BBQ Meat Per Person Calculator

Work out bbq meat per person instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About BBQ Meat Per Person Calculator

Plan 300 g of raw meat per adult for a normal barbecue, half that for children, adjusted down when there are plenty of substantial sides. Meat loses about 25% of its weight in cooking, so the cooked figure is always noticeably less than what you bought.

Formula

Barbecue meat

total = adults x per-adult allowance + children x half; cooked weight is about 75% of raw

Worked example

With the default values below, BBQ Meat Per Person Calculator returns Total raw meat needed of 5.16. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Adults: 18 adults
Children: 7 children
Appetite levelone of Light (other food available), Normal, Hearty (meat is the main event): Normal
Substantial side dishes: 4 dishes

Results

Total raw meat needed: 5.16 kg
Raw meat per adult: 240 g
Cooked weight: 3.87 kg
Equivalent 125 g burgers: 41 burgers

Step by step

1Values used
2Barbecue meat
3Total raw meat needed= 5.16 kg
4Raw meat per adult= 240 g
5Cooked weight= 3.87 kg
6Equivalent 125 g burgers= 41 burgers

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 2 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why 300 g raw per adult?

It allows for cooking loss and gives about 225 g cooked — roughly two burgers or a steak plus a sausage. Hearty eaters and meat-focused events need more.

Should I buy the same for everyone?

No. Children eat about half an adult portion, and a good spread of sides reduces meat consumption noticeably.