by volume. The outcome isn’t as accurate, but close enough for most home cooks.

The contents of one large chicken egg make up 3¼ tablespoons. For a recipe that calls for just one or two eggs, most cooks round it to 4 tablespoons (or ¼ cup) per egg.

If you need more than two eggs, you’re back to doing a little math. In our 4 egg recipe, you’d need 13 tablespoons of egg, or about ¾ cup (4 x 3¼). Using the rounded measure of ¼ cup per large chicken egg, 4 eggs would be 1 cup, which is too big a difference for a fussy recipe.

When a recipe calls for separating the yolks from the whites, figure 1 tablespoon per yolk and 2 tablespoons for the white. For our 4-egg recipe, that would be ¼ cup of yolks and ½ cup of whites.

Large Chicken Egg

Equivalents by Volume

Eggs	Total	Yolks	Whites
1	¼ C	1 T	2 T
2	½ C	2 T	¼ C
3	2/3 C	3 T	7 T
4	¾ C	¼ C	½ C
5	1 C	1/3 C	2/3 C
6	1¼ C	½ C	¾ C