How much turkey for 50 people?

For 50 guests, order about 50.1 lb of whole raw turkey, which serves about 18.8 lb. That is roughly 3 full trays.

How much turkey for 100 people?

For 100 guests, order about 100.1 lb of whole raw turkey, which serves about 37.5 lb. That is roughly 6 full trays.

Catering portion guide

How much turkey per person?

In short

Plan on 6 oz of carved turkey per person, which works out to the familiar 1 lb of whole raw bird per person. For 20 guests that is about 7.5 lb of carved meat from a bird of roughly 20 lb.

Buy more turkey than you serve

A whole bone-in turkey is mostly frame. About 2.7 lb of raw bird yields 1 lb of carved meat, which is where the familiar 1 lb per person rule comes from.

Planning factor: 2.67x. For every 1 lb you want to serve, order about 2.67 lb of whole raw turkey.

How much turkey for 10 to 100 people

Order is what to buy as whole raw turkey. Serves is what reaches the plate after trim and cooking.

Turkey quantities by guest count, showing purchase weight and served weight
Guests	Order	Serves	Trays
5	5 lb	1.9 lb	1 half tray
6	6 lb	2.3 lb	1 half tray
7	7 lb	2.6 lb	1 half tray
8	8 lb	3 lb	1 half tray
10	10 lb	3.8 lb	1 full tray
12	12 lb	4.5 lb	1 full tray
14	14 lb	5.3 lb	1 full tray
15	15 lb	5.6 lb	1 full tray
20	20 lb	7.5 lb	1 full + 1 half trays
25	25 lb	9.4 lb	1 full + 1 half trays
30	30 lb	11.3 lb	2 full trays
40	40.1 lb	15 lb	2 full + 1 half trays
50	50.1 lb	18.8 lb	3 full trays
60	60.1 lb	22.5 lb	3 full + 1 half trays
75	75.1 lb	28.1 lb	4 full + 1 half trays
100	100.1 lb	37.5 lb	6 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

If you want leftovers, move to 1.25 to 1.5 lb of raw bird per person.
Boneless breast roast yields much better, so about 8 oz raw per person is sufficient.
Two smaller birds cook faster and more evenly than one very large one.

Common questions

How much turkey per person?: Plan on 6 oz of carved turkey per person, which works out to the familiar 1 lb of whole raw bird per person. For 20 guests that is about 7.5 lb of carved meat from a bird of roughly 20 lb.
How much turkey for 50 people?: For 50 guests, order about 50.1 lb of whole raw turkey, which serves about 18.8 lb. That is roughly 3 full trays.
How much turkey for 100 people?: For 100 guests, order about 100.1 lb of whole raw turkey, which serves about 37.5 lb. That is roughly 6 full trays.

Working out a whole menu, not one dish?

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