HowMuchIt / Meat per person
How much meat per person?
Half a pound of boneless meat for each adult is the base, three quarters with the bone in. Barbecue cuts lose about half their weight in the smoker, so the raw weight to buy is bigger: the calculator handles it.
Work out your meat
| Meat | Per adult |
|---|---|
| Boneless | 1/2 lb |
| Bone-in | 3/4 lb |
| Burgers | one 1/3 lb patty |
| Whole brisket (cooks down to about half) | about 1 lb raw, 1/2 lb cooked |
| Pork shoulder (gives about half as pulled pork) | about 2/3 lb raw, 1/3 lb cooked |
Raw weight, cooked weight
A whole brisket loses about half its weight to trimming and the long cook, so for half a pound of cooked brisket per person, buy about a pound raw. Pork shoulder does the same: about 2/3 pound raw per adult gives the 1/3 pound of pulled pork that most guests eat. With several hearty sides on the table, about 1/3 pound of cooked meat per person is enough. Children under about 12 eat roughly half an adult portion.
Safe temperatures
Steaks, roasts and chops of beef, pork, veal and lamb: 145 degrees Fahrenheit, then a 3 minute rest. Ground beef and pork, in burgers or sausage: 160. All poultry, whole or ground: 165. A food thermometer is the only way to know.
Questions people ask
How much brisket per person?
About 1/2 pound cooked, so about 1 pound of raw whole brisket.
How much pulled pork per person?
About 1/3 pound cooked, about 2/3 pound of raw bone-in shoulder.
How much meat for a party with lots of sides?
About 1/3 pound of cooked meat per person.
Good to know
- Boneless meat (steak, chops, roast): plan about 1/2 pound (8 oz) per adult.1,2
- Bone-in meat: plan about 3/4 pound (12 oz) per adult, because the bone counts in the weight.1,2
- With several hearty sides or other meats, about 1/3 pound of cooked meat per person is enough.3,4
- Burgers: a typical patty is 1/3 pound of raw ground beef (up to 1/2 pound for big eaters), one per person.1,2
- Brisket: plan about 1/2 pound of cooked brisket per person.4,5
- A whole brisket ends up at about half its raw weight after trimming and smoking, so buy about 1 pound of raw whole brisket per person.3,4,5
- Pulled pork: plan about 1/3 pound of cooked pork per adult.6,7,8
- A bone-in pork shoulder (butt) gives about half its raw weight as pulled pork, so buy about 2/3 pound raw per adult.6,7,8,9
- Children under about 12 eat about half an adult portion of meat.1,3,8
- Safe minimum temperature for beef, pork, veal and lamb steaks, roasts and chops: 145 deg F, then rest 3 minutes.10,11,12
- Safe minimum temperature for ground beef and ground pork (burgers, sausage): 160 deg F.10,11,12
- Safe minimum temperature for all poultry, whole or ground: 165 deg F.10,11,12
How we checked this page
Checked on October 27, 2026. We kept a fact only when two independent publishers agree, and each one is numbered to its sources below. Where sources give different numbers, we keep only what they share. We never write a price. This page was written with an AI assistant and checked against the sources below.
Sources
- Party Planner Serving-Size Calculator; Quantity & Portion Chart of Estimates, The Old Farmer's Almanac
- How To Determine The Amount Of Meat Per Person You'll Need For A Dinner Party, The Daily Meal
- How Much Meat Per Person? BBQ Planning Guide, Smoked BBQ Source
- Brisket Portions Explained: How Much to Serve Per Person, Truth BBQ
- How Much Brisket Per Person (Brisket Yield Explained), Girls Can Grill
- How Much Pulled Pork Per Person - A Simple to Use Calculator and Serving Sizes Guide, Food Fire Friends
- How Much Pulled Pork Do You Need Per Person?, The Online Grill
- How Much Pulled Pork Per Person?, Smoked BBQ Source
- Pulled Pork Butt Servings Calculator, The Virtual Weber Bullet
- Temperatures - Food Safety, University of Illinois Extension
- In the Kitchen: Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
- Cook to a Safe Minimum Internal Temperature, FoodSafety.gov (US HHS/USDA)