BBQ Tool

BBQ Serving Calculator

Beta

Planning a backyard barbecue, cookout, or get-together? Figure out exactly how much meat to buy. Enter your guest count, pick your protein, and the calculator handles the math, including shrinkage, cook time, and optional cost breakdown. Feeding a crowd with tri tip? Here’s how much tri tip per person I plan for.

Whole packers run 10–20 lbs; most are 12–16 lbs

Minimum 14 guests for the smallest practical brisket (whole packer) purchase

Appetite Level

Your Shopping List

14 guests · Brisket (whole packer) · average appetite

10.5 lbs

Raw to Buy

5.3 lbs

Cooked Yield

10h 30m – 15h 45m

Cook Time

~50% yield · cook at 250°F

From the Pit

Plan for ~50% yield after trimming and rendering. A 15 lb packer feeds ~20 people.

Fire Up the Pit

Recipes to Cook Next

Texas-Style Smoked Brisket

The low-and-slow benchmark: bark, smoke ring, and a full cook timeline.

Get the recipe →

BBQ Pork Butt

Pulled pork that feeds a crowd and forgives a long cook.

Get the recipe →

Beer Can Chicken

Crisp skin, juicy meat, and an easy win for a backyard cook.

Get the recipe →
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