As the date gets closer, you go from being excited to being scared because you don’t know how much meat you need to cook.
I’m going to give you my tried-and-true tips for making sure you have the right amount of food, from the right amount of meat for each person to the right number of sides.
Does the meat you plan to serve make up the whole meal, or is it just a part of it, along with apps, sides, and dessert?
When you look at your barbecue as a whole, you won’t have to worry about how much meat to give each guest, which seems like an impossible task.
This rough guideline takes most of the mystery and angst out of planning how much meat to prepare.
When planning the side dishes, think about how filling they will be. For example, will there be mostly light salads and grilled vegetables, or will there be potato or cheesy pasta dishes? Dishes like our smoked mac and cheese that are high in carbs will fill your guests up a lot.
You might even want to offer both dark and light meat, like brisket and chicken wings. This way, guests can load up on the meat they prefer.
It’s not as hard to make individual meat portions when you’re cooking for a small, familiar group.
Pork ribs make for a delicious and popular option when hosting a backyard barbecue or cookout. But it can be tricky trying to figure out exactly how many ribs to cook for each person attending your event. You want to make sure you have enough so everyone gets their fill, but not so much that you end up with a ton of wasted leftovers.
In this article, we’ll provide guidelines on ideal pork rib portions per person Whether you’re serving baby back ribs or spare ribs, we’ll cover how to estimate portions based on the type of ribs, number of guests, and other menu components.
Key Factors That Determine Pork Rib Portions
Determining the right amount of ribs to cook per guest starts with considering a few key factors:
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Type of ribs – Baby back ribs are smaller than spare ribs, so portion sizes may need to be adjusted accordingly.
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Other foods being served – If you’ll have a lot of sides and appetizers, you may need fewer ribs per person than if ribs are the main dish
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Demographic of guests – Appetites can vary based on age, gender, activity level, etc. Kids and older adults may eat less.
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Time of day – Serving a mid-day BBQ may warrant smaller portions than an evening dinner party spread.
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Presence of alcohol – Guests tend to eat more when alcoholic drinks are being served
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Plate waste – Some meat and bones will inevitably go uneaten, so overcompensate slightly.
While rib portion guidelines provide a starting point, consider your unique situation before finalizing quantities. Now let’s look at specific recommendations based on rib type and meal context.
Baby Back Rib Portions
Baby back ribs come from the upper rib cage near the spine and are shorter and meatier than spare ribs. Due to their smaller size compared to spare ribs, you’ll need to serve more individual ribs per person.
Here are suggested baby back rib portions:
- As an entrée or main dish: 5-6 ribs per person
- As an appetizer or side dish: 3-4 ribs per person
- For heavy appetizers/sides spread: 2-3 ribs per person
Baby back rib racks usually contain 10-13 ribs. So for a full meal, you’d likely need 1/2 to 3/4 rack per person. For lighter fare, plan for around 1/3 rack per guest.
Spare Rib Portions
Spare ribs are taken from the belly side and lower rib cage area. They are longer and skinnier than baby back ribs, with more bone and less meat.
Here are recommended spare rib portion sizes:
- As an entrée or main dish: 4-5 ribs per person
- As an appetizer or side dish: 2-3 ribs per person
- For heavy appetizers/sides spread: 1-2 ribs per person
Spare rib racks contain 11-13 bones. For full meals, allow 1/2 to 3/4 rack per guest. For appetizer-sized portions, stick to around 1/3 rack per person.
Accounting for Leftovers and Seconds
When cooking ribs for a crowd, it’s smart to make a little extra to account for leftovers and guests who want seconds. Here are some tips:
- Prepare at least 10% more ribs than your original guest count estimate.
- Expect that around 10-15% of ribs will go uneaten due to scrap waste.
- If serving only ribs as the entree with minimal sides, boost portions by 1 rib per person.
- For big events and hearty eaters, adding 1-2 extra racks is reasonable.
Keep in mind if you run out of ribs, guests will still appreciate all the delicious sides! The key is balancing having enough while avoiding large amounts of wasted leftovers.
Side Dishes Impact Rib Portions Needed
If you’re serving a spread of appetizers, salads, side dishes, and desserts, you can decrease the number of ribs per person. Some examples of lighter rib pairings:
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2-3 ribs – Serves well with multiple sides/apps like baked beans, coleslaw, cornbread, wings, etc.
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3-4 ribs – Pairs nicely with 1-2 hearty sides like mac and cheese or potato salad.
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4-5 ribs – Ideal for meals with a salad or veggie side and not much else.
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5-6 ribs – Best for occasions where ribs are the primary focus of the meal.
In general, the more you fill up guests on other dishes first, the fewer ribs you’ll need to provide per person while still satisfying their hunger.
