Catering portion guide

Catering portions chart: serving sizes per person, dish by dish

In short

A catering main is about 6 oz of cooked protein per guest, a hot side about 4 to 5 oz, and salad about 4 oz. The number that catches people out is purchase weight: meat loses up to half its weight to trim and cooking, while dry rice and pasta gain weight, so what you order is rarely what you serve.

Planning in a spreadsheet? Download the free catering portions CSV for 25, 50, and 100 guests, including purchase amounts, yield assumptions, and links to each dish guide.

Quick Jump:Half & Full Tray Guide 25, 50, 100 Guest Chart Mains (20)Sides (10)FAQs

Quick-reference chart

Catering portions for 25, 50, and 100 guests

Use the order amount, not only the served amount, when buying ingredients. The chart accounts for normal trim, cooking loss, or dry-food expansion. Open any dish for its full guest-count table and assumptions.

Catering portion chart showing the per-person serving and purchase quantities for 25, 50, and 100 guests across 23 common dishes.
Dish	Per person	Order for 25	Order for 50	Order for 100	Trays for 50
Brisketmain	5.3 oz served	16.6 lbraw packer brisket	33.1 lbraw packer brisket	66.3 lbraw packer brisket	3 full trays
Pulled porkmain	5.3 oz served	16.6 lbraw bone-in pork shoulder	33.1 lbraw bone-in pork shoulder	66.3 lbraw bone-in pork shoulder	3 full trays
BBQmain	6 oz served	18.8 lbraw mixed barbecue cuts	37.5 lbraw mixed barbecue cuts	75 lbraw mixed barbecue cuts	3 full trays
Chickenmain	6 oz served	16.4 lbraw bone-in chicken	32.8 lbraw bone-in chicken	65.6 lbraw bone-in chicken	3 full trays
Turkeymain	6 oz served	25 lbwhole raw turkey	50.1 lbwhole raw turkey	100.1 lbwhole raw turkey	3 full trays
Hammain	5.3 oz served	12.4 lbbone-in ham	24.8 lbbone-in ham	49.7 lbbone-in ham	3 full trays
Shrimpmain	5 oz served	12.5 lbshell-on shrimp	25 lbshell-on shrimp	50 lbshell-on shrimp	2 full + 1 half trays
Deli meatmain	3 oz served	4.7 lbsliced deli meat	9.4 lbsliced deli meat	18.8 lbsliced deli meat	Not tray-based
Taco meatmain	3 oz served	6.2 lbraw ground beef	12.5 lbraw ground beef	24.9 lbraw ground beef	2 full + 1 half trays
Meatballsmain	5 oz served	9.8 lbraw meatball mix	19.5 lbraw meatball mix	39.1 lbraw meatball mix	2 full + 1 half trays
Lasagnamain	8 oz served	12.5 lbassembled lasagna	25 lbassembled lasagna	50 lbassembled lasagna	4 full + 1 half trays
Baked zitimain	8 oz served	12.5 lbassembled baked ziti	25 lbassembled baked ziti	50 lbassembled baked ziti	4 full trays
Biryanimain	10 oz served	15.6 lbfinished biryani	31.3 lbfinished biryani	62.5 lbfinished biryani	4 full trays
Chilimain	10 oz (1¼ cups)	2 galfinished chili	3.9 galfinished chili	7.8 galfinished chili	2 full + 1 half trays
Soupstarter	8 oz (1 cup)	1.6 galfinished soup	3.1 galfinished soup	6.3 galfinished soup	Not tray-based
Pizzamain	3 slices	75 slicesfinished pizza	150 slicesfinished pizza	300 slicesfinished pizza	Not tray-based
Mashed potatoesside	5 oz served	9.8 lbraw potatoes	19.5 lbraw potatoes	39.1 lbraw potatoes	2 full + 1 half trays
Mac and cheeseside	5 oz served	7.8 lbfinished mac and cheese	15.6 lbfinished mac and cheese	31.3 lbfinished mac and cheese	2 full + 1 half trays
Riceside	4 oz served	2.1 lbdry rice	4.1 lbdry rice	8.3 lbdry rice	2 full trays
Fried riceside	5 oz served	3.1 lbdry rice	6.3 lbdry rice	12.5 lbdry rice	2 full + 1 half trays
Pastaside	4 oz served	2.8 lbdry pasta	5.6 lbdry pasta	11.3 lbdry pasta	2 full + 1 half trays
Saladsalad	4 oz served	7.5 lbwhole lettuce heads	15 lbwhole lettuce heads	30 lbwhole lettuce heads	2 full trays
Gravyside	2 oz (¼ cups)	1.6 qtfinished gravy	3.1 qtfinished gravy	1.6 galfinished gravy	Not tray-based
Ribsmain	6 oz served	16.4 lbraw pork rib racks (St. Louis or baby back)	32.8 lbraw pork rib racks (St. Louis or baby back)	65.6 lbraw pork rib racks (St. Louis or baby back)	3 full + 1 half trays
Prime Ribmain	8 oz served	18.1 lbraw bone-in standing rib roast (USDA Choice)	36.3 lbraw bone-in standing rib roast (USDA Choice)	72.5 lbraw bone-in standing rib roast (USDA Choice)	4 full trays
Salmonmain	6 oz served	10.8 lbraw skinless salmon sides / fillets	21.6 lbraw skinless salmon sides / fillets	43.1 lbraw skinless salmon sides / fillets	3 full trays
Pork Loinmain	5.5 oz served	10.7 lbraw boneless center-cut pork loin	21.5 lbraw boneless center-cut pork loin	43 lbraw boneless center-cut pork loin	2 full + 1 half trays
Roast Beefmain	5 oz served	10.9 lbraw top round or sirloin roast	21.9 lbraw top round or sirloin roast	43.8 lbraw top round or sirloin roast	2 full + 1 half trays
Green Beansside	3.5 oz served	6.3 lbfresh whole green beans	12.6 lbfresh whole green beans	25.2 lbfresh whole green beans	2 full trays
Coleslawsalad	3.5 oz served	5.5 lbfinished dressed coleslaw (or shredded cabbage blend)	10.9 lbfinished dressed coleslaw (or shredded cabbage blend)	21.9 lbfinished dressed coleslaw (or shredded cabbage blend)	2 full trays
Potato Saladside	4.5 oz served	7 lbfinished prepared potato salad	14.1 lbfinished prepared potato salad	28.1 lbfinished prepared potato salad	2 full trays
Baked Beansside	4 oz (0.5 cups)	3.1 qtfinished seasoned baked beans	1.6 galfinished seasoned baked beans	3.1 galfinished seasoned baked beans	2 full trays
Cornbreadside	1.3 slices	33 slicesfresh baked cornbread squares	65 slicesfresh baked cornbread squares	130 slicesfresh baked cornbread squares	Not tray-based

