How much turkey do I need per person?
Plan on 1 lb (450 g) of whole turkey per person, or 1½ lb (680 g) if you want leftovers. Sizes for 4 to 16 people, plus ham and breast.
The short answer
Plan on about 1 lb (450 g) of bone-in whole turkey per person, or 1½ lb (680 g) per person if you want leftovers. A boneless turkey breast goes further, at about ½ lb (225 g) per person. For ham, figure ¾ lb (340 g) per person bone-in, or ½ lb (225 g) boneless.
A good part of a whole turkey is bone, and some of the rest cooks off in the oven. So the per-person numbers look generous. They aren’t.
The rule of thumb
- Whole turkey, bone-in: 1 lb (450 g) per person, or 1½ lb (680 g) if you want leftovers.
- Boneless turkey breast: ½ lb (225 g) per person, or ¾ lb (340 g) for leftovers.
- Bone-in ham: ¾ lb (340 g) per person.
- Boneless ham: ½ lb (225 g) per person.
Kids under 10 count as half. Teenagers count as one and a half. You know your family.
Turkey sizes for 4 to 16 people
For a whole, bone-in bird. The first weight feeds everyone at dinner. The second leaves you leftovers.
- 4 people: 4 lb (1.8 kg), or 6 lb (2.7 kg) with leftovers
- 6 people: 6 lb (2.7 kg), or 9 lb (4.1 kg)
- 8 people: 8 lb (3.6 kg), or 12 lb (5.4 kg)
- 10 people: 10 lb (4.5 kg), or 15 lb (6.8 kg)
- 12 people: 12 lb (5.4 kg), or 18 lb (8.2 kg)
- 16 people: 16 lb (7.3 kg), or 24 lb (10.9 kg)
Two notes on the ends of that list. For four, a whole bird that small can be hard to find, so a boneless breast often makes more sense. For sixteen, think about two smaller birds instead of one giant. They cook faster and more evenly, and you get four drumsticks instead of two.
How many leftovers is enough?
The extra half pound per person buys you about one more meal: turkey sandwiches on Tuesday, or a pot of soup. Keep the carcass for stock. Or skip the soup-making and pick up Dar’s Famous Turkey & Rice Soup from our deli.
Health Canada says to get leftovers into the fridge within two hours and to eat them within 2 to 3 days, or freeze them. If your crowd won’t get through it by Thursday, freeze some on Tuesday.
Turkey and ham together
If you’re serving both, cut each one back by about a third. For 12 people, that’s roughly an 8 lb (3.6 kg) turkey and a 6 lb (2.7 kg) bone-in ham.
How to order from us
Our Thanksgiving pre-orders are open until Tuesday, October 6, and Thanksgiving is Monday, October 12. When you send your pre-order request, tell us:
- How many people, and roughly how many are kids
- Leftovers or no leftovers
- Turkey, ham or both
- How many pumpkin and apple pies
- The best number to reach you
We’ll call to confirm the size, the price and your pickup time. That call is also the moment to ask if your turkey is fresh or frozen. It matters. A frozen bird needs days in the fridge to thaw, and our Thanksgiving turkey timeline walks you through the countdown.
One last thing before you order: measure your oven. A 20 lb bird and a small apartment oven don’t always get along.
Questions
How much turkey do I need for 10 people?
About 10 lb (4.5 kg) for dinner, or 15 lb (6.8 kg) if you want leftovers. If there’s a ham on the table too, a 7 lb (3.2 kg) turkey will do.
Should I get a fresh or frozen turkey?
Either one roasts up well. A fresh bird saves you the thaw. A frozen one needs 24 hours in the fridge for every 2.5 kg (5 lb), according to Health Canada, so a 15 lb (6.8 kg) bird needs three days. Ask which one you’re getting when we call to confirm your order.
What if I’m only cooking for two?
A whole bird is a lot for two. A boneless turkey breast of about 1 lb (450 g) feeds two with a little left over. Tell us in your pre-order request and we’ll let you know what we can do.
Food-safety temperatures: source 1, source 2, source 3 (Health Canada).