With BBQ season coming up, I’m sure many of you are planning to spend time grilling with family and friends. Being the cookout host is always fun, but it can be a little intimidating depending on what you’re cooking.

You want to make sure to have enough food to feed everyone, but you don’t want to end up with so many leftovers that they go to waste.

It’s easy to gauge how much meat you need to buy when you’re cooking things like chicken breasts, pork chops, or burgers, but what about those larger slabs of meat like brisket or pork shoulder? How do you know how much to buy to feed a crowd? What about ribs? It can be a bit overwhelming when you’re standing in the grocery aisle trying to calculate how many briskets you need to buy for your weekend cookout.

How much meat to serve per person?

A good rule of thumb when you’re cooking for a crowd is to anticipate ½ lb of boneless meat per person and 1lb of bone-in meat per person (to account for bone weight). Women and children tend to eat less than adult men (though there are always exceptions), but calculating based on ½ lb average per person helps mitigate differences in appetite.

Another factor to keep in mind is whether you are serving appetizers or sides. If you plan to serve up a batch of jalapeno poppers or smoked queso while the meat is finishing, then people may start to fill up a bit before the main course. Same goes for sides, if you’re just planning on simple potato salad and coleslaw then people may eat more meat, but if you’re planning on making smoked mac & cheese then they may fill up more.

Should you calculate raw or cooked meat? 

When you are calculating how much meat to cook for a crowd it’s always best to calculate based on the weight of the raw meat. Meat loses weight when it’s cooking due to moisture loss, so it can be tricky to calculate based on cooked meat.

The below chart is a good guideline for your next cookout or barbecue.

Smoking for a Crowd: Meat Serving Chart (per person)

With a little planning and a few simple calculations, you can take the guesswork out of BBQ prep and focus on what really matters—good food and great company. Keep this guide handy, and you’ll be ready to serve up perfectly portioned plates all season long.