How Much Food You Need for a Cookout

Planning who to invite over for a summertime cookout is easy. What’s hard is figuring out how much food to prepare. It would be an epic failure to run out of food and drinks. Follow these guidelines you’ll have time to float in the pool before guests arrive.

All our estimates are per person and that there will be a few different items on the menu. Figure out the total number of attendees and go from there. Based how much food you’ll need for a cookout on what you’re serving, adjust accordingly.

Appetizers

Have munchies out for guests as they arrive. Crudite (like carrot or celery sticks) estimate about 8 pieces per person. Potato chips, tortilla chips, and pretzels are simple and plan on 1 cup per person. Dips are a must and easy to prepare ahead of time; 1/4 cup per person will be more than enough.

Click on the recipes below for easy appetizers.

Meat

Grilling is a must at summer cookouts. So, make sure the propane tank is full or there’s enough charcoal and get grilling. You can’t have a barbecue without hamburgers and hot dogs. Estimate about 1-2 per person. For hamburgers, we suggest making them smaller than normal (4 oz vs 6 oz) since people typically eat lots of other food too. Throwing a steak on the grill? Estimate about 4-6 oz per person.

Fire up the grill and prepare one of the meat recipes below.

Side Salads

Potato salad, pasta salad, macaroni salad… there are never enough salads in the summertime. Estimate 1/2 cup potato salad and 3/4 cup of pasta or macaroni salad. Can’t forget baked beans! Sweet and smokey, they’re fantastic with grilled meat. Figure 1/2 cup per person.

Need to amp up your side salads this cookout season? Save one of these recipes to your recipe box.

Condiments

At the store, grab a large bottle of ketchup, a bottle of mustard and a jar of pickle relish and you’ll have more than enough condiments for your hot dogs and burgers. Add one of these homemade sauces to your menu too. They’re great with chicken, steak or burgers.

Dessert

Have desserts on hand for people who hang until the end. Nothing says summertime more than watermelon; 2 slices per person is enough. Cookies and brownies are great because it allows people to take one or two and are easy to make. If serving cake or pie, anticipate 1 slice per person. Cupcakes are fun too; 1 per person is more than enough.

End the day on a sweet note with one of these tasty desserts.

Drinks

Make sure to have about 2 pounds of ice per person for the cooler. That may sound like a lot but on a hot day, it’s a necessity for keeping drinks cool. Estimate 3-4 bottles/cans of beer per person and 2 cans of soda. Lemonade or iced tea is super refreshing for those that don’t want alcohol (roughly 16 oz per person). If limiting beverage options, double or triple the suggestions based on the size of your cookout.

Step up the drink table with these refreshing summer drinks.

We’ve created this handy how much to serve at a cookout infographic that sums everything up. Print it out, keep handy and planning your cookouts this summer will be a breeze.