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How Much Meat Per Person? A Butcher's Portion Guide
How Much Meat Per Person? A Butcher's Portion Guide
The question we get more than any other, especially in November and before a long weekend. Here are the numbers we actually use, and the reason most online guides get it wrong.
The short answer
| Meat | Raw weight per adult | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Whole packer brisket | ¾ lb | Loses 40–50% trimming and cooking |
| Steak (boneless) | ½ lb (8 oz) | 12–16 oz for a big appetite or a ribeye crowd |
| Steak (bone-in) | ¾ lb (12 oz) | Bone is roughly a third of the weight |
| Prime rib / standing rib roast | 1 lb bone-in | About one rib per two people |
| Pork shoulder / butt | ½ lb | Loses ~40% pulled; buy 1 lb raw per 2 people |
| Pork ribs | ½ rack (1 lb) | Full rack per person if it is the only meat |
| Whole chicken | ¾ lb | A 4 lb bird feeds 4–5 |
| Chicken breast | 6–8 oz | One breast, usually |
| Turkey | 1–1¼ lb | 1½ lb if you want leftovers |
| Sausage | ½ lb | Two standard links |
| Ground beef (burgers) | ⅓–½ lb | One ⅓ lb patty, or two sliders |
| Lamb (bone-in leg) | ¾ lb | ½ lb boneless |
Why raw weight is the number that matters
Most portion guides quote cooked weight, which is useless at the butcher counter — you buy raw. The gap is bigger than people expect.
- Brisket: a 12 lb packer loses 1–2 lb in trimming and roughly 40% of what is left during the cook. You serve about 6–7 lb from 12.
- Pork shoulder: similar. 10 lb raw yields about 6 lb pulled.
- Steak: loses about 20–25% — a 12 oz ribeye eats like 9 oz.
- Bone-in anything: subtract the bone before you do any other math.
Adjust for the actual party
The table assumes an adult eating a normal meal with sides. Real events are not that tidy:
- Meat is the whole event (barbecue, steak night) — add 25–50%.
- Heavy sides (potato salad, beans, bread, mac) — subtract about 25%.
- Kids under 12 — count as half an adult.
- Buffet, self-serve — add 20%. People take more when they serve themselves.
- Multiple proteins — total should be about 1.5× a single-protein portion, not 2×. If you serve brisket and sausage, plan ½ lb brisket plus ¼ lb sausage, not ¾ plus ½.
- You want leftovers — add 50%. Say so out loud, because "a little extra" is never enough.
Worked examples
Backyard barbecue, 20 adults, brisket and sausage, good sides. Brisket at ½ lb raw per head = 10 lb, so buy a 12 lb packer. Sausage at ¼ lb = 5 lb. Nobody leaves hungry.
Thanksgiving, 12 adults and 4 kids, want leftovers. Count 14 adult equivalents × 1½ lb = 21 lb. That is a big single turkey or, better, a 16 lb turkey plus a bone-in turkey breast — easier to cook evenly and gives you more white meat.
Steak dinner for 8. Eight bone-in ribeyes at 16 oz, or eight boneless at 12 oz. Buy one extra. There is always someone who wants a second, and cold steak makes an excellent sandwich.
Prime rib for 10. A 5-bone standing rib roast, about 10–12 lb. One rib per two people is the old rule and it holds up.
Common questions
How much brisket for 50 people?
About 25 lb of raw packer brisket if there are solid sides, 30–35 lb if brisket is the main event. That is two to three whole packers. Buy three — leftover brisket is not a problem anyone has complained about.
How many pounds of pulled pork for 100?
Plan 50 lb of raw pork shoulder for sandwiches with sides, which yields roughly 30 lb pulled, or about 5 oz per person on a bun.
Does grade change the portion?
Slightly. Richer meat — Prime, Wagyu — is more filling, and people genuinely eat less of it. Do not cut portions by more than about 15% on that basis.
How far ahead should I order?
For anything large or unusual — whole packers, standing rib roasts, suckling pig, large turkey orders — give us at least a week, and two around Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Let us do the math with you
Tell us the headcount and what else is on the table and we will tell you what to buy. Longhorn Meat Market, 11600 Menchaca Rd, Suite H, Austin, TX 78748. Call (512) 280-6514, or order online for delivery across greater Austin. Feeding a restaurant or a crowd every week? See our wholesale program.