Party food calculator
How much food per person, for your guest count and your menu: appetizer pieces, mains, sides, salads, bread, dessert and drinks for the length of the party. Built on a caterer's quantity tables. No sign-up.
How much food for 20 guests
Appetizers
- At least 4 kindsCount dips and spreads at 1 oz (28 g) a piece.120 to 160 pieces
Main course
- Roast, boneless10 lb (4.5 kg)
Sides
- Vegetables (green beans, carrots, broccoli, peas)4 lb to 5 lb (1.8 kg to 2.3 kg)
- Potatoes or sweet potatoes20 medium potatoes
Salads
- Green salad (romaine or iceberg)4 heads of lettuce
Bread
- Dinner rolls30 rolls
Dessert
- Pie, 9 in (23 cm)2 to 3 pies
Drinks for 3 hours
- Soft drinksup to 28.4 L, about 15 two-liter bottles60 to 120 servings of 8 fl oz
- Coffeeup to 14.2 L brewed60 to 120 servings of 4 fl oz
- Watertwo standard pitchers is usually enough, per the bookAlways
Rounded up, per person as the book gives them; the side-dish pasta and the rice are cooked weights. Everything that sits out follows the two-hour rule (one hour above 90°F, 32°C): swap platters from the fridge rather than topping them up.
How much food for 10, 25 and 50 people
The same amounts the calculator uses, for one main and one dessert. Everything is rounded up.
| Food | 10 guests | 25 guests | 50 guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appetizers before a meal | 60 to 80 pieces | 150 to 200 pieces | 300 to 400 pieces |
| Appetizers only | 120 to 150 pieces | 300 to 375 pieces | 600 to 750 pieces |
| Whole turkey | 10 lb (4.5 kg) | 25 lb (11.3 kg) | 50 lb (22.7 kg) |
| Roast, boneless | 5 lb (2.3 kg) | 12.5 lb (5.7 kg) | 25 lb (11.3 kg) |
| Chicken, turkey or duck, boneless | 5 lb (2.3 kg) | 12.5 lb (5.7 kg) | 25 lb (11.3 kg) |
| Ribs (baby back, spare or short) | 10 lb (4.5 kg) | 25 lb (11.3 kg) | 50 lb (22.7 kg) |
| Chili, stew or stroganoff | 3.5 lb to 4 lb (1.6 kg to 1.8 kg) | 8 lb to 9.5 lb (3.6 kg to 4.3 kg) | 16 lb to 19 lb (7.3 kg to 8.6 kg) |
| Shrimp, large (16 to 20 per lb) | 50 to 70 shrimp | 125 to 175 shrimp | 250 to 350 shrimp |
| Vegetables (green beans, carrots, broccoli, peas) | 30 oz to 2.5 lb (850 g to 1.1 kg) | 5 lb to 6.5 lb (2.3 kg to 2.9 kg) | 9.5 lb to 12.5 lb (4.3 kg to 5.7 kg) |
| Potatoes or sweet potatoes | 10 medium potatoes | 25 medium potatoes | 50 medium potatoes |
| Rice or grains (cooked) | 15 oz (430 g) | 2.5 lb (1.1 kg) | 5 lb (2.3 kg) |
| Green salad (romaine or iceberg) | 2 heads of lettuce | 4 heads of lettuce | 8 heads of lettuce |
| Potato or macaroni salad | 3.5 lb (1.6 kg) | 8 lb (3.6 kg) | 16 lb (7.3 kg) |
| Dinner rolls | 15 rolls | 38 rolls | 75 rolls |
| Pie, 9 in (23 cm) | 1 to 2 pies | 2 to 3 pies | 4 to 6 pies |
| Cookies | 20 to 30 cookies | 50 to 75 cookies | 100 to 150 cookies |
| Soup as a first course | 2.5 quarts (2.4 L) | 1.75 gallons (6.6 L) | 3.25 gallons (12.3 L) |
Where the numbers come from
The per-person amounts are from Dawn Simmons, a professional caterer, and Curt Simmons, in Cooking For Crowds For Dummies (Wiley), as printed in the book's cheat sheet. Where the book gives a figure for a crowd of 25 rather than per person (green salad, coleslaw, casseroles, whole cakes and pies, loaves), the calculator scales it to your guest count and rounds up to whole heads, pans and cakes. Two rules are ours: several mains or desserts share the servings with a 20% cushion, and a two-liter bottle counts as 67.6 fl oz.
The book is clear that the tables are a guide, not an exact science: know your crowd, make more of the dish everyone loves and less of the one that always comes back. The food-safety rule for a buffet is USDA's: nothing perishable sits out for more than two hours, one hour above 90°F (32°C).
Feeding more than a houseful, or serving from chafing dishes? The catering calculator works in caterers' portions by service style and counts the pans. Hosting the holidays? The turkey calculator sizes the bird and times it, and the charcuterie board calculator weighs the cheese and meat for the board before dinner.
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Party food questions, answered
How much food per person for a party?
It depends on whether a meal follows. As appetizers before a full meal, plan 6 to 8 pieces a guest across at least four kinds; as the only food, 12 to 15 pieces across at least six. For a meal, figure about half a pound (227 g) of boneless meat a guest, 3 to 4 oz (85 to 113 g) of each vegetable side, a medium potato, 1½ rolls and one dessert serving. Those are caterer Dawn Simmons's numbers from Cooking For Crowds For Dummies, and the calculator above does the multiplication.
How many appetizers per person?
Before a meal, 6 to 8 pieces a guest and at least four different kinds: for 20 guests that is 120 to 160 pieces. When appetizers are the whole party, 12 to 15 pieces and at least six kinds: 240 to 300 pieces for 20. Count dips and spreads at an ounce (28 g) a piece; they save you making hundreds of individual bites.
How much food for 50 people?
For 50 guests: about 25 lb (11.3 kg) of boneless roast or 50 lb (22.7 kg) of whole turkey, 9.5 lb to 12.5 lb (4.3 kg to 5.7 kg) of each vegetable side, 50 medium potatoes, 75 rolls and 4 to 6 pies. If you serve two mains, each can be smaller: the calculator splits the servings between them and adds 20% so neither runs out.
How much meat per person?
Half a pound (227 g) a guest of boneless meat: boneless roasts, boneless chicken or turkey, ground beef. Bone-in cuts need more because the bone is weight you don't eat: 14 to 16 oz (400 to 450 g) for a bone-in roast, 12 to 16 oz (340 to 450 g) for bone-in chicken or turkey pieces, a pound (450 g) for ribs or a whole turkey. Chili and stews, where the meat is chopped into a sauce, take 5 to 6 oz (140 to 170 g).
How many drinks per person per hour?
One to two servings a guest an hour: 8 fl oz (240 ml) servings of soft drinks or iced tea, 4 fl oz (120 ml) of punch or coffee. A three-hour party for 20 is 60 to 120 servings of each drink you offer. Always put out water as well.
What if I serve more than one main dish?
Guests take some of each, so you need less of either. The book's amounts are for one main; when you choose two or more, the calculator divides the servings between them and adds a 20% cushion, which is our rule rather than the book's. Buffets in general run lower per person than a plated meal, the book notes, because there are more sides to fill the plate.
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