BBQ Quantity Calculator
Calculate meat, buns, and side quantities for a barbecue based on guest count and appetite level.
Adds veggie burger / halloumi portions for ~12% of guests (the typical 10-15% catering allowance)
How We Calculate This
This calculator uses standard UK BBQ-catering portion guidelines to estimate meat, bun, and side quantities. Meat is set per person as a raw-weight target, then split into whole burgers and sausages. The headline Total Meat is the raw weight you actually need to buy — the sum of the rounded-up burgers and sausages — so the figure always matches the shopping list rather than under-stating it.
Per Person Quantities (Raw Weight)
- Standard: ~275g meat, 1.5 buns, 100g salad
- Hearty: ~350g meat, 1.5 buns, 100g salad
- Light: ~200g meat, 1.5 buns, 100g salad
The 250–300g raw-meat-per-person figure is the widely used industry BBQ-catering heuristic for a mixed burger-and-sausage menu with 2–3 sides; scale toward the lower end when serving plenty of heavy sides.
Typical Meat Split
- 1 burger patty: ~150g raw
- 2 sausages: ~120g raw total (~60g each)
- Scaled proportionally for appetite level
Vegetarian Options
Tick “Include vegetarian options” to add veggie burger / halloumi portions for roughly 12% of guests — the mid-point of the usual 10–15% catering allowance. Adjust if you know your crowd. Cook vegetarian items on a separate part of the grill, away from raw meat, to avoid cross-contamination.
Food Safety
Burgers and sausages are minced or reformed meat, so they must be cooked right through to a safe core temperature of 75°C (or 70°C held for 2 minutes) — no pink in the middle and juices running clear. The same applies to chicken and pork. Use a meat thermometer to check the thickest part, and keep raw meat chilled and separate from cooked food and salads until it goes on the grill.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Last updated: February 2026
All calculations are based on standard ratios and conversions. Results may vary with specific ingredients, equipment, and conditions.