Calculate burgers for your cookout
Burger quantities chart
Assumes quarter-pound patties and 1 burger per adult plus sides (2 per adult only in the "only main" column).
| Guests | Burgers (with sides) | Burgers (only main) | Ground beef (1/4 lb each) | Bun packs (8) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 10-12 | 15-20 | 3-5 lb | 2 |
| 20 | 20-25 | 30-40 | 5-10 lb | 3 |
| 30 | 30-37 | 45-60 | 7.5-15 lb | 4-5 |
| 50 | 50-60 | 75-100 | 12.5-25 lb | 7-8 |
| 100 | 100-120 | 150-200 | 25-50 lb | 13-15 |
Round out the cookout with the BBQ sides calculator for coleslaw, beans and potato salad, and the meat per person calculator for pulled pork and brisket. Grab drink counts from the party drink calculator.
More free party calculators
Burger questions
How many burgers per person?
Plan 1 burger per adult when you are also serving hot dogs, chicken or other mains. Plan 2 burgers per adult only if burgers are the only main dish and your guests have big appetites. Kids usually eat 1 burger or half.
How many pounds of ground beef per person for burgers?
For quarter-pound patties plan 1/4 lb of raw meat per burger. For larger half-pound pub-style patties plan 1/2 lb each. With 1 burger per adult plus sides, 1/4 to 1/3 lb of raw beef per person is the standard range.
How many burgers for 20 people?
For 20 adults, plan 20 to 25 burgers, which is 5 to 6.5 lb of raw ground beef for quarter-pound patties. Get 2 to 3 packs of buns (8 per pack) so you have spares.
How many burgers for 50 people?
For 50 guests at a cookout with burgers as one of several mains, plan 50 to 60 burgers, about 13 to 15 lb of raw beef. If burgers are the only main, bump it to 75 burgers and roughly 19 lb of meat.
How many people does a pound of ground beef feed?
A pound of ground beef makes 4 quarter-pound burgers, so it feeds about 4 adults when each person has 1 burger with sides.
How many hot dogs should I add per person?
When serving burgers and hot dogs together, plan about 1 burger and 1 hot dog per adult, or split the total: 60% burgers and 40% hot dogs. Hot dogs and buns usually come in 8 or 10-packs, so round up.