How much BBQ meat per person?

Raw-to-cooked yield by cut

• Brisket: 50% yield — buy 1 lb raw per person
• Pulled pork (shoulder): 65% yield — buy 12 oz raw per person
• Pork ribs: 3 bones per person on baby back, 2 on St. Louis
• Chicken (bone-in): 75% yield — buy 12 oz raw per person
• Sausage links: 2 per person (roughly ½ lb)

BBQ meat quantity by group size

• 10 people: ~5 lb cooked meat (7–10 lb raw)
• 25 people: ~12.5 lb cooked (17–25 lb raw)
• 50 people: ~25 lb cooked (35–50 lb raw)
• 100 people: ~50 lb cooked (70–100 lb raw)

Adjust for your crowd

Hungry crowds and sports events: add 25%. Kids: count each child as 60% of an adult. If BBQ is a side (e.g., burgers and hot dogs are the main), drop to ⅓ lb cooked per person.

Method and food safety

PortionPal Food Calculators maintains this guide and treats cut yields as planning ranges because trimming, bones and cooking method vary. Check the raw purchase result against your recipe yield. Follow USDA meat-safety guidance for safe temperatures and handling.

Reviewed after the methodology and calculator consistency audit: 16 July 2026.