What to buy
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Why raw weight ≠ served weight
The single most common BBQ buying mistake is planning with cooked portions but buying raw weight as if they were the same. A brisket loses 40–50% of its weight to trimming, rendered fat and moisture; pork shoulder loses around 40%; even chicken loses a quarter. This calculator works backwards: it starts from the standard ½ lb cooked meat per adult serving (kids count as half), applies each cut's real-world yield, and tells you the raw weight to put in your cart. The full yield table with sources is in the meat per person guide.
How much brisket for 20 adults?
20 adults × ½ lb cooked = 10 lb cooked. At ~55% yield that means buying an 18 lb packer brisket (or two smaller ones). It sounds like a lot; it always does; it's right.
How many burgers per person?
Plan 1.5 quarter-pound patties per adult and 1 per kid. Buy 20% extra buns — they're cheap, and burger-bun failure is real.
What if I'm serving two meats?
Run the calculator once per meat with roughly 60% of your guest count each. People take some of both but eat only a little more in total.