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How Many Pounds Of Chicken Per Person?
If you’re cooking a dish in which your main element is chicken (roast, steak etc.) then you should allot half a pound for one person. However, if you think that the person in question might have a big appetite then you should keep half and a quarter pound for one person.
When deciding how many pounds of chicken breasts or drumsticks to eat per person, consider whether you’re using boneless or boneless meat.
For boneless breasts or thighs, you will need 1/2 # chicken per person. If serving other meats and dishes, use 1.5 boneless chicken breasts per person.
The required amount of meat for different dishes
If you’re planning the amount of meat for your kebab, and you’ll be serving other types of meat and dishes in addition to chicken, plan for 1.5 boneless chicken breasts per person. If there is no meat in the dish, 50 pounds of chicken will be served. If you’re serving multiple dishes in a main course, you can set aside 1/4 pound of each meat. Serve with only 3/4 pound or 12 ounces (340 grams) of meat and two or three side dishes.
A good serving of any protein is half a pound or 8 ounces (227 g) of raw meat. A pound of bones in meat is 1 pound for adults and half a pound for children.
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USDA recommendations
Although the USDA recommends 3 ounces of meat per serving, the typical serving size for meat in food service is 4 to 6 ounces. Chefs usually recommend a whole serving of meat (8 ounces) per person. 0.5 lb of cooked meat is enough for 10 people. Depending on side dishes and appetite, 4.5 pounds of cooked meat can feed up to 15 people.
When meat is a side dish, your cooking time is greatly reduced. When the main course is meat, such as steak or chicken breast, the serving size is increased from 6 ounces to 8 ounces. When meat is the main course, like fried chicken, or you’re serving large boneless, skinless chicken breasts grilled, fried, or deep-fried, you need more per person.
| Type of Meal Course | Quantity of Meat per person |
| If the chicken meat is served as a main course. | 7-8 ounces |
| If the chicken meat is served as an entrée. | 1/4 pounds |
| If the chicken meat is used in salad. | 1/2 pounds |
This will vary greatly depending on the chicken pieces you choose. When serving a whole chicken, the bones are part of the weight, so be aware that the actual meat consumed will be slightly less than the total weight.
A 3 1/2 pound whole chicken yields about 3 cups of cooked minced chicken. A pack of four divided chicken breasts (with bone and skin) weighs 2 1/2 to 3 pounds and each yields 6 to 8 ounces of meat. Broken chicken breasts usually come in packs of four and average about 2.5-3 pounds of raw meat or so. You can chop up one large chicken breast and stuff it into 12 tacos, which should be 1 1/2 cups or 12 ounces.
A chicken thigh yields about 3 ounces of meat (no skin or bones), so meat lovers should expect two thighs per person. For the average family of four, plan to eat about 1 pound of chicken or turkey (boneless and skinless). If you serve chicken, turkey, beef or duck, 25 adults will need 13-15 pounds of meat. When meat is an ingredient in dishes like pasta, curries, or stews, you only need about 1/3 to 1/4 pound of meat per person.
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the ideal meat per person for meat served as a main course
In steak, roast, chicken, or pork, served as a main course and paired with other side dishes, we recommend at least 1/2 pound of meat per person, up to 1/2 pound for added versatility. As mentioned in previous posts, when making steak, roast, chicken, or pork meats as a main course, it is recommended to pair steak meats from about half an inch (7–8 ounces) per person, up to 3/4. (12 ounces) per ounce for more appetite.
We recommend 1/2 pound (eight ounces) per person when preparing a main course such as steak, roast, chicken, or pork, where the meat will be the main attraction of the meal and will be accompanied by some side dishes.
3/4 lb (12 oz) per person is recommended when preparing a main course such as steak, roast, chicken, or pork, where the meat will be the main attraction of the meal and will be accompanied by some side dishes. When cooking meat that pairs well with multiple dishes, such as steak, roast, chicken, or pork, we recommend no more than 1/2 pound (eight ounces) per person.
If you’re going to be serving pulled pork sandwiches, you should plan on serving 1/4 lb. per person, but you’ll need 1/3 lb. if you’re serving entrees. On average, a pound of grilled pork will feed three people, so give each person a third-pound of pulled pork.
Plan on 6 ounces of boneless leg meat per cooked piece when using boneless leg meat. However, if you do an average, most “four-pack” chicken thighs will weigh between one and 1.5 pounds, with each side yielding about four or 5 ounces of cooked meat when you’re done.
Plan to eat 4 to 5 ounces of boiled chicken per adult; 10 ounces of raw boneless chicken breast will yield about 6 1/2 ounces cooked; 10 ounces of raw boneless chicken feet will yield about 5 ounces cooked; 10 ounces of raw boneless chicken legs will make about 5 ounces cooked.
About the same size and width as a typical deck of playing cards would be 3 ounces of chicken. To feed a person the recommended serving of chicken, 30-40 pieces are recommended, about the same size as a deck of cards.
A whole 3 to 4-pound chicken can feed 4 to 6 people, depending on age and appetite. When you enjoy a piece of chicken in a recipe like My Pale Greek Chicken Thighs, 1 pound will feed 4 people, 4 ounces of chicken per person.
Amount of chicken per person for a chicken salad
Chicken salad is 1/4-1/2 lb per person, depending on what other ingredients you will be serving with the meal. A standard serving of chicken salad pairs 2 ounces of chicken with 1/8 cup greens, or about half a cup.
An easy way to think about it is also that a half pound of chicken in a bowl of pasta, like my spaghetti with chicken in a pot, is enough for 6 people. The rule of thumb for catering is to have at least 1/2 pound of meat per diner.
When buying meat to cook for guests, keep in mind that after cooking you will lose approximately 25% of the total meat weight (USDA average). The average will decrease and produce 6 to 8 ounces of meat per breast, allowing you to feed about four adults (and six babies) with just a couple of separated breasts.
How many people does 2lbs of chicken serve?
A 1 to 2-pound chicken is usually served as a single serving but can be eaten by up to two people. A whole 3 to 4-pound chicken will be served to 4 to 6 people, but it depends on age and appetite. A 2 ½ to 4-pound whole chicken will feed almost three to four people.
How much chicken do I need per person?
If you’re serving other meats and dishes, use one and a half pieces of boneless chicken breast per person. Plan on 14 of a chicken or two pieces each person if you’re using bone-in chicken. That would be a drumstick and thigh or a wing and breast. Plan on 170 g per cooked chunk of boneless thigh meat.