How Much Meat, BBQ & Thanksgiving Turkey Per Person? Complete Catering Chart

1. Thanksgiving turkey per person pound rules (10 lb to 24 lb birds)

For a whole bone-in Thanksgiving turkey, plan 1.0 to 1.25 pounds of raw bird per guest (or 1.5 pounds per guest if you want generous holiday leftovers). For a boneless turkey breast roast, plan 0.5 pound (8 oz raw) per person.

• 11 to 12 pound turkey: feeds 8 to 10 people comfortably with leftovers (up to 12 people without leftovers).
• 15 pound turkey: feeds 10 to 12 people with leftovers (up to 15 people total).
• 20 pound turkey: feeds 14 to 16 people with generous leftovers (up to 20 people total).
• 22 to 24 pound turkey: feeds 18 to 22 people.

2. BBQ pulled pork, brisket, ribs, steak, and cold cuts per person

When buying cooked BBQ pulled pork or chopped brisket, order 1/3 to 1/2 pound per guest (1 pound of cooked BBQ feeds 2 to 3 people). If smoking raw bone-in pork shoulder or packer brisket yourself, buy 0.75 to 1.0 pound raw per guest to cover the 45%–50% smoking loss.

For boneless steaks (ribeye, strip, filet mignon, steak tips), tri-tip, roast beef, or boneless chicken breasts, buy 0.5 pound (8 oz) raw per adult. For bone-in ribs, buy 1 pound (4–5 ribs) per person. For deli lunch meat platters, buy 1/4 pound (4 oz) per person.