We built a tool to help you plan the right amount of turkey for Thanksgiving dinner after talking to food experts and chefs. Do you ask around to find out how much turkey to make for your guests?
To find out how much turkey you’ll need, just fill out the form below with the number of adults and children. Adults: Children: Want Leftovers?: No Yes.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start planning your holiday menu. One of the biggest decisions is figuring out how much turkey to buy. You want to make sure you have enough so everyone gets a hearty serving but you don’t want tons of expensive leftovers going to waste. So how much turkey should you plan for 7 guests?
Use The 1 – 1.5 Pound Per Person Rule
The general guideline is to allow 1 – 1.5 pounds of turkey per person. This accounts for the fact that not everything on the turkey is edible. You’ll lose some weight from the bones, cartilage, skin and fat that gets trimmed off.
For 7 guests you’ll need
- 7 pounds of turkey if allowing 1 pound per person
- 10.5 pounds of turkey if allowing 1.5 pounds per person
I recommend going with 1.5 pounds per person if possible. This gives you a nice safety net in case your guests are extra hungry or you miscalculate a little bit. Plus, Thanksgiving is all about leftovers! Some extra turkey gives you more options for sandwiches, soups, casseroles and other creative recipes after the main meal.
Factor In Other Menu Components
The 1 – 1.5 pound rule is a general guideline, but you may need to adjust up or down based on your specific menu and guests.
If you’re serving other hearty main dishes like ham or roast beef, you may be able to get away with less turkey per person. Or if you have a lot of kids coming, they likely won’t eat as much turkey as the adults.
On the flip side, if turkey is the star of the show, consider buying a little extra. And if you have big eaters attending or want ample leftovers, bump up the amount to 2 pounds per person.
Take a look at your entire Thanksgiving lineup and guesstimate how much turkey you think people will realistically consume along with sides, appetizers and desserts.
Estimate Leftovers
One bonus of making extra turkey is enjoying the leftovers! Leftover turkey has so many possibilities like sandwiches, casseroles, soups, pot pies, etc.
Figure out if you want to have leftovers and how much. For example, if I’m hosting 7 people, I’ll often buy a 12-15 pound turkey. After carving and serving, this leaves me with enough for turkey sandwiches and a turkey pot pie or soup later on.
If you don’t want a week’s worth of leftovers taking over your fridge, you can scale down the size and use alternatives like chicken or ham for post-Thanksgiving creations.
Buy A Whole Turkey Or Just Parts
Another factor is whether you want to cook a whole turkey or just buy breast meat.
A whole turkey looks beautiful on the table and gives you plenty of meat for leftovers. But it takes longer to cook and you’ll deal with carving the full bird.
A turkey breast is quicker, easier and gives you lots of versatile white meat. You can roast a bone-in breast or buy boneless turkey breast. With no legs or wings, you’ll have less leftovers. Supplement with side dishes like ham or chicken if needed.
For 7 guests, you’ll need around 4-5 pounds of boneless turkey breast or 6-8 pounds of bone-in breast. Adjust amounts as needed based on your menu.
Allow For A Little Extra
It’s always better to have leftover turkey than to run out! I recommend purchasing a little extra than your estimates, just to be safe.
Leftovers keep well in the freezer for 2-3 months. You can also donate extra turkey to a homeless shelter or food bank to avoid waste.
The bottom line is Thanksgiving dinner should be bountiful. Don’t be afraid to buy an extra pound or two―the leftovers will come in handy!
Tips For Picking The Right Turkey Size
Here are some final tips to ensure you select the perfect turkey size for your 7 Thanksgiving guests:
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Stick to the 1 – 1.5 pound per person guideline as a starting point.
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Consider if you’ll serve other main dishes and how hungry your guests will be.
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Decide if you want leftovers for sandwiches, soups, etc.
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Determine if you want a whole turkey or just breast meat. Adjust amounts accordingly.
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Add 1-2 extra pounds to be safe. Extra turkey is better than not enough.
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Talk to your butcher or grocery store meat manager if unsure about sizes.
With a little planning, you’ll pick the ideal turkey size for your Thanksgiving crowd. Just remember―when in doubt, go a bit bigger. Happy holiday feasting!
How Much Turkey Do You Need?
A lot of happy holiday memories are made around the Thanksgiving table, with the turkey being the main attraction. Luckily, this chart will help you figure out what size turkey to buy based on how many people will be coming.
The general rule of thumb is one pound of turkey per adult and a half pound per child. But if late-night turkey sandwiches and turkey tetrazzini are as traditional as the feast itself, you should think about two to three pounds for each person.
Smaller gatherings don’t necessarily mean smaller turkeys because the meat-to-bone ratio is typically less for birds under 12 pounds. If in doubt, always go bigger at two pounds per person.[1]
Cite As: Sexton, J. (n.d.).
How to Figure out What Size Turkey to Buy
FAQ
Is a 14 lb turkey enough for 7 people?
How many people will a 10 lb turkey feed?
How much turkey for 8 adults with leftovers?
How many people will a 7 lb turkey breast serve?
How much Turkey for 7 guests?
The most commonly recommended amount is about 1-1.5 pounds of turkey per person. So for 7 guests, that would mean purchasing a turkey that’s around 7-10.5 pounds. However there are a few factors that can alter this guideline Will there be other main meat dishes served?
How much Turkey should a group of 7 people eat?
Here are some more specific turkey size recommendations for a group of 7 adults: 7-8 pound turkey – This will provide right around 1 pound per person without a ton of leftovers. 10-12 pound turkey – Gives you closer to 1.5 pounds per person and will likely leave you with enough for sandwiches the next day.
How much Turkey do you need for a Thanksgiving party?
To keep you from crunching the numbers, here’s a general guideline of how much turkey to make, depending on your party size (assuming 1½ pounds per person). For six guests, a nine-pound turkey will suffice. For eight guests, buy a turkey that weighs about 12 pounds. For 10 guests, you want a bird that is at least 15 pounds.
How much Turkey do I need per person?
Knowing how much turkey per person I need by planning ahead saves a lot of hassle and wasted food. Our turkey calculator can help you determine what size turkey you need for the number of guests. So here’s the rule of thumb for how much turkey you’ll need: You want around eight ounces of cooked turkey per person.
How much Turkey should I Cook per guest?
Luckily, we have a simple formula to help you figure it out! So, you can get back to deciding which turkey recipe you want to make. The general rule of thumb is to plan for 1 1/4 pounds of turkey per guest, which takes into account the bones and other inedible parts of the turkey.
How many people can a 8 pound turkey serve?
Most turkey portion serving sizing charts are based using a bone-in turkey. A chart might say 1 to 1.5 pounds of purchased turkey per person, so an 8-pound turkey is allegedly perfect for 6-8 people. I say NO! Initially, the bone removes some of that weight. Secondly, the weight becomes further reduced during cooking.