How Much Meat Per Person Do You Need For A Successful Barbecue?

While the outcome might be delicious grilled meat and fun in the sun, preparing to host a barbecue is serious business. There are a number of factors you have to consider, from deciding where to eat and who will work the grill to figuring out what the difference between grilling and barbecuing actually is. Once you've committed to taking on hosting duties, it's probably assumed that you'll be supplying the meats, the pièce de résistance of the entire event. After all, your guests may be tasked with bringing unique and impressive cookout sides, but it's often up to you to deliver the centerpiece.

If you're overwhelmed and unsure how much meat this task requires, don't worry — we got the inside scoop from someone who takes barbecue especially seriously. Chowhound spoke with Bob Bennett, Head Chef of Zingerman's Roadhouse, a full-service restaurant and barbecue destination in Ann Arbor, Michigan. When it comes to prepping for a home barbecue, Bennett recognizes that buying the correct amount of meat per guest can be "tough to gauge," but recommends starting with "6 ounces per person as a baseline." That number can also move up or down depending on your group of guests. For example, Bennett says, "We live in a college town, so when we look at students, we might tick the number up a little more than we would for a business group." When serving kids, meanwhile, you should plan on half the standard portion.

Say you're planning a family reunion, graduation party, or any other type of large gathering. It would take a whole lot of individual burger patties and chicken wings to feed everyone, so why not try a family style setup instead — which is also one of celebrity chef Bobby Flay's top pieces of barbecue advice. In fact, Bob Bennett says that a large party setup like this would be the perfect time to try a whole hog BBQ. There's no need to whip up individual portions — just smoke, carve, and let guests serve themselves. "You wouldn't need a huge hog, probably 60 to 70 pounds would get it done," for a 50-person party, he adds.

It's totally acceptable to expect guests to bring shareable sides, but if you're looking to provide the whole hosting experience, or at least ensure that there's a baseline array of various food groups, you might want to plan on preparing some sides yourself. To accompany a whole hog, Bennett recommends sides such as "mustard slaw, potato salad, and baked beans."