Thanksgiving dinner always involves friends and family around the dinner table, so how best to cater to a larger group? Just how many pounds of turkey should you prepare to avoid disappointing anyone?
As a rule of thumb, an average adult will consume 1/2 pound of turkey meat at Thanksgiving. A child will consume about 1/4 pound of turkey meat, a woman will consume 1/3 pound of turkey meat and a man will consume 2/3 pounds of turkey meat.
A roasted turkey though does not come as “meat alone” but includes bones and skin, so how do these quantities translate into a store-bought turkey, ready to eat?
1/2 pound of turkey meat means about 1 pound of turkey meat and bone. An average adult will consume 1 pound of turkey (meat and bone) at Thanksgiving. A child will consume about 1/2 pound of turkey (meat and bone), a woman will consume 2/3 pound of turkey (meat and bone) while a man will consume 1 1/3 pounds of turkey (meat and bone). To put it simply, just remember:
1 lb per adult and 1/2 lb per child
To make this simpler, we have made the handy chart below to convert the number of guests to a bone-in turkey weight.
| Number of people | Amount of turkey meat needed | Maximum amount of turkey meat and bone needed | Number of Turkeys needed | Size of Turkeys (lbs)* |
| 1 | 1/2 pound | 1 1/2 pounds | 1 small | (buy a piece) |
| 4 | 2 pounds | 6 pounds | 1 small | 4-6 pounds |
| 6 | 3 pounds | 9 pounds | 1 small | 6-9 pounds |
| 8 | 4 pounds | 12 pounds | 1 small | 8-12 pounds |
| 10 | 5 pounds | 15 pounds | 1 small | 10-15 pounds |
| 12 | 6 pounds | 18 pounds | 1 medium | 12-18 pounds |
| 14 | 7 pounds | 21 pounds | 1 medium-large | 14-21 pounds |
| 16 | 8 pounds | 24 pounds | 1 large | 16-24 pounds |
| 18 | 9 pounds | 27 pounds | 1 large | 18-27 pounds |
| 20 | 10 pounds | 30 pounds | 1 large | 20-30 pounds |
| 25 | 12 1/2 pounds | 38 pounds | 2 small | 25-38 pounds |
| 30 | 15 pounds | 45 pounds | 2 medium | 30-45 pounds |
| 40 | 20 pounds | 60 pounds | 2 large | 40-60 pounds |
| 50 | 25 pounds | 75 pounds | 2 large | 50-75 pounds |
Smaller Turkeys have a lower meat-to-bone ratio, and you will need to buy 1.5 times more turkey to get enough meat. So, whenever the turkey weighs less than 12 pounds, then allow about 2 pounds of turkey per adult
If you desire leftovers, simply follow the maximum amount of turkey meat required, and you should be fine. The above is a rough guide as the exact number of turkeys required will depend on the bone-to-meat ratio of the particular turkey you are buying.
What size turkey should you buy?
In the 1960s, an average-sized turkey weighed about 17 pounds. Nowadays, turkeys easily reach 30 pounds, while some reach 45 pounds. With these different sizes, it becomes much harder to suggest how much turkey or how many turkeys will feed a crowd at Thanksgiving, and yet planning the right amount of food is the first step to preparing for any function! There is a simple formula to estimate the right size turkey required to feed a crowd:
Turkey size (pounds) = number of persons x amount per person.
If you have a mixed group, the formula becomes:
Turkey size (pounds) = num of adults + number of children x 1/2.
If you want some leftovers, you need to allow for a bit more turkey per person, roughly 50% more and the equation becomes:
Turkey size (pounds) = (num of adults + number of children x 1/2) x 1.5
In the end, you need to adjust this for the meat-to-bone ratio of the turkey, so if the result is 12 pounds or less, simply multiply the turkey size by 1.5. If the total amount is more than 18 to 20 pounds, then consider buying 2 or more turkeys!
What is the average number of people at a family dinner?
If you are catering for a function where the number of family members is not specified on the guest list,,. or are planning to launch a restaurant, plan on an average of 5 people per family. This usually ensures that you do not under or over-cater for an event.
Will I run out of turkey? Will I under-serve my guests at Thanksgiving?
Many hosts worry about undercatering for their function, which is a fair concern most of the time. Thanksgiving turkey tends to be the exception when it comes to under-catering. Many chefs struggle to get a perfect roast turkey, which means that the preferred cuts of meat – white meat or turkey breast tends to be dried out. As a result, most guests would rather eat more side dishes at Thanksgiving than the turkey itself.
A roast turkey demands attention on the dinner table. The bird itself is large and dominates the landscape while most guests understand the skill required to turn out a perfectly roasted turkey – cooked evenly and juicy. Most guests will look at the turkey and then load their plates with more side dishes than turkey, which is why most Thanksgiving party planners have copious amounts of both cranberry sauce and gravy, not to mention stuffing, which used to be limited to the cavity of the turkey and is now served separately.
Your side dishes provide you with the perfect opportunity to cater to different appetites, tastes, and needs, essentially bulking up the dinner without overcomplicating things. It becomes easier to cater to vegetarians or gluten-intolerant guests by simply adding a few salads, casseroles, or roasted veggies. Want to stuff a larger crowd? Trick out your stuffing and add a few more breads to the menu!
Catering for meat eaters? Simply add a few extra proteins to the meal by serving up an easy-to-prepare secondary meat. This can also be popular for children who may simply not have developed a taste for turkey…. A few sausages on the side, chops, or even a seared ribeye, and everyone is happy. Just aim for 1-1/2 pounds of total protein and you should be fine!
What if I’m serving turkey to a really big crowd?
With every dinner party, there is always a chance that the crowd simply gets too big. After all, an oven is only so big, and it can be impossible to fit 2 whole turkeys in there…
Break down the turkey into manageable portions. Turkey legs can easily be carved off and slow-roasted the day before until they just fall apart. Just before serving, as you are roasting the turkey breasts, simply reheat them and serve together, no one will know the difference!
Alternatively, why not break down the turkey pieces into grilling-sized portions? Those precious breasts, thighs, and legs are perfect candidates for grilling, on a hot barbecue if the weather permits it. Not only does this take you out of the kitchen, or at least frees up a lot of kitchen space, but grilling turkey imparts such a wonderful smokey flavour to a bird that is too often bland. Best of all? You can control the cooking time perfectly, yielding succulent, moist meat to surprised guests.
What to do with turkey leftovers?
Catering a festive occasion is always tricky – under-cater and your guests will complain. Over-cater and you end up with leftovers.
Fortunately, there are several ways to use up turkey meat. First, sort the meat into white and dark meat. Dark meat will take longer to dry out, so can be kept for longer, especially if you can make a thin broth from a stock cube or two and add it to your storage container just before you freeze the meat.
The turkey skeleton can easily be turned into a rich stock or broth. This is ideal if you plan to freeze some turkey for later or plan to make some delicious soups or gravy later on. Just portion out the stock and freeze it.
Dark meat is extremely versatile – shred it and use it in tacos or salads or add to a vegetable soup to bulk it up. If you have leftover veggies and gravy, you can combine these with the turkey and make pot pies which are ideal for the freezer and can be rewarded whenever you feel lazy.
How about some sides?
Turkey and gravy go perfectly with steamed vegetables and biscuits. Why not explore our easy homemade biscuit recipe? By following the link, you will find a simple, fast, and tasty recipe that will have your guests begging for more gravy and biscuits!