Ground beef calculator

How many burgers per pound?

A pound of ground beef makes four quarter-pound patties, three third-pound patties or two half-pound patties. Smash patties are smaller, so a pound makes five with an ounce left over. In metric, a 500 g pack makes four 115 g patties.

How much ground beef per person?

Multiply the burgers each guest will eat by the weight of the patties in them. One quarter-pound burger each comes to 4 oz (115 g) of raw beef per person, and a double smash burger to 6 oz (170 g). If you expect seconds, plan on 1½ or 2 burgers per guest.

What the calculator assumes

• Weights are raw, the number on the package. Patties lose weight as the fat renders and water cooks off, which is why they're shaped a little wider than the bun.
• Burgers are rounded up to whole burgers, beef to the next 0.1 lb or 10 g, and packs to whole packs.
• Packs are counted as 1 lb in US units and 500 g in metric. Family packs and other sizes are common, so check the label.
• One bun per burger and one cheese slice per patty, so a double gets two slices.

Buying and handling beef for a crowd

• 80/20 ground beef (80% lean, 20% fat) is the usual choice for burgers. Our guide to beef for burgers covers the blends.
• Keep raw ground beef at 40°F (4°C) or below, and cook or freeze it within 1 to 2 days of buying.
• Cook patties to 160°F (71°C), checked with an instant-read thermometer.
• Don't leave raw beef or cooked burgers out for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour when it's above 90°F (32°C).

Food-safety figures follow USDA guidance. Check FoodSafety.gov for the full charts. For technique, see how to make smash burgers and how to grill burgers.