What is a stick of butter?
In the United States, butter is sold in 1-pound packages divided into four sticks of 113 g (4 oz) each. Each stick has tablespoon markings printed on the wrapper, so cutting a stick is the easiest way to measure American recipe quantities without a scale.
Quick reference
- 1 stick = 1/2 cup = 8 tbsp = 113 g = 4 oz
- 1/2 stick = 1/4 cup = 4 tbsp = 57 g
- 2 sticks = 1 cup = 16 tbsp = 227 g = 1/2 lb
- 4 sticks = 1 lb = 454 g
European blocks
European butter is usually sold as a 250 g block. That is roughly 2.2 US sticks, or just over 17 tablespoons. If a US recipe asks for 1 stick of butter and you have a 250 g European block, slice off about 45% of the block.
FAQ
Salted vs unsalted? The conversion is the same — salt content does not change the weight. Recipes usually specify which to use.
What about clarified butter or ghee? The same density, but the water has been removed, so it weighs about 80–85% of the original butter weight.