Quick answer
How many ribs per person
When ribs are the only meat, plan 6 baby back bones or 4 St. Louis bones per adult. Racks run about 12 bones each.
| Guests | Cooked | Bones | Racks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 people | 5 lb | 40 bones | 4 racks |
| 25 people | 12.5 lb | 100 bones | 9 racks |
| 50 people | 25 lb | 200 bones | 17 racks |
| 75 people | 37.5 lb | 300 bones | 25 racks |
| 100 people | 50 lb | 400 bones | 34 racks |
| 150 people | 75 lb | 600 bones | 50 racks |
Quick calculator
- St. Louis ribs10 racks111 bones
Baby backs vs St. Louis
Baby back bones are shorter and carry less meat, so people eat more of them. St. Louis ribs are spare ribs trimmed square, with more meat per bone. Racks of either usually have 10 to 13 bones. We plan with 12.
Baby back table
| Guests | Cooked | Bones | Racks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 people | 5 lb | 60 bones | 5 racks |
| 25 people | 12.5 lb | 150 bones | 13 racks |
| 50 people | 25 lb | 300 bones | 25 racks |
| 75 people | 37.5 lb | 450 bones | 38 racks |
| 100 people | 50 lb | 600 bones | 50 racks |
| 150 people | 75 lb | 900 bones | 75 racks |
Trusted recipes to try
St. Louis ribs
- St. Louis cut pork ribs · Meat Church
- Malcom style ribs · How To BBQ Right
- Texas style spare ribs · Meat Church
Baby backs
- Baby back ribs · Meat Church
- Competition baby back ribs · How To BBQ Right
- Last Meal ribs · AmazingRibs
Common questions
How many ribs per person?+
As the only meat, plan 6 baby back bones or 4 St. Louis bones per adult. With other meats, plan about half that.
How many people does a rack of ribs feed?+
A 12 bone rack of baby backs feeds about 2 adults as the only meat. A 12 bone St. Louis rack feeds about 3.
How many racks of ribs for 50 people?+
About 17 racks of St. Louis ribs or 25 racks of baby backs if ribs are the only meat.
Plan the whole cook
Pick every meat, set your serve time, and get one shopping list and one smoker timeline.
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