BBQ Party Calculator

When you're throwing a barbecue party, eventually you run into the same problem over and over again: how much food should I buy? If you buy too little, then you'll have to go to the supermarket in the middle of the party, and by that time your money will be burned up. If you buy too much, you'll eat potato salad for a week.

This calculator will turn your guest list into a shopping list. Enter how many adults and children are coming, what each person's appetite is like, how long the party will last, and how many different sides you want to serve. It'll show you the quantities of burgers, hotdogs, buns, meat, sides, drinks, and ice cream that you need. Optionally, it can also calculate the amount of charcoal, disposable tableware, and approximate cost.

First select the type of menu at the top of the screen. The burger and hot dog plans are based on typical barbecue items by piece count. The smoked meat and barbeque plans are based on brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and chicken by weight. It is important to buy enough raw meat so that it doesn't shrink too much when cooking.

One rule that always applies:

Almost all feeding guides use the same principle: when there are side dishes, you need about 225 grams (half a pound) of cooked meat per adult. Children's appetite is approximately half that of an adult. Increase the amount if there are very hungry people or a particularly meaty meal and decrease it if there are many side dishes.

So if you're serving two different sides and inviting ten adults with average appetites, you'll need about 2.3 kilograms (5 pounds) of cooked meat - that's the weight on your plates, not the weight you have to buy.

Cooked meat weighs less than the purchased amount: cooking reduces weight.

Meat loses water and fat when cooked so the weight of raw meat is different to that of cooked meat. If you only take into account the desired amount of cooked meat then there will always be too little at the end. The solution is to consider the yield of the meat, i.e. the percentage of the weight of the raw meat that remains after cooking.

Pulled pork is a good example. If you want to serve ten people, then you will need about five pounds of cooked pork. At 65% yield, that means you would need to buy about 7.7 pounds of raw pork, which is in the range of seven to ten pounds as grillmasters often say. A calculator will take this calculation if you are going with a protein source only.

How many meat varieties should you offer? You simply cannot just add them up.

A common mistake when shopping is to plan enough of each type of protein. When offering three different types of meat, guests will only try a small amount of each and not eat half a pound of each. As a rule of thumb, you should plan about two-thirds of the normal serving size per person for each protein source so that the total amount comes out to be approximately one standard serving of half a pound per person. The more types offered, the less you need to provide of each type and the less you need to increase the total amount.

Burgers and hot dogs: Calculated by number of pieces.

At a typical barbecue it is often better to think in terms of servings than weight. Usually the quantities are adjusted for appetite; adults will usually eat two servings while children will have one serving. If both burgers and hot dogs are being served, most people will choose only one or the other so instead of preparing one serving each, plan on about 70% burgers and 30% hot dogs per person.

80/20 ground beef is ideal for making quarter-pound patties. The 20% fat content will help the patties stay juicy on a hot grill, and there are four pieces per pound, which makes it easy to calculate how many you need. If 20 adults with average appetites each eat two patties, that's a total of 40 pieces. At a ratio of 70/30, this would be about 28 hamburgers and around 12 hot dogs, requiring about seven pounds of ground beef. Buy about 10% more buns to account for breakage or spoilage. Also keep in mind that hamburger buns are usually sold in packages of eight, while hot dog buns come in packages of ten.

Side dishes, drinks, ice cream

For each type of side dish you should plan on about four to six ounces per person. A normal party will have two or three different sides, while a more extensive spread may include four or more varieties. The number of different sides also affects the amount of meat. When there are many sides people tend to eat less meat at one time. For this reason the total amount of meat is often adjusted without notice depending on what type of food is being served.

Plan for about one and a half drinks per hour per person, and be sure to have plenty of water available. For twenty guests staying three hours, you'll need about 90 drinks. If more alcoholic beverages are offered, the calculator will automatically assign appropriate amounts for adults. Beer, wine, and hard seltzers make up about half, while the rest of adult drinks and all children's drinks are non-alcoholic. On hot days when temperatures exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit, increase all chilled drinks by a quarter to one-third.

Ice is often forgotten about. Plan on about 1.5 to 2 pounds of ice per person for both drinks and coolers. On very hot days or if you plan to use the ice to keep food cold, prepare more. Buy your ice in the morning of the cookout. Ice cubes that have been stored overnight in a freezer can freeze into large blocks and will need to be broken up with a hammer.

Fuel, consumables and costs:

When using charcoal, a standard 15 pound bag of charcoal is enough for about 20 guests. For disposable items, two plates, two cups and three napkins should be provided per guest as grilling can get messy and food is often eaten by hand. If you are providing the ingredients yourself, a party with burgers and hot dogs (including buns, condiments and two sides) will cost about $10 each. A more substantial menu with higher quality smoked meats like pork or chicken can cost up to $17 per person. Catering services generally start at around $15 to $22 per person and are only worth the convenience if you have 40 or more guests.

This is an estimate for planning purposes and does not represent the exact amount required. As appetite, weather and menu will vary, use these numbers as a reliable starting point. If in doubt buy more and remember the old adage of outdoor cooking: better to have too much than too little.