How to Calculate How Much Turkey You Need Per Guest

When you’re writing up your Thanksgiving shopping list, the turkey might give you the most pause. Should you go for fresh or frozen? Wet or dry brine? And — perhaps most important — what size should you buy to ensure that your guests go home with a full stomach and that you’ll have plenty of leftovers for turkey sandwiches? Whether you’re hosting a small family affair or party of 15, here’s a cheat sheet for exactly how much turkey you need per guest. 

So, how much turkey do you need? 

Breana Killeen, a Food & Wine senior food editor who sells fresh and frozen turkeys from Killeen Crossroads Farm & Flowers in Shelburne, Vermont, recommends 1¼ to 1½ pounds of turkey per guest, to account for the main event and leftovers. For about every pound of turkey, guests will get about eight to nine ounces of meat. 

Here’s what that looks like:

What size turkey is best?

Both fresh and frozen turkeys come in a wide range of sizes, from 8–24 pounds. Killeen generally recommends a small-to-medium bird.

“The perfect size for these birds is 12–14 pounds,” she says. “It means a faster cooking time and that the meat is less likely to dry out,” she adds. They also can fit on a regular sheet if you spatchcock them: her preferred method for yielding crisp skin and evenly cooked meat. That means you still have an oven rack for all your sides, like the stuffing and roasted veggies. 

Of course, if you have a big crowd, a 12–14 pound bird might not yield enough meat. While you can purchase a larger turkey, Killeen suggests making two smaller birds. 

“I also usually make one in the oven and one smoked on the grill so you get the flavor of both,” she says. 

You can also opt for two proteins, like a turkey and a spiral-cut ham, to give your guests plenty of options — and meat.

How to use your leftover turkey

There are plenty of ways to extend the life of your Thanksgiving leftovers. First, reserve the neck, backbone, and stock to make a flavorful stock. Beyond turkey sandwiches, you can use leftover turkey for pot pies, tetrazzini, or — Killeen’s favorite — a creamy wild rice and turkey soup.