How much roast beef for 50 people?

For 50 guests, order about 21.9 lb of raw top round or sirloin roast, which serves about 15.6 lb. That is roughly 2 full + 1 half trays.

How much roast beef for 100 people?

For 100 guests, order about 43.8 lb of raw top round or sirloin roast, which serves about 31.3 lb. That is roughly 5 full trays.

Catering portion guide

How much roast beef per person?

In short

Plan on 5 oz of carved cooked roast beef per person for a buffet main (or 4 oz for sandwiches). Buy 7 oz raw beef per person to account for trim and shrinkage: 50 guests needs about 22 lb raw beef yielding 15.6 lb carved cooked beef.

Buy more roast beef than you serve

Roast beef (top round or eye of round) loses 25% to 30% during roasting and thin-slicing on a commercial slicer.

Planning factor: 1.4x. For every 1 lb you want to serve, order about 1.4 lb of raw top round or sirloin roast.

How much roast beef for 10 to 100 people

Order is what to buy as raw top round or sirloin roast. Serves is what reaches the plate after trim and cooking.

Roast Beef quantities by guest count, showing purchase weight and served weight
Guests	Order	Serves	Trays
8	3.5 lb	2.5 lb	1 half tray
10	4.4 lb	3.1 lb	1 half tray
12	5.3 lb	3.8 lb	1 full tray
15	6.6 lb	4.7 lb	1 full tray
16	7 lb	5 lb	1 full tray
20	8.8 lb	6.3 lb	1 full tray
24	10.5 lb	7.5 lb	1 full + 1 half trays
25	10.9 lb	7.8 lb	1 full + 1 half trays
30	13.1 lb	9.4 lb	1 full + 1 half trays
40	17.5 lb	12.5 lb	2 full trays
50	21.9 lb	15.6 lb	2 full + 1 half trays
60	26.3 lb	18.8 lb	3 full trays
75	32.8 lb	23.4 lb	3 full + 1 half trays
80	35 lb	25 lb	4 full trays
100	43.8 lb	31.3 lb	5 full trays

These are standard food-service planning figures, not fixed constants. Real yield moves with cut, trim level, cooking method, and how long the food is held. Weigh your own results once and adjust the factor to your kitchen.

Things that change the number

Thin deli-style shaving yields more volume perception per ounce than thick cuts.
Store cooked sliced roast beef in warm au jus to prevent surface discoloration and dryness.
For sandwiches, 4 oz cooked in a bun is the standard portion.

Common questions

How much roast beef per person?: Plan on 5 oz of carved cooked roast beef per person for a buffet main (or 4 oz for sandwiches). Buy 7 oz raw beef per person to account for trim and shrinkage: 50 guests needs about 22 lb raw beef yielding 15.6 lb carved cooked beef.
How much roast beef for 50 people?: For 50 guests, order about 21.9 lb of raw top round or sirloin roast, which serves about 15.6 lb. That is roughly 2 full + 1 half trays.
How much roast beef for 100 people?: For 100 guests, order about 43.8 lb of raw top round or sirloin roast, which serves about 31.3 lb. That is roughly 5 full trays.

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