A large raw egg yolk weighs about 17 grams, or 0.6 ounces, which answers how much does an egg yolk weigh for the most common size. You’ll get a different result for a medium or small egg, and the yolk can vary even within one labeled size. Exclude the shell and white for an exact kitchen measurement.
This article compares yolk weights across egg sizes, explains why measurements differ, and offers practical conversion and measuring tips for home cooks tracking recipes precisely.
Average Weight of One Egg Yolk
A large chicken egg generally contains a raw yolk weighing about 17 grams, or 0.60 ounces. The edible egg without its shell weighs about 50 grams, so the yolk represents roughly one-third of that total.
That one-third relationship can shift within the same carton. A hen’s breed, age, diet, and position in the laying sequence can change the relative amounts of yolk and white. A large egg with a generous white may outweigh one holding a slightly heavier yolk.
| Egg component | Approximate weight |
|---|---|
| Raw yolk from a large egg | 17 grams, or 0.60 ounces |
| Large egg without its shell | About 50 grams, or 1.8 ounces |
| Shell | Several grams, depending on egg size |
Your quickest recipe estimate is 17 grams for each large yolk. That average becomes less reliable when you divide a whole egg, divide a cooked dish, or need a gram-level measurement. A nutrition label for a whole egg cannot reveal the exact mass of its separated yolk.
FoodData Central can support broader nutrition calculations by defining the serving used in its records. For your yolk, though, you still need a direct measurement when the portion’s mass affects the total.
How Egg Size Changes Yolk Mass
A carton’s small, medium, or large label sets a minimum standard for the whole shell-on egg. Larger eggs usually contain heavier yolks, but the increase does not track perfectly because egg-white volume also changes. You can use the size grade to estimate rather than predict one specific yolk.
| Labeled egg size | Estimated raw yolk weight | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| Small | About 11 grams | 0.39 ounces |
| Medium | About 13 grams | 0.46 ounces |
| Large | About 17 grams | 0.60 ounces |
Medium yolks do have lighter averages than large yolks, but individual eggs remain variable. Three medium yolks total about 39 grams, compared with approximately 51 grams for three large yolks. That 12-gram difference can alter a custard, emulsion, or calorie record.
Your yolk’s appearance may be misleading because the surrounding white affects how large it looks. A 15-gram yolk can seem substantial beside little white, while the same mass can look small in a generous white. Shell color offers no reliable indication of internal mass.
Raw and Cooked Yolk Measurements
A large raw yolk near 17 grams does not always retain that mass after heating. Direct boiling and high-heat baking can remove moisture, while gentle cooking may retain more water or absorb some surrounding liquid. The method changes the final weight you record.
Cooking Methods That Reduce Weight
Boiling exposes the yolk to hot water throughout cooking. Extended heating can draw moisture from its surface, so a hard-boiled large yolk that started near 17 grams may finish below that amount.
Baking and roasting produce moisture loss from exposed surfaces. Your measured cooked egg yolk weight can fall unevenly because the crust and center lose water at different rates. Temperature, cooking time, shell condition, and cooling all affect the result.
Cooking Methods That May Limit Loss
Gentle simmering can limit drying because liquid surrounds the yolk. A yolk cooked in sauce or custard may retain its starting mass or absorb a small amount of the surrounding mixture.
Custard makes a precise final weight difficult to isolate. Once the yolk is blended into a larger mixture, you can’t separate its contribution without breaking down the recipe’s proportions and moisture content.
Weigh a raw yolk before applying heat whenever the recipe’s gram target refers to separated yolks.
Two yolks with the same starting weight can finish at different weights after boiling and baking. Record the raw egg yolk weight before cooking when a formula is strict. Save a separate cooked measurement only when texture or portion size affects your result.
Kitchen Conversions for Yolk Weight
One tablespoon of egg yolk weighs about 17 grams, close to the mass of a large raw yolk. That match doesn’t make volume and weight interchangeable, though. Yolk shape, packing, and clinging white can change what fits into a spoon.
Common Raw Yolk Conversions
| Raw yolk amount | Approximate weight | Useful volume equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 medium yolk | 13 grams | About 0.8 tablespoon |
| 1 large yolk | 17 grams | About 1 tablespoon |
| 2 large yolks | 34 grams | About 2 tablespoons |
| 3 large yolks | 51 grams | About 3 tablespoons |
Your quick conversion divides the desired grams by 17 to estimate the number of large yolks. A 34-gram target takes two yolks, while 68 grams takes four. If the recipe must meet or exceed its target, round the count upward.
A 45-gram target falls between two and three large yolks. Two provide about 34 grams, and three provide about 51 grams. Your food scale can stop at the target without assuming that every yolk matches its size-class average.
Liquid recipes often tolerate volume estimates better than separated yolks do. A rounded tablespoon contains more than a level tablespoon, and a broken yolk can trap air. Weighing avoids those two sources of variation.
