Enter your guest count, select your meats, and get exact amounts to buy — including cooking shrinkage.
A common rule of thumb is 1/3 lb (150g) of cooked meat per person for a mixed BBQ with sides. If meat is the main event with fewer sides, go up to 1/2 lb (225g) per person. This calculator uses those baselines and adjusts for cooking shrinkage — so you buy the right amount of raw meat.
Meat loses 25–40% of its weight during cooking due to moisture and fat loss. Brisket and pulled pork shrink the most (around 40%), while burgers and sausages shrink less. If you buy based on cooked weight targets without accounting for this, you'll run short.
| Meat | Cooked per person | Shrinkage | Raw per person |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥩 Brisket | 0.33 lb | ~40% | ~0.55 lb |
| 🍖 Ribs (spare) | 0.5 lb | ~35% | ~0.75 lb |
| 🐷 Pulled Pork | 0.33 lb | ~40% | ~0.55 lb |
| 🍗 Chicken | 0.33 lb | ~30% | ~0.47 lb |
| 🍔 Burgers | 0.33 lb | ~25% | ~0.44 lb |
| 🌭 Sausages | 0.25 lb | ~20% | ~0.31 lb |
| 🦐 Shrimp | 0.25 lb | ~15% | ~0.29 lb |
| 🥩 Steak | 0.5 lb | ~30% | ~0.71 lb |
Always buy 10–15% extra as a buffer — it's better to have leftovers than run out. For large groups (20+ people), choose low-maintenance meats like pulled pork or brisket that can cook unattended. Ribs are crowd-pleasers but require more cooking space per pound.
If you have a mix of adults and kids, count two children as one adult for meat planning purposes. Heavy sides (potato salad, coleslaw, corn) reduce how much meat people eat by about 20%.