Tool

Asado calculator: how much meat to buy per person

Enter how many adults and children are eating, pick the kind of asado and we tell you how many kilos of meat to buy, how many choripanes, and how much bread, drinks and charcoal. The figures are the usual reference for a Chilean asado (barbecue): adjust them to your group's appetite.

For 10 people you need

Raw meat in total 4 kg

Beef Short ribs (asado de tira), skirt steak (entraña), striploin (lomo vetado), top round

1.6 kg
Pork Ribs (costillar), shoulder or leg meat, chops

0.8 kg
Chicken Drumsticks and thighs (trutros)

0.6 kg about 4 chicken pieces
Sausages Longaniza, chorizo, blood sausage (prietas)

1 kg 10 sausages of about 100 g

To go with it

Bread (marraqueta or hallulla): 10 rolls
Soft drinks: 7.5 L
Ice to chill them: 5 kg
Charcoal: 4 kg (5 kg bags: 1)

How many times to make each recipe

Papas mayo 3 times (each makes 4 servings)
Chilean tomato and onion salad 3 times (each makes 4 servings)
Pebre 2 times (each makes 6 servings)
Chancho en piedra 2 times (each makes 6 servings)

Reference figures, raw weight including bone. If you want leftovers, add 10%; if the cut has a lot of bone (short ribs, pork ribs), buy a bit more.

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How much meat for an asado of 4 to 50 people

Amounts for adults, with salads and sides and the varied mix. For children, nibbles first or another mix, use the calculator above.

Raw meat and sides by number of adults
Adults	Total meat (kg)	Beef (kg)	Pork (kg)	Chicken (kg)	Sausages (units)	Bread (rolls)	Drinks (L)
4	1.6	0.7	0.3	0.2	4	4	3
6	2.4	0.9	0.5	0.4	6	6	4.5
8	3.2	1.3	0.6	0.5	8	8	6
10	4	1.6	0.8	0.6	10	10	7.5
12	4.8	1.9	1	0.7	12	12	9
15	6	2.4	1.2	0.9	15	15	11.5
20	8	3.2	1.6	1.2	20	20	15
25	10	4	2	1.5	25	25	19
30	12	4.8	2.4	1.8	30	30	22.5
40	16	6.4	3.2	2.4	40	40	30
50	20	8	4	3	50	50	37.5

How we calculate

Raw meat per adult: 500 g if it is meat only, 400 g with salads and sides, and 350 g if there were nibbles first. That is the usual 350 to 500 g range in Chile.
Children: half an adult's portion (the usual range is 150 to 250 g).
Varied mix: 40% beef, 20% pork, 15% chicken and 25% sausages, which works out as one choripán of about 100 g per adult.
Bread: one roll per adult (half per child) when there are sausages.
Soft drinks: 0.75 litres per adult and 0.5 per child; ice, 0.5 kg per person.
Charcoal: roughly 1 kg per kilo of raw meat, in 5 kg bags.

These are references, not measurements: every group eats differently. We round to 100 g and the kilos by type always add up to the total.

How to buy and organise the meat

Split the order by type When you order, say how many kilos you want of each type: the calculator breaks it down. Cuts with bone, like short ribs and pork ribs, weigh more because of the bone: if you buy only those, ask for a little more.
Start with what takes longest Thick cuts with bone and fat take longer on the grill than sausages or chicken pieces. Put the slowest on first and serve the choripanes as a starter in the meantime.
Prepare the sides ahead Papas mayo are made ahead and served cold; pebre and salads improve if they rest for a few minutes. That way the grill does not take up all your time.
Salt and rest Salt the meat just before it goes on the grill and let it rest for a few minutes when it comes off: it stays juicier.

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about asado quantities

Short answers, with the same reference figures the calculator uses.

How much meat per person for an asado?

Between 350 and 500 g of raw meat per adult. Count about 500 g if it is meat only, about 400 g with salads, potatoes and other sides, and about 350 g if there were nibbles first. For children, 150 to 250 g: the calculator uses half an adult's portion.

How much meat for 10 people?

For 10 adults with sides, about 4 kg of raw meat: 1.6 kg of beef, 0.8 kg of pork, 0.6 kg of chicken and 1 kg of sausages (one choripán each). With nibbles beforehand about 3.5 kg is enough, and if it is meat only you should reach 5 kg. The table above gives the figures from 4 to 50 people.

How many choripanes per person?

One choripán per adult is usual: a longaniza or chorizo of about 100 g in a roll. If the choripán is only the starter and a lot of meat follows, half per person is enough. The calculator counts the sausages and the rolls for you.

How much charcoal do I need for an asado?

As a reference, close to 1 kg of charcoal per kilo of raw meat: for 4 kg of meat, one 5 kg bag. Light it early, about 30 to 40 minutes ahead, and start grilling when the coals are covered in white ash. Keep some charcoal in reserve to top up.

How many drinks and how much ice should I buy?

Count about 0.75 litres of soft drinks per adult and 0.5 litres per child, and about 0.5 kg of ice per person if you are chilling the drinks. If there will be beer or wine, add 2 or 3 beers per adult or one bottle of wine for every 3 or 4 adults.

Which cuts are used in a Chilean asado?

In beef, short ribs (asado de tira), skirt steak (entraña), striploin (lomo vetado) and top round (punta de ganso); in pork, ribs (costillar), shoulder or leg meat and chops; in chicken, trutros (thigh and drumstick); and among the sausages, longaniza, chorizo and blood sausage (prietas). Ask the butcher for the mix and tell them how many people there are.

What if there are children or guests who eat little?

Each child counts as half an adult. If your group eats little, choose “With nibbles first”; if you know they eat a lot, “Meat only”. Either way, add 10% if you would rather have leftovers than run out.