Those kitchen shortcuts are useful, but repeatable portions require a method that captures the yolk’s actual mass.
How to Measure Yolk Weight at Home
A digital food scale that reads to 0.1 gram gives you the most practical home measurement. Torn yolks and clinging white introduce avoidable error, so keep each yolk intact and remove the white before recording its mass.
Accurate Five-Step Method
- Set up your scale. Place a small bowl on a digital food scale, then activate the tare function.
- Separate the egg. Crack the shell over one hand and transfer the yolk without breaking it.
- Place the yolk. Add it to the bowl and read the weight in grams after the bowl is excluded.
- Remove extra white. Lift away clinging albumen with clean fingers or a small spoon before recording the number.
- Average several yolks. Weigh five large yolks together, record the total, and divide it by five.
A combined weight of 85.4 grams produces an average raw egg yolk weight of 17.08 grams. Dividing a measured batch gives you a useful reference for the eggs in front of you instead of a generic size-class estimate.
Without a scale, start with 11 grams for a small yolk, 13 grams for a medium yolk, and 17 grams for a large one. Carton size, shell appearance, and yolk diameter support only estimates because none reveals the exact internal mass.
Once you can measure an individual yolk accurately, the remaining question is which reference value best fits the recipe or nutrition target.
For several yolks, divide the container’s net weight by the number of yolks, then round to a practical decimal place.
Choosing a Reference for Recipes and Nutrition
Your required precision determines whether you need a scale or a size-class estimate. A gram-targeted formula calls for direct measurement, while a sauce made with whole eggs may work by count. Calorie measurement can use a defined serving when minor yolk differences don’t change your result.
Choose by Your Purpose
- Routine recipe estimate: Count each large yolk as about 17 grams of raw yolk.
- Medium carton: Start with approximately 13 grams for each raw yolk.
- Small carton: Use approximately 11 grams per raw yolk as your starting estimate.
- Exact recipe target: Separate the yolks and weigh them before combining them.
- Cooked-yolk portion: Weigh after cooking and record the method and duration.
- Calorie measurement: Pair the measured portion with its applicable nutrient data.
Your scale can show ounces or grams, depending on the unit printed in the recipe. A 0.6-ounce yolk equals approximately 17.0 grams, while a 1-ounce target equals 28.35 grams. Converting first keeps a small unit error from affecting the entire mixture.
A nutrition serving may represent one whole large egg, a specified raw weight, or a portion of prepared food. You can clarify those definitions through FoodData Central and U.S. Department of Agriculture food-composition records. Neither database provides the direct weight of your particular yolk.
Egg size grades are easy to confuse with cooking sizes or display labels. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates how eggs are packaged, sold, and labeled, yet the category doesn’t guarantee an identical yolk in every egg. Treat 11, 13, and 17 grams as size-class baselines.
A raw large yolk contains water, fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Its measured mass links that physical portion to a nutrition record, which makes weighing useful when a calorie total depends on an exact amount. In a pan sauce, a few grams may have little practical effect.
Bottom Line
Your baseline for a raw large egg yolk is 17 grams, or 0.60 ounces. Use about 13 grams for a medium egg and 11 grams for a small egg, recognizing that individual yolks can differ from these size-class averages.
Weigh the separated yolk whenever your recipe, calorie record, or portion requires an exact result. A food scale reading to 0.1 gram gives you more control than volume, carton size, shell color, or apparent yolk diameter.
FAQ
How much does one average egg yolk weigh?
An average large chicken egg yolk weighs about 17 grams, or 0.60 ounces, after you separate it raw. Medium yolks average about 13 grams, while small yolks average about 11 grams. Individual eggs vary with their proportions of yolk, white, and shell.
How much does the yolk of a large egg weigh?
The yolk of a large egg weighs about 17 grams, or 0.60 ounces, when separated raw. You can use that figure for a quick estimate, but weighing your own yolk provides a more accurate large egg yolk weight for a precise recipe.
Do medium and small eggs have lighter yolks?
Yolks from medium and small eggs generally weigh less than those from large eggs. Use about 13 grams for a medium yolk and 11 grams for a small yolk. You may still find individual eggs outside those averages because size grades apply to the whole shell-on egg.
Why can egg yolk weights vary?
Raw egg yolk weight varies because yolk and white proportions differ among birds and eggs. A hen’s breed, age, diet, laying sequence, and the labeled egg’s size can all affect the result. Your food scale provides the only direct measurement of a specific yolk.
How much does the shell weigh?
An egg shell weighs several grams, but the amount depends on egg size and shell thickness. Keep the shell off the scale when you measure a yolk. Egg size grades set whole-egg standards rather than a fixed shell weight for every egg.
How can I measure egg yolk weight at home?
Use a digital food scale that reads to 0.1 gram. Tare an empty bowl, separate the yolk, remove clinging white, and place the intact yolk in the bowl. Weighing five yolks together and dividing the total by five can improve your estimate.
