BBQ Meat Per Person Calculator
Calculate how much raw meat to buy for a barbecue — accounting for grill and cooking shrinkage so nobody goes hungry.
How it works
Cooked = adults × (0.4/0.5/0.75 lb) + children × 60% · Raw = cooked ÷ 0.7 (≈30% grill loss)
Portion barbecue by the cooked weight people actually eat — about half a pound of meat per adult when there are plenty of sides, less for a lighter crowd and more when meat is the main event. Grilling drives off fat and moisture, so raw meat loses roughly 30% of its weight; dividing the cooked target by 0.7 tells you how much to actually buy. Children eat around 60% of an adult portion.
Worked example
For 15 adults and 6 children with average appetites: cooked = 15 × 0.5 + 6 × 0.3 = 9.3 lb. Raw = 9.3 ÷ 0.7 ≈ 13.3 lb of meat to buy.
Frequently asked questions
How much BBQ meat per person?
About 1/2 pound of cooked meat per adult when sides are plentiful, or up to 3/4 pound if barbecue is the focus. Because meat shrinks on the grill, that means buying more raw weight than the cooked portion suggests.
Why buy more raw meat than people will eat?
Grilling renders out fat and evaporates moisture, so meat loses roughly 25–30% of its raw weight. A half-pound cooked portion starts as about 3/4 pound raw — dividing by 0.7 accounts for that shrink.
Does the cut change how much to buy?
Yes. Fatty cuts and bone-in pieces lose more weight, so buy toward the higher end. Lean, boneless cuts shrink less. This calculator uses an average 30% loss that suits typical burgers, chicken and sausages.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.