How Much Brisket Per Person
Brisket loses a lot of weight as it renders, so plan about half a pound cooked per adult, which means buying closer to 0.8 to 1 lb raw each. This calculator turns your headcount into raw brisket to buy, plus sides, bread, a cost estimate, and a copyable shopping list.
Your plan
About 16
Total items
4
food and drink to buy
Est. cost
$160.12
$8.01 per guest, rough estimate
Planning 0.5 lb cooked meat per adult for 22 guests, standard appetite, with a 10 percent buffer.
- 16.2 lb
Beef (brisket, steak, ground) (raw, to buy)
0.5 lb cooked per adult
- 105 oz
Starchy side (potato salad, pasta, rice)
5 oz per adult
- 63 oz
Vegetable side or green salad
3 oz per adult
- 32 pieces
Buns or bread rolls
1.5 pieces per adult
Estimate from average US grocery prices, a planning aid, not a quote. Non-USD is converted at rough parity. Set the price level in advanced options for your area, or see how we estimate cost.
Shopping list
Proteins
- Beef (brisket, steak, ground) (raw, to buy)16.2 lb (17 packs)$
Sides
- Starchy side (potato salad, pasta, rice)105 oz (7 packs)$
- Vegetable side or green salad63 oz (4 packs)$
Bread
- Buns or bread rolls32 pieces (4 packs)$
Tap any price to set what it costs at your store. Prices are average US estimates.
Common questions
- How Much Brisket Per Person?
- How much brisket per person? Plan about half a pound cooked per adult. Because brisket can lose 30 to 40 percent of its weight, that is roughly 0.8 to 1 lb of raw brisket per adult, which the tool calculates for your headcount.
- How big a brisket should I buy?
- A whole packer brisket runs about 12 to 16 lb raw and feeds roughly 12 to 16 adults after the cooking loss. For a bigger crowd, plan on two or three briskets rather than one oversized piece, which cooks unevenly. The calculator turns your headcount into the raw pounds to buy so you know how many to pick up.