Other Considerations for Pork Rib Quantities
Here are a few additional tips for nailing down the ideal quantity of ribs for your cookout:
- For backyard family BBQs, allow 4 spare or 5 baby back ribs per adult.
- Kids ages 4-12 will eat about half adult-sized portions.
- When in doubt, it’s better to have leftovers than run short on food.
- Let guests self-serve all dishes buffet-style so they control portions.
- Have extra BBQ sauce on hand so guests use it rather than eating more ribs.
- If also serving shredded pork, chicken, or burgers, reduce ribs by 1-2 per person.
Planning your ribs quantities doesn’t have to be an exact science! Use these general guidelines and then tailor based on your specific guests, menu, and event setup.
Serving an Appetizer Spread vs. Full Ribs Meal
To give a sense of guest portion differences for lighter fare compared to full ribs meals:
Appetizer Spread
- 2-3 spare or baby back ribs per person
- 4+ other meat and side apps (wings, dips, veggies, etc)
- Guests nibble over a 1-2 hour period
Full Ribs Dinner
- 4-6 spare or baby back ribs per person
- 1-2 lighter side dishes (salad, bread)
- Eaten over a 30-60 minute meal
Gauge your servings accordingly depending on your intended format and menu for the event.
Catering to Special Diets
If you’ll be hosting any vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free guests, consider these tips:
- Have veggie burgers or portobello mushrooms available to grill.
- Make sure side dishes don’t contain meat products or gluten.
- Offer gluten-free buns or bread options.
- Provide a small designated veggie-friendly section of the grill.
- Have fruit available for dessert rather than just cake or cookies.
Even if they can’t eat the ribs, they’ll still appreciate you making accommodations to meet their dietary needs!
Determining the right quantities of ribs per person for your party requires some estimation and judgment calls. But following these pork rib portion guidelines will get you started off on the right foot:
- Baby back ribs – 5-6 ribs per person for a full meal, 3-4 ribs for lighter appetizer courses
- Spare ribs – 4-5 ribs per person for a main dish, 2-3 ribs for appetizers
Factor in your side dishes, guest demographics, and menu format to finalize the ideal amounts. And remember, it’s better to have a few extra ribs than run short and leave guests hungry!
How much brisket per person?
As a general rule, each person should have about ⅓ pound of cooked brisket for their main dish.
There is a chance that this amount will be ½ pound if your guests eat a lot or ¼ pound if you have a lot of sides.
It is important to remember that the amount of meat you buy raw does not equal the amount you cook it.
Count on brisket losing up to half of its weight once you have trimmed the fat and liquid has been lost in the cooking process. Counting on a 50% loss could be a slight overestimation, but it will ensure no one is left hungry.
Since cooking brisket is a lot of work, it’s always good to have some extra for yourself.
How many ribs per person?
Consider whether the ribs are the main part of the meal or if they are a secondary meat.
If you are planning on making the ribs the main part of your meal, here is a rough guide:
- Baby back ribs will come in half a rack, which is six ribs per person.
- When you serve spare ribs, try to give each guest four or five ribs.
- If you are cooking beef back ribs, plan for two or three ribs per guest.
- As with all of these guides, you should adjust your amounts based on your guests’ gender, age, and any information you have about how hungry they are.
Find out how many racks you need by reading our guide on how many ribs are in a rack.
CHEAP CARNIVORE! 1 1/2 pound serving of BABY BACK RIBS – FIVE BUCKS! Easy method. FABULUOUS
FAQ
How many pounds of spare ribs do I need for 6 adults?
How many people does one rack of ribs feed?
How much does 1lb of ribs feed?
How many lbs of baby back ribs for 4 people?
How many ribs per person?
Since there are usually 10 to 13 ribs in a rack, one rack of spare ribs can serve 2 to 4 people, and a rack of baby backs should serve 2. The key to good planning is to ask yourself plenty of questions in advance. When it comes to deciding how many ribs to cook per person, these are the questions you’ll want to ask:
Can one eat pork?
A cooked, medium pork cutlet or steak provides 239 calories, 34 grams protein, 10 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 697 milligrams sodium, and 0 grams carbohydrate, if you eat only the lean part of the steak. Pork contains many of the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) found in beef and it is high in protein, but can be lower in fat than beef—depending on cut and preparation. Meat from any kind of mammal, including pork, can cause an allergic reaction (and some people who are allergic to mammalian meat also react to poultry).
How many pounds of ribs to buy per person?
You’ll want to consider the average serving size when planning how many pounds of ribs to buy per person for your BBQ. The average serving size for ribs is about 1/2 to 1 pound per person. However, this can vary depending on the appetite of your guests and what other dishes you’ll be serving.
How many ribs in a pound?
In general, you can expect a pound of ribs to yield about 1 to 1-1/2 servings. While this is useful information, it should only be one factor in your decision. If you’re serving several side dishes plus dessert, three or four ribs per adult should be sufficient.