Looking to host a soccer watch party this summer? BBQ is the way to go! But you may be wondering how much brisket you need per person.
The process of determining that answer may be slightly more complicated than first assumed, especially if you’re ordering food for a large group.
We specialize in BBQ catering in Houston and want to break it down easily so you can buy some brisket with confidence!
The Golden Rule: How Much Brisket Per Person?
Raw Weight vs. Cooked Weight
The golden rule is to go for around 1 lb of uncooked brisket per person. 1 lb of raw brisket per person yields about 0.5–0.7 lb of cooked brisket per person.
Why? Brisket comes from the cow’s chest and requires slow cooking. Slow cooking makes the meat beautifully tender, but also shrinks it by around 30-50%!
Are You Serving It With Sides?
If you’re serving your brisket as the main event, with few sides and no other proteins, then you may want to increase the portion size.
If you’re going to be serving lots of side options or offering an alternative meat like ribs or pulled pork, you can reduce the portion or stick with around 1/2 lb.
Quick Brisket Portion Reference Chart by Group Size
If you’re feeding a group, make sure you’ve got plenty of brisket!
However, we believe it’s always better to have more than not enough! Especially if you’ve got meat lovers who want big portions. So, if in doubt, size it up!
| Group Size | Raw Brisket (lbs) | Cooked Brisket (lbs) |
| 10 | 10 | ~5 |
| 20 | 20 | ~10 |
| 30 | 30 | ~15 |
| 50 | 50 | ~25 |
| 100 | 100 | ~50 |
How Much Brisket Per Child?
The calculations above are aimed at adults. If kids will be at your barbeque, then you may want to adjust the portion sizes. Generally, kids eat half-size portions of brisket.
But you’ll only really need to reduce how much brisket you buy if you have multiple kids coming. If you’ve just got one or two coming, we recommend accepting that there may be some leftovers at worst.
How Much BBQ Per Person?
Protein Servings
Aside from the brisket, how much BBQ per person do you generally need? What else do you need to fill up those bellies to total satisfaction?
Well, we believe a barbeque is a chance to indulge, which means sides and maybe even some other proteins!
If so, you can reduce your portions of each meat. That will prevent having too much.
If you’re considering multiple proteins, we recommend brisket, ribs, sausages, and turkey! These choices are always crowd pleasers.
How Sides Affect the Equation
Generally, a good barbeque should offer each guest 2 sides. With that approach, you won’t need to reduce your protein portions.
However, if you want to focus more on the sides, with, say, 3-4 sides per person, you’ve obviously got space to tone down those meat requirements.
Plus, you’ll want to think about what these sides are. For example, a large portion of Mac and Cheese or Jambalaya Texana is likely to be far more filling than a portion of green beans. In turn, that may affect how much your guests rely on the BBQ protein as their main dish.
Consider How Buffet-Style BBQs Affect Portion Size
Buffet-style barbeques can cause some further confusion. You’d think that you’d need more food per person, right?
Well, actually, buffet and Texas BBQ catering setups tend to reduce the portions of each protein or side because people like to enjoy a share of each. And you have to factor in catering for dietary requirements.
However, there’s always the chance some guests want to really dig in and make the most of the buffet’s freedom (we can’t blame them). So, we recommend a 10-20% extra portion buffer to ensure no one leaves hungry!
At the worst, you’ve got leftovers for the next day.
How Much Pulled Pork Per Person?
If you’re considering pulled pork as the main protein on your BBQ catering menu, then go for around ⅓ to ½ lbs of cooked pulled pork per adult. That should equate to a similar serving of brisket after shrinkage from cooking.
How Much Turkey Breast Per Person?
½ lb of raw turkey breast per person yields a similar yield. There is less shrinkage in turkey compared to brisket.
Common BBQ Portion Size Mistakes to Avoid
Not Factoring in Brisket Shrinkage
The number one mistake in the barbeque portion world is underestimating how much brisket per person is needed, because they forget about shrinkage from cooking! That meat gets smaller as it slowly cooks!
Not Including Enough Sides
Sides fill people up and give a sense of indulgence. If you’ve just got brisket, or brisket and one side, then it’s meat-heavy and boring.
Forgetting Buffet Behavior
If you go with a buffet setup, make sure you consider that some early birds might pile their plates high with all that food before them. That leaves the latecomers to scrape by. So, include an extra 10-20% if you want a buffet!
Skip the Math: Let Goode Co. Catering Handle It
As you can see, putting together any large BBQ requires a lot of calculating, organization, and logistics. We can make your barbeque simple by taking care of it all for you with our Goode Co. Catering menus.
We specialize in BBQ catering for large groups in Houston, including soccer watch parties, corporate events, private events, and reunions – including those at our private venue, The Armadillo Palace.
We welcome you to call us today at 713.844.8180 or fill out our online form to get started.
You can view our Goode Co Catering Menu here, too!
How Much Brisket Per Person: FAQs
Here are some of the top barbeque and catering questions we get asked:
How many people will a 5-pound brisket feed?
A 10-lb uncooked brisket should feed about 5 adults. Note that it will have around a 50% shrinkage once cooked.
What is the 3-2-1 rule?
This is a low-and-slow smoking method (that is generally applied to ribs) that sees 3 hours of unwrapped smoke, 2 hours wrapped, and 1 hour unwrapped for a crispy bark finish.
At Goode Co. Catering Houston, we smoke our brisket over mesquite wood for up to 15 hours, using techniques stretching back to our launch in the 1970s!
How much BBQ for 20 people?
20 lbs of uncooked brisket should be sufficient, with sides.
How much BBQ for 50 people?
50 lbs of raw brisket will be enough for 50 people, if you have sides.
Is It Better to Have Too Much Brisket or Not Enough?
We believe it’s always better to have too much brisket on offer, especially in buffet set-ups. At the worst, you’ll have leftovers for the next day, which are always delicious!
Is brisket a good watch party food?
Yes! Brisket is a great, crowd-pleasing protein option for BBQ groups. It can be served in portions or as a buffet. We recommend ensuring there’s a variety of sides, though (such as in our Goode Co. Catering menus).
What can you do with brisket leftovers?
If you’ve got leftovers, fear not. At least your guests didn’t go home hungry! You can chop the brisket up and keep it chilled for a few days before using it in tacos, nachos, grilled cheese, loaded potatoes, or really anything that could do with a meaty topping!