Buying the right size turkey is one of those Thanksgiving questions that appears super simple at first glance, that is, until you find yourself standing in the grocery store staring at a packed case of frozen birds and doing a bit of clumsy mental math, calculating your number of guests versus how much they are likely to eat. While it is a truism that it's better to have too much turkey versus too little turkey, very few of us probably want to spend twice as much as we need to on the bird. With that in mind, there are a few good rules to follow based on a few real factors that most other guides gloss over.
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Quick Answer
Plan for 1 to 1½ pounds of turkey per person. Opt for closer to 1 pound per person if you are serving lots of sides and don't need or want any leftovers. Opt closer to 1½ pounds per person if you want leftovers or if your guests are hearty eaters, or if you aren't serving many sides, or if you aren't serving any heavier sides. Assuming you want leftovers, this means that for a group of 8, buy a 10-12 pound turkey; for 12 people, buy a 15-18 pound turkey; for 20 people by a 25-30 pound turkey (or two smaller turkeys).
Turkey Amount by Number of Guests
| Number of Guests | Turkey Weight (No Leftovers) | Turkey Weight (With Leftovers) |
| 4 people | 4–6 pounds | 6–8 pounds |
| 6 people | 6–8 pounds | 8–10 pounds |
| 8 people | 8–10 pounds | 10–12 pounds |
| 10 people | 10–12 pounds | 12–15 pounds |
| 12 people | 12–14 pounds | 15–18 pounds |
| 15 people | 15–18 pounds | 18–22 pounds |
| 20 people | 20–24 pounds | 25–30 pounds (or 2 birds) |
| 25 people | 25–30 pounds (or 2 birds) | 2 birds, 15–18 pounds each |
Why 1 Pound or More Per Person?
A pound or more of turkey per person might sound like a lot (or not, if you're a particularly hearty eater), but it actually accounts for how turkey works: the bones and skin are not an insignificant amount of the bird's weight. In fact, a 12-pound turkey doesn't actually yield 12 pounds of meat, but rather closer to 6 or 7 pounds of edible meat once bones, skin, and juices are accounted for.
The Math
- Turkey weight: 12 pounds
- Bone and cavity weight: about 30% or roughly 3 and a half pounds
- Skin and Drippings: about 10-15% or roughly 1 and a half pounds
- Edible meat: roughly 6 to 7 pounds
At 1 pound of turkey per person, that means about 6 ounces of actual meat per person, which is a reasonable holiday portion provided it is combined with lots of sides, or heavier sides.
At 1 and a half pounds per person, you're actually getting about 9 ounces of meat per person, which comfortably allows for leftovers.
When to Use 1 Pound per Person
- When you are serving many sides: A traditional Thanksgiving spread that features stuffing, potatoes, rolls, cranberry sauce, and multiple vegetables with a big salad usually means guests are eating less turkey than they would at a simpler meal. For such spreads, one pound is often enough.
- When most of your guests are lighter eaters: If your group has more children than adults, a lot of elderly guests, or people whom you know don't eat a lot, then opting for 1 pound of turkey per person is often plenty.
- If you don't want leftovers: If you're someone who doesn't want to store leftovers, or simply doesn't see the appeal of leftover turkey, then 1 pound per person is the way to go.
- When you are pairing with another main dish: If your household serves ham or a roast alongside the turkey, then you probably don't need more than 1 pound of turkey.
When to Use 1 and a Half Pounds Per Person
- When you want leftovers: This is the most common reason to opt for a larger turkey, because you want leftovers for turkey sandwiches, turkey soup, turkey enchiladas, or a turkey pot pie. Leftovers are a big part of a good Thanksgiving experience.
- When your guests are hearty eaters: This might sound obvious, but if at least a few of your guests are hearty eaters, opt for a larger turkey.
- When you have more dark-meat lovers than white-meat lovers: Dark meat is a smaller portion of the turkey. Thus, if your guests prefer dark meat, you need more turkey overall.
The Two-Bird Question
If you are having a larger gathering (20 people or more), the decision between serving one extraordinarily large turkey or two smaller ones is worth considering. Both options have pros and cons.
Advantages of Two Smaller Birds
- Faster Cooking Time. Two 12-pound turkeys cook faster than one 24-pound turkey.
- More even cooking. A giant turkey is harder to cook without overcooking the breast or undercooking the thighs.
- More servings of desirable parts. Two smaller turkeys mean four wings, four drumsticks, four thighs, and more skin.
- Easier to Handle. A 24-pound turkey is genuinely heavy and requires a large, heavy cooking pan.
Pro Tip: Most experienced cooks, and most professional chefs for that matter, generally opt for two smaller turkeys over one gigantic turkey (if utility, rather than presentation, is the deciding factor). The cooking is easier, and the results are more reliable. The only real downside is that a single large bird makes for a slightly more dramatic presentation.
Advantages of One Large Bird
- Presentation. A very large bird makes for a dramatic centerpiece.
- Less carving. Carving one large bird is genuinely less fuss than carving two smaller ones.
- Slightly less oven space required.
- Less to manage on the day of.
Safety Note: Do NOT attempt to cook a very large turkey in a disposable aluminum tray. I speak from experience when I say this can result in dangerous kitchen mishaps (mine collapsed while taking it out of the oven).
Common Mistakes
- Underbuying Because "The Turkey Looks so Big": Yes, a 15-pound turkey does in fact look enormous in the fridge, but it is 'merely sufficient' for 10 people with some leftovers. Trust the math over the visuals.
- Overbuying and then Running out of Oven Space: A very large turkey needs a very large oven. Shocking, I know. With that in mind, be sure that you know how big your oven actually is before buying the largest turkey you can find or committing to that dramatic 25-pound bird.
- Forgetting that Turkeys Shrink as they cook: Raw weight is what you purchase, but cooked meat is what you actually end up serving. A 12-pound raw turkey yields considerably less than 12 pounds of edible meat, as we discussed above.
- Not accounting for pickers: If your household contains a person (or persons) who like to stand before an open fridge picking at cold turkey, you might want to factor this into your leftover calculations. We all know who this person in our household is - and yes, I have one such person in my household (that person being me).
Bottom Line
Plan for about 1 to 1 and a half pounds of turkey per person. Opt for closer to one pound if you're serving many sides or very heavy sides, or if you do not want leftovers. Opt for closer to one and a half pounds if you want leftovers or your guests are hearty eaters. For groups of 20 or more guests, I would recommend preparing two smaller turkeys as opposed to one extraordinarily large turkey. And, of course, when in doubt, buy slightly more turkey than you think will be necessary, as leftover turkey is a pleasure, whereas running out and leaving your guests hungry is assuredly not a pleasure.
And that's our answer to the question "How Much Turkey Per Person for Thanksgiving?" If you enjoyed this article, or have any questions or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comments below; we always love hearing from you.
Happy Cooking!
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