BBQ Food for 25 Guests
A backyard BBQ for 25 guests needs about 13 lb of cooked meat, roughly 38 buns, two sides, and drinks. This calculator sizes the mains, buns, sides, and condiments for 25, estimates the cost, and gives a copyable shopping list, with cooked-versus-raw weight handled.
Your plan
Enough for a 4-hour bbq with standard appetite
Total items
14
food and drink to buy
Est. cost
$338.68
$13.55 per guest, rough estimate
Planning for 28 guests (24 adults, 4 kids) over 4 hours, standard appetite, with a 10 percent buffer.
- 11.7 lb
Main protein (burgers, chicken, pulled pork)
0.5 lb per adult
- 1 lb
Vegetarian main (skewers, plant patties)
0.4 lb per adult
- 132 oz
Starchy side (potato salad, pasta, rice)
5 oz per adult
- 78 oz
Vegetable side or green salad
3 oz per adult
- 40 pieces
Buns or bread rolls
1.5 pieces per adult
- 60 oz
Chips and snacks
2.2 oz per adult
- 28 servings
Dessert servings
1 servings per adult
- 34 cans
Beer
1 drink per guest per hour
- 5 bottles
Wine
1 drink per guest per hour
- 1 bottles
Cocktails and spirits
1 drink per guest per hour
- 37 cans
Soft drinks and juice
1 drink per guest per hour
- 31 bottles
Water
1 drink per guest per hour
- 26 servings
Condiments and sauces
1 servings per adult
- 56 pieces
Plates, napkins, cutlery sets
2 pieces per adult
Estimate from average US grocery prices, a planning aid, not a quote. Non-USD is converted at rough parity. Set the price level in advanced options for your area, or see how we estimate cost.
Shopping list
Proteins
- Main protein (burgers, chicken, pulled pork)11.7 lb (12 packs)$
- Vegetarian main (skewers, plant patties)1 lb (2 packs)$
Sides
- Starchy side (potato salad, pasta, rice)132 oz (9 packs)$
- Vegetable side or green salad78 oz (5 packs)$
Bread
- Buns or bread rolls40 pieces (6 packs)$
Snacks
- Chips and snacks60 oz (4 packs)$
Desserts
- Dessert servings28 servings (28 packs)$
Drinks
- Beer34 cans (3 packs)$
- Wine5 bottles (5 packs)$
- Cocktails and spirits1 bottles$
- Soft drinks and juice37 cans (4 packs)$
- Water31 bottles (2 packs)$
Condiments
- Condiments and sauces26 servings (3 packs)$
Disposables
- Plates, napkins, cutlery sets56 pieces (2 packs)$
Tap any price to set what it costs at your store. Prices are average US estimates.
Common questions
- How much meat do I need for a BBQ of 25?
- Plan about half a pound of cooked meat per adult, so roughly 13 lb cooked for 25 guests, more for big eaters or an all-day cookout. Bone-in mains like ribs need more raw weight, which the main-dish selector accounts for.
- How many burgers and hot dogs for 25 people?
- Most adults eat two handhelds across a cookout, so plan about 38 buns for 25 with a few spares. The tool sizes buns to your main dish and adds a buffer for seconds.