How Much Ground Beef per Person to Buy for Your Next Gathering (2024)

FAQs

How Much Ground Beef per Person to Buy for Your Next Gathering? ›

Try serving 3/4 of a pound per person to factor in the extra weight. If you're dishing up some ground beef for taco night, ¼ of a pound per person should be sufficient. You might want to consider ¾ of a pound for those with heartier appetites. A half a pound might not be enough.

When Meat Is a Component of a Dish. If the meat is part of a bigger dish, like pasta or curry, plan for 1/4 to 1/3 pound (four to six ounces) per person. That means you'll want at least 2 1/2 pounds of meat if you're planning to have 10 people over to dinner, and 5 or more pounds of meat if you're cooking for 20 guests ...

According to the USDA, a serving of ground beef is 3 ounces. Considering that, 3.75 pounds of ground beef would be enough to serve 20 people. Now, if you want to go the 'excessive and unhealthy' route… you can serve them a quarter pound patty.

As a general rule of thumb, plan for the following portion sizes: For buffet-style events: Estimate about 1/2 to 3/4 pound of meat per person. For plated dinners: Plan for approximately 6 to 8 ounces of meat per person. Consider offering a variety of meats to cater to different preferences and dietary restrictions.

If cooking beef on the bone, a three-rib roast (about 3kg) will serve about seven to eight people. Calculate roughly 400g per person. If cooking beef off the bone, 1kg will serve four and 1.5kg will serve about six, so 200-300g per person.

Boneless Meat: 1/2 lb. per person for adults and 1/4 lb. per person for children. Bone-In Meat: 1 lb.

Quick tip: Purchase about 1 pound of ground beef or boneless roast for four servings.

The most important thing when planning and prepping is to purchase enough ingredients. For instance, plan for about 3-4 ounces of ground beef taco meat per person, which means a pound of ground beef can feed roughly four people.

Our classic sloppy joes recipe calls for 1 pound of ground beef to make 6 sandwiches, which is 3 ounces of ground beef per sandwich. Depending on the size of your bun and how meaty you like your sandwich, you can increase or decrease that amount an ounce or two either way.

How many burgers does 1 pound of ground beef make? ›

If you're making the patties yourself (to save money or because you love making burgers), assume four burgers per pound of meat. For 120 burgers you'll need 30 pounds of ground beef.

For any protein, the healthy portion size is for an adult is 227 grams (half a pound or 8 ounces) of raw meat. If you know your guest better, you can know if they have a high appetite, add a little more to about 340 grams - 450 grams (¾- 1 pound or 12 ounces).

A standard serve is (500–600kJ): 65g cooked lean red meats such as beef, lamb, veal, pork, goat or kangaroo (about 90-100g raw) 80g cooked lean poultry such as chicken or turkey (100g raw)

6 people – 36 oz. (2 lbs.) 12 people – 68 oz. (4 lbs.)

The most important thing when planning and prepping is to purchase enough ingredients. For instance, plan for about 3-4 ounces of ground beef taco meat per person, which means a pound of ground beef can feed roughly four people.

Throwing a Large Party

With a larger group, consider the number of adults and children when planning your meal. This will determine if you need a half or a quarter pound of meat per guest. If you're feeding 20 people and are unsure about age ranges, 10 or more pounds of meat is a great place to start.

I would get 6.5 to 7.5 pounds of ground beef for tacos for 20 people if the tacos are going to be most of the food for the meal.