How Much Ground Beef Do You Need Per Person?

Whether you're hosting a dinner party for friends or just planning weeknight meals for the family, you have to know how much food to make per person. Otherwise, you end up overspending at the grocery store or leaving people hungry. If you're making a ground beef-based meal, it depends on a handful of factors, such as what you're cooking and who you're serving (little kids or grown adults). The best rule of thumb is to make about a quarter-pound of raw ground beef per person, but it's important to know your audience.

If you're preparing a build-your-own taco bar or a taco casserole, then that quarter-pound of beef per person is a good estimate. If you're whipping up a few burgers, those patties should weigh 4 ounces each. This is assuming you weigh the beef before you cook it. In the grocery store, beef is weighed uncooked, so order the meat in uncooked pounds. Regardless of estimates, keep in mind the people you're serving. If your group typically eats more than a serving, then you'll likely need more. If you're serving young children, cook less.

Different types of ground beef have different moisture and fat levels. For burgers, it's always best to weigh the meat beforehand because you can't add or remove meat from that burger once it's cooked.

If you've browned some ground beef for tacos or salads only to realize you forgot to weigh it first, there is a trick to estimating how much you'll need per person. One pound of raw ground beef (assuming it's 80% lean) weighs ¾ pound once cooked due to fat and moisture loss. This means the meat loses about 25% of its weight after the cooking process. So, if you want to serve a quarter-pound of raw meat per guest, then just take a quarter-pound, or 4 ounces, and multiply it by 0.75 to find the weight of the cooked meat. With this calculation, you'll yield about 3 ounces of cooked ground beef per person. When in doubt, make a little extra in case anyone wants a second serving.