Meat: order amounts include the yield loss listed in each dish guide. Boneless and pre-trimmed cuts may need less.

Rice and pasta: order amounts use dry weight where noted because they gain weight during cooking.

Ordering by the tray?

A half tray feeds about 6 to 11 people as a main and 11 to 16 as a side. The full dish-by-dish chart, with tray counts for 25 to 100 guests, is in the half tray vs full tray guide.

Mains

Portions and purchase weights for the centre of the plate.

How much brisket per person

For 50 guests: order 33.1 lb, serves 16.6 lb.

How much pulled pork per person

For 50 guests: order 33.1 lb, serves 16.6 lb.

How much BBQ per person

For 50 guests: order 37.5 lb, serves 18.8 lb.

How much chicken per person

For 50 guests: order 32.8 lb, serves 18.8 lb.

How much turkey per person

For 50 guests: order 50.1 lb, serves 18.8 lb.

How much ham per person

For 50 guests: order 24.8 lb, serves 16.6 lb.

How much shrimp per person

For 50 guests: order 25 lb, serves 15.6 lb.

How much deli meat per person

For 50 guests: order 9.4 lb, serves 9.4 lb.

How much taco meat per person

For 50 guests: order 12.5 lb, serves 9.4 lb.

How much meatballs per person

For 50 guests: order 19.5 lb, serves 15.6 lb.

How much lasagna per person

For 50 guests: order 25 lb, serves 25 lb.

How much baked ziti per person

For 50 guests: order 25 lb, serves 25 lb.

How much biryani per person

For 50 guests: order 31.3 lb, serves 31.3 lb.

How much chili per person

For 50 guests: order 3.9 gal, serves 3.9 gal.

How much pizza per person

For 50 guests: order 150 slices, serves 150 slices.

How much ribs per person

For 50 guests: order 32.8 lb, serves 18.8 lb.

How much prime rib per person

For 50 guests: order 36.3 lb, serves 25 lb.

How much salmon per person

For 50 guests: order 21.6 lb, serves 18.8 lb.

How much pork loin per person

For 50 guests: order 21.5 lb, serves 17.2 lb.

How much roast beef per person

For 50 guests: order 21.9 lb, serves 15.6 lb.

Sides

Starches and hot sides, planned alongside a main.

How much mashed potatoes per person

For 50 guests: order 19.5 lb, serves 15.6 lb.

How much mac and cheese per person

For 50 guests: order 15.6 lb, serves 15.6 lb.

How much rice per person

For 50 guests: order 4.1 lb, serves 12.5 lb.

How much fried rice per person

For 50 guests: order 6.3 lb, serves 15.6 lb.

How much pasta per person

For 50 guests: order 5.6 lb, serves 12.5 lb.

How much gravy per person

For 50 guests: order 3.1 qt, serves 3.1 qt.

How much green beans per person

For 50 guests: order 12.6 lb, serves 10.9 lb.

How much potato salad per person

For 50 guests: order 14.1 lb, serves 14.1 lb.

How much baked beans per person

For 50 guests: order 1.6 gal, serves 1.6 gal.

How much cornbread per person

For 50 guests: order 65 slices, serves 65 slices.

Salads

Cold sides, where trim loss is the thing to watch.

How much salad per person

For 50 guests: order 15 lb, serves 12.5 lb.

How much coleslaw per person

For 50 guests: order 10.9 lb, serves 10.9 lb.

Starters

Served before the main, so portions run smaller.

How much soup per person

For 50 guests: order 3.1 gal, serves 3.1 gal.

Frequently asked questions

Catering portioning FAQs

How much meat per person should you plan for catering?

Plan for 6 to 8 oz of cooked meat per adult guest for a main course. When ordering raw meat, factor in trim and cooking yield: raw brisket loses 40-50% of its weight, raw pork shoulder loses 35-40%, and boneless chicken breast loses 20-25%.

What is the general rule of thumb for buffet catering portions?

A reliable catering standard is 1 to 1.25 lbs (16 to 20 oz) of total prepared food per adult, split into 6–8 oz protein, 4–6 oz starches/sides, 3–4 oz vegetables/salad, and 2–3 oz dessert.

Planning a full menu?

These charts cover one dish at a time. The catering food calculator takes your whole dish list and guest count and returns quantities, trays, and a cost range together.

Open the catering food calculator