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How much meat for a barbecue?
For an asado count about 450 g of raw meat per adult (350 g for light eaters, 550 g for big ones), half for children, and 0.6–1 kg of charcoal per kilo of meat. For a smoked brisket buy about 400 g of raw packer per person: half of it goes in trimming and cooking.
Estimates to plan with, not a guarantee: every piece, butcher and grill is different. Nothing you type leaves this page.
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The numbers at a glance
| People | Asado: raw meat | Charcoal | Smoked brisket: raw packer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1.8 kg | 1.1–1.8 kg | 1.6 kg |
| 8 | 3.6 kg | 2.2–3.6 kg | 3.2 kg |
| 12 | 5.4 kg | 3.2–5.4 kg | 4.8 kg |
| 20 | 9 kg | 5.4–9 kg | 8 kg |
Questions
How much meat per person for an asado?
About 450 g of raw meat per adult, 350 g if there are many starters and 550 g for big eaters; children about half. Bone-in cuts like short ribs count with their bone.
How much charcoal for an asado?
Between 0.6 and 1 kg of charcoal per kilo of meat; a full chimney of briquettes (about 1.8 kg) gives a hot direct fire for a 57 cm kettle.
How much brisket per person?
About 200 g cooked per person. A packer brisket loses about half of its weight between trimming and smoking, so buy about 400 g raw per person.
Where the numbers come from
- Field data: 279 butchery sheets weighed piece by piece by the Steakpedia Field Kitchen, up to 17 Oct 2026. Download them at Field data (CC BY 4.0).
- Amounts and charcoal: Diario Uno and La Gaceta (asado amounts), Kingsford and Weber (charcoal), USDA Food Buying Guide (brisket yield ~46–50 %), USDA ARS (tri-tip 84 %). Rules of thumb, not measurements.