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Backyard Review

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How much food, drink and ice do I need?

Tell us who is coming and what is on the grill. Get a shopping list with the numbers behind it, ready to copy to your phone.

hours

Weather

What is on the grill?
BTU/hr

From the data plate or spec sheet (all burners combined).

Guests

26

19 seats, 4 tables of six

Raw meat to buy

11.2 lb

across everything on the grill

Food

  • Burgers21 patties
  • Hot dogs / brats28 links
  • Buns54
  • Sides (3 dishes)about 42 cups total

Drinks & ice

  • Drinks140
  • 12-packs12
  • Ice39 lb
  • 10-lb bags4

Supplies

  • Plates58
  • Cups86
  • Napkins104

Propane

About 2.2 lb of propane, or 11% of a 20-lb tank.

One full tank should cover it, but a spare is cheap insurance.

How this is calculated

Planning rules of thumb, not guarantees. Kids count as half an adult for food and 0.7 for drinks. Portions per adult: 1.5 burger patties (⅓ lb each), 2 hot dogs, 1.5 pieces of bone-in chicken, ¾ lb of ribs, and 0.6 lb of raw pork or brisket for sandwiches. When you serve several mains, each is scaled down (people take a bit of everything), with a 20% cushion.

Sides assume ½ cup per person per dish plus 20%. Drinks assume 2 in the first hour and 1 per hour after, adjusted for weather. Ice runs 0.5 lb per guest in cool weather up to 2 lb in the heat. Seats assume about 70% of guests sit at once. Propane assumes the grill averages 60% of its maximum output, and propane holds roughly 21,500 BTU per pound.

If alcohol is served, plan for non-drinkers, offer food and water, and make sure everyone has a safe way home.

Keep going

Quick answers

How much meat per person for a BBQ?

A common rule is about half a pound of raw boneless meat per adult for burgers or chicken, three-quarters of a pound of bone-in ribs, and roughly 0.6 pounds of raw pork shoulder or brisket per pulled-meat sandwich. Offering several mains lowers the amount of each, because guests take a bit of everything.

How much ice do I need for a party?

Plan roughly 1 pound of ice per guest for drinks in mild weather, closer to 2 pounds per guest when it is hot, and more if the ice also has to keep food cold. It is cheaper to have a little left over than to run out.

How many drinks per person?

A standard plan is 2 drinks per guest in the first hour and 1 per hour after that, with more in hot weather. Mix in plenty of water and non-alcoholic options.

How much propane do I need for a cookout?

It depends on the grill and how long it runs. A 20-lb tank holds roughly 430,000 BTU of fuel, so a 40,000 BTU grill at about 60% output uses around 1.1 pounds per hour. The planner works it out from your grill's rating and tells you when to bring a spare tank.

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