How the math works
Most "how much meat" advice skips the step that actually matters: the difference between the weight on the price sticker and the weight that reaches the plate. This calculator runs the full chain:
guests × cooked portion ÷ yield = raw weight to buy
The cooked portion is the caterer’s standard — ⅓ lb per adult with a couple of sides, ½ lb when meat is the main event, kids at half — and the yield is specific to the cut: brisket keeps roughly half its raw weight, sausage about 85%. Cuts served by count (ribs, wings, links, patties) skip the pounds entirely and plan in pieces, the way you actually serve them.
Per-cut charts and buying guides
Every cut in the menu above has its own page with a quantity chart for common group sizes, the yield explanation, and buying tips — how much brisket per person, how much tri-tip per person, how much prime rib per person, and the rest under how much meat per person.
The two numbers people forget
- Buns and bread scale with sandwiches, not pounds: a pulled-pork sandwich takes about ⅓ lb, so buns ≈ guest count plus a handful of spares.
- Two meats don’t mean double meat: guests take some of each, not a full portion of both. Plan each meat for about 60% of the crowd.
Frequently asked questions
How much meat per person for BBQ?
Plan ⅓ lb of cooked meat per adult when two or three sides share the table, and ½ lb when the meat is the whole show. Kids count as half an adult. That’s cooked weight — the raw weight you buy is higher, sometimes double, because of trim and cook shrinkage.
Why do I need to buy so much more raw meat than I serve?
Yield. A packer brisket loses fat to the trim knife and moisture to a 12-hour cook — only about 45–50% of raw weight reaches the cutting board. Every cut has its own number (sausage keeps ~85%, turkey ~50%), and this calculator does the raw → cooked → per-person chain with the right one.
How do I plan two meats, like brisket and pulled pork?
Run the calculator once per meat, but split your guest count between them. For an even two-meat spread, enter about 60% of your guests for each (people take some of both) — e.g. for 30 guests, run brisket for 18 and pulled pork for 18.
Should I round up or down?
Up, almost always. Smoked meat freezes beautifully — leftover brisket becomes chili and pulled pork becomes tacos — while running out with a line at the table has no fix. The "some leftovers" setting adds a sensible 15%.