BBQ meat per person.

BBQ Meat Per Person Calculator: the short answer

Plan about 225 g (half a pound) of raw boneless meat per adult as a rule of thumb, more for bone-in cuts. For 16 adults and 4 children that is about 5 kg (11 lb) bought across burgers, sausages, chicken and steak.

Worked example

16 adults and 4 children at half a portion are 18 adult-equivalent guests. At 225 g raw each plus 10%: 18 x 225 x 1.1 = 4,455 g. Split 40 : 20 : 30 : 10, burgers get 1,782 g (16 patties of 113 g), sausages 891 g (16 sausages of 57 g), chicken 1,336.5 g of meat, bought as 1,871 g with a 40% bone allowance, and steak 445.5 g. Total to buy: 4.99 kg (11.0 lb).

How it works

Equivalent guests = adults + children x child portion. Total boneless meat = equivalent guests x grams each x (1 + extra). It is divided by the parts you choose. Bone-in chicken is bought at weight x (1 + bone allowance). Patties = burger grams / patty weight, rounded up; sausages the same way. One kilogram = 2.2046 lb.

The amount per person, the split and the 40% bone allowance are rules of thumb, not published standards. Food safety: Health Canada lists 71 °C (160 °F) for ground beef, pork and lamb including burgers and beef or pork sausages, 74 °C (165 °F) for hot dogs, poultry sausages, poultry pieces and ground poultry, and 63 °C (145 °F) for beef steaks and roasts cooked to medium-rare. Keep raw meat cold, and keep hot food hot and cold food cold so it stays out of the 4 °C to 60 °C danger zone. This page is not professional food-safety advice.

Sources and basis (opened 2026-10-08): Safe cooking temperatures, Canada.ca (Health Canada), opened 2026-10-08, for the internal cooking temperatures. Safe food storage, Canada.ca (Health Canada), opened 2026-10-08, for the 4 °C to 60 °C temperature danger zone. Meat quantities are rules of thumb and carry no source.

FAQ

How much meat per person for a BBQ?

A common rule of thumb is about 225 g (half a pound) of raw boneless meat per adult when meat is the main dish, less if there are many sides. It is not a published standard.

How many burgers per person?

The calculator turns the burger share into a patty count from the patty weight you enter. In the example 16 patties of 113 g serve the burger share for 18 adult-equivalent guests.

Why buy more bone-in chicken?

Bone adds weight but no meat. The calculator adds a bone allowance, 40% by default, which you can change.

What temperature should burgers reach?

Health Canada lists 71 °C (160 °F) for ground beef, pork and lamb including burgers and beef or pork sausages, and 74 °C (165 °F) for hot dogs, poultry sausages, poultry pieces and ground poultry. Use a food thermometer in the thickest part.

How do I count children?

The default is half an adult portion. Change the child portion from 0 to 1.