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BBQ Meat Portions Calculator

Pounds of raw meat per guest.

Estimate the pounds of raw meat to buy for a BBQ given the guest count and the cut. Accounts for typical cooking yield (brisket, ribs, and pork shoulder lose 30–40% during the cook).

Marcus Laurent By Marcus Laurent
Published Last reviewed 1 min read

Inputs

lb

Results

Enter values and click Calculate to see results.
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How to use this calculator

  1. Fill in the inputs above using the units you already have.
  2. Values update automatically as you type — no submit button needed.
  3. Hover any result row for the underlying formula and intermediate values.

Formula

Raw lb = guests · serving_lb / yield_pct · 100.

In depth

Estimate the pounds of raw meat to buy for a BBQ given the guest count and the cut. Accounts for typical cooking yield (brisket, ribs, and pork shoulder lose 30–40% during the cook).