Quick answer
How much meat per person
Plan 1/2 lb of cooked meat per adult, total across every meat you serve. For brisket and pork butt that means buying about 1 lb raw per adult.
| Guests | Brisket | Pork butt |
|---|---|---|
| 10 people | 1 packer brisket (5 lb) | 1 pork butt (5.6 lb) |
| 25 people | 1 packer brisket (12.5 lb) | 2 pork butts (13.9 lb) |
| 50 people | 2 packer briskets (25 lb) | 4 pork butts (27.8 lb) |
| 75 people | 3 packer briskets (37.5 lb) | 6 pork butts (41.7 lb) |
| 100 people | 4 packer briskets (50 lb) | 7 pork butts (55.6 lb) |
| 150 people | 6 packer briskets (75 lb) | 11 pork butts (83.3 lb) |
Quick calculator
- Brisket1 packer brisket13.8 lb raw
- Pulled pork2 pork butts15.3 lb raw
Adjust for your crowd
- Hearty eaters: plan up to 3/4 lb cooked per adult.
- Light crowd or heavy sides: about 1/3 lb cooked is often enough.
- All day events: add about 20%. People come back for seconds.
- Sandwiches or sliders: use about 20% less. Buns stretch the meat.
Cooked weight vs raw weight
Smoked meat loses water and fat. A whole packer brisket keeps about 50% of its raw weight after trimming and cooking. Bone-in pork butt keeps about 45%. That is why the shopping list is always about twice the cooked amount.
Trusted recipes to try
Brisket
- Texas style brisket · Meat Church
- Texas brisket, butcher paper method · How To BBQ Right
- Texas style smoked brisket · AmazingRibs
Pulled pork
- Pulled pork · Meat Church
- Competition style pulled pork · How To BBQ Right
- A perfect BBQ pulled pork · AmazingRibs
Common questions
How much meat per person for BBQ?+
Plan about 1/2 lb of cooked meat per adult in total across all meats. That is roughly 1 lb raw for brisket or pork butt because about half the weight cooks off.
Does serving three meats mean three times the meat?+
No. The total stays about the same and gets split across the meats. Add about 5% for each meat beyond the second because people like to try everything.
How much meat for kids and teens?+
Count kids 5 to 12 as half an adult and teens as 1.25 adults. Kids under 5 usually eat from a parent's plate.
Plan the whole cook
Pick every meat, set your serve time, and get one shopping list and one smoker timeline.
Open the planner