Jump to:
- About this guide:
- What is a sprig / How much is a sprig:
- How to calculate specific amounts:
- How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
- How many tablespoons are in a cup?
- Basil:
- Chive:
- Cilantro:
- Dill:
- Lavender:
- Marjoram:
- Mint:
- Oregano:
- Parsley (curly leaf):
- Parsley (flat leaf):
- How much is one bunch of parsley:
- Rosemary:
- Sage:
- Tarragon:
- Thyme:
- More cooking conversion guides:
- Comments
About this guide:
A lot of recipes call for a specific amount of a finely chopped fresh herb. But how do you know what length of sprig or how many sprigs you need for that?
That's what this guide is for. It's a handy reference that tells you approximately how many teaspoons are in a sprig of a particular herb.
You can use this guide in the grocery store when shopping for a recipe. Or you can reference it before taking scissors to the potted herb plants in your kitchen or your garden.
NOTE: Please keep in mind that this resource is meant as a guide only. The amounts given for each herb are approximate because no two sprigs of a particular herb are the exact same and the number and size of leaves will vary to some extent.
What's in this guide:
This guide is organized by herb (in alphabetical order). How many teaspoons are in a sprig depends both on the herb and the size of the sprig. For each herb this guide lists:
- the length of the sprig measured
- the approximate amount of leaves that can be harvested from a sprig of that length
- the approximate amount of finely chopped herb that a sprig of that length will yield
I also included photographs to provide a visual reference for what each measured herb sprig looked like.
How was this guide created?
To create this guide, I analyzed sprigs of all common culinary herbs. I included basil, chive, cilantro, dill, lavender, marjoram, mint, rosemary, parsley (flat leaf (Italian) and curly leaf), oregano, sage, tarragon and thyme.
I did each measurement three times, meaning I selected three sprigs of the same length for each herb. For each measurement, I cut the leaves off the sprig and packed them into a measuring spoon or cup and noted the amount. Then I finely chopped the leaves, transferred them into a measuring spoon and noted their volume. The amounts reported in this guide are the average of the three measurements.
What is a sprig / How much is a sprig:
A sprig of an herb is a small branch of the herb plant (usually between 4 and 6 inches long, unless otherwise specified).
Sprigs can vary dramatically in size, even within a given plant. Because of that I have included the length of each sprig measured in this guide.
How to calculate specific amounts:
You can calculate the specific amounts of finely chopped herb you need using the conversions for teaspoons to tablespoons and tablespoons to cups listed below.
How many teaspoons are in a tablespoon?
Unit: | Equals: |
---|---|
1 tablespoon | 3 teaspoons |
How many tablespoons are in a cup?
Unit: | Equal: |
---|---|
4 tablespoons | ¼ cup |
Basil:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 6-inch sprig basil | ⅓ cup packed basil leaves (about 10 medium/large leaves) | 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil |

Chive:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: |
---|---|
one 6-inch chive | ⅜ teaspoon finely chopped chive |

Cilantro:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 4-inch sprig cilantro | 1 teaspoon packed cilantro leaves | ¼ teaspoon finely chopped cilantro |

Dill:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 8-inch sprig dill | 1 tablespoon packed dill leaves | 1 teaspoon finely chopped dill |

Lavender:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 4-inch sprig lavender | ½ teaspoon lavender buds | ½ teaspoon finely chopped lavender |
Note: Lavender buds will pack tightly together. That's why the volume of whole lavender buds and that of finely chopped lavender will be about the same.

Marjoram:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 4-inch sprig marjoram | 1 teaspoon packed marjoram leaves | ¼ teaspoon finely chopped marjoram |

Mint:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 4-inch sprig mint | 1 tablespoon packed mint leaves (about 6 medium/large leaves) | 1 teaspoon finely chopped mint |

Oregano:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 6-inch sprig oregano | 1 tablespoon packed oregano leaves | 1 teaspoon finely chopped oregano |

Parsley (curly leaf):
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 4-inch sprig curly leaf parsley | 2 tablespoons packed curly leaf parsley leaves | 1 tablespoon finely chopped curly leaf parsley |

Parsley (flat leaf):
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 6-inch sprig flat leaf (Italian) parsley | ½ tablespoon packed flat leaf (Italian) parsley leaves | ¾ teaspoon finely chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley |

How much is one bunch of parsley:
One bunch of parsley (flat leaf (Italian) or curly leaf) usually weighs 2 to 2 ½ ounces and is usually made up of 20 to 25 long sprigs.


Rosemary:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 6-inch sprig rosemary | ½ tablespoon packed rosemary leaves | 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary |

Sage:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 6-inch sprig sage | 1 tablespoon packed sage leaves (about 6 medium/large leaves) | 1 tablespoon finely chopped sage |
Note: Finely chopped sage leaves won't pack very tightly together because of their cotton-like texture. That's why the volume of packed whole sage leaves and that of finely chopped sage will be about the same.

Tarragon:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 6-inch sprig tarragon | 1 tablespoon packed tarragon leaves | 1 teaspoon finely chopped tarragon |

Thyme:
Sprig Size: | Equals about: | Also equals about: |
---|---|---|
one 4-inch sprig thyme | ¼ teaspoon thyme leaves | ⅛ teaspoon finely chopped thyme |

Debbie P.
Much needed information.
Awesome job!
Thank you.
Nicole B.
So happy to hear that! Thank you, Debbie!
Richard
Thank you for this information, i'm a new cook and greatly appreciate.
Nicole B.
You're so welcome, I'm very happy to hear that you find it useful!!