Memorial Day cookouts follow a predictable pattern in my house. I decide to keep it simple. Burgers, dogs, a couple sides, some drinks. Easy. Then I get to Costco and something breaks in my brain. I start throwing bulk packs of everything into the cart because "what if we run out?"
We have never run out. Not once. What we have done, on multiple occasions, is eaten leftover hot dogs for the entire following week. My kids now refer to the days after Memorial Day as "hot dog week" and they do not say it with enthusiasm.
This year I decided to actually do the math before shopping. Turns out there are real, tested quantities for how much food a group of people will eat at a cookout, and they are a lot less than my Costco instincts suggest.
The Meat Math
The standard rule for a BBQ is one third to one half pound of cooked meat per person. If you are offering multiple proteins (burgers and hot dogs, for example), aim for the lower end because people will have some of each. If you are doing just burgers, lean toward the higher end.
Here is where people get tripped up: raw meat is not the same as cooked meat. Burgers lose about 25 percent of their weight on the grill. A quarter pound patty before cooking is not a quarter pound patty on the bun. Chicken loses roughly the same. And if you are ambitious enough to smoke a brisket, plan on losing nearly half the raw weight by the time it is done.
For a group of 20 adults where you are serving burgers and hot dogs, a solid shopping list looks like this: 30 burger patties (a quarter pound each raw, so about 7.5 pounds of ground beef) and 30 hot dogs (roughly 3 packs of 10). That gives everyone about 1.5 of each with a small cushion for the person who inevitably goes back for a third burger.
If you have kids at the party, count each child under 12 as half a serving. Ten kids equals five adult portions. Our party food calculator will do all of this math for you if you just want to plug in your guest count and get a shopping list.
Sides: The Silent Budget Killer
The biggest waste at every cookout I have hosted is not the meat. It is the six different side dishes that all sounded good at the grocery store and now two of them are going straight into the trash.
The rule of thumb is 4 to 6 ounces of each side per person. But the real trick is limiting how many different sides you make. Three sides is the sweet spot. More than that and the portions of each shrink, preparation time doubles, and half of it goes uneaten anyway.
A solid three side lineup for a Memorial Day BBQ: one starch (potato salad, mac and cheese, or baked beans), one fresh option (coleslaw, green salad, or corn on the cob), and one crowd pleaser that is not really a side but everyone eats anyway (chips and dip, deviled eggs, or a charcuterie board).
For 20 people and three sides, you are looking at roughly 5 to 7 pounds of potato salad, one large bowl of coleslaw, and two big bags of chips with dip. That is it. Resist the urge to "add one more thing just in case."
Buns, Condiments, and the Things You Always Overbuy
Hot dog buns come in packs of 8. Hot dogs come in packs of 10. I do not know who decided this, but I have been fighting this math my entire adult life.
For 30 hot dogs, you need 4 packs of 8 buns (32 buns, close enough). For 30 burgers, you need 4 packs of 8 hamburger buns. The leftover buns become garlic bread later in the week, which is honestly a win.
Condiments are where most people overbuy by a staggering amount. One standard squeeze bottle of ketchup serves about 40 people. Same for mustard. If you already have a half full bottle at home, you probably do not need a new one. I know the giant Costco two pack is calling your name. Walk past it.
Other things you need less of than you think: one bag of charcoal is enough for most standard grills (unless you are cooking for 4 plus hours), one sleeve of paper plates is 50 which covers 20 people with room for seconds, and two rolls of paper towels is genuinely sufficient no matter what your brain tells you.
The Drink Equation
Drinks follow a different curve than food. People drink more at the start and taper off. Plan for 2 to 3 drinks per person for the first couple of hours, then about 1 per hour after that.
For a 4 hour cookout with 20 guests, that is roughly 80 to 100 drinks total. A reasonable mix: 50 percent beer (two 24 packs should cover it), 20 percent cocktails or wine, and 30 percent non alcoholic options. Do not forget water. A lot of people skip buying water for outdoor parties and then wonder why everyone is dehydrated by 3 PM in May heat.
If you are making a batch cocktail (and you should, because making individual drinks at your own party is a trap I have fallen into too many times), check out our guide to batch cocktails and the batch cocktail calculator to get exact bottle counts and a shopping list.
Ice is the thing everyone forgets until 30 minutes before guests arrive. Plan for 1 to 1.5 pounds per person. For 20 people, that is 2 to 3 standard 10 pound bags. One for the cooler, one for drinks, and one backup because the first two will melt faster than you expect on a warm day.
What a Memorial Day BBQ Actually Costs
Grocery prices have been climbing, and cookout staples are no exception. According to the Rabobank BBQ Index, the cost of a standard 10 person barbecue went up about 4 percent in 2025, driven mainly by chicken prices (up over 50 percent wholesale) and ice cream.
For a basic backyard cookout with burgers, hot dogs, three sides, and a mix of beer and soft drinks, expect to spend roughly $8 to $15 per person in 2026. For 20 guests, that is $160 to $300 total. If you upgrade to steaks, ribs, or craft beer, you are looking at $20 to $35 per person, or $400 to $700 for the same group.
Here is the thing though: most people overspend because they overbuy, not because the ingredients are expensive. If you stick to the quantities in this article instead of panic shopping, a solid cookout for 20 people is completely doable under $300. That is $15 per person for a full afternoon of food and drinks, which is cheaper than taking one person out to a sit down restaurant.
The Timing Cheat Sheet
Half of BBQ stress comes from trying to have everything ready at the same time. Here is a rough timeline that works for a party starting at noon.
The night before: Make the potato salad, coleslaw, or any cold side. They taste better after sitting in the fridge overnight anyway. Marinate any meat that needs it. Set up your tables and chairs if they are going outside.
Morning of: Buy ice (it melts, so buying it the night before is a rookie mistake I have made more than once). Set up the drink station and fill the cooler. Prep any veggie trays, fruit plates, or chips and dip.
90 minutes before guests arrive: Light the grill. It needs 20 to 30 minutes to get to proper temperature. This is also when you realize you forgot to clean the grill grates from last time.
30 minutes before: Start cooking anything that takes longest (chicken, thicker burgers). Hot dogs go on last because they cook in about 5 minutes and dry out if they sit on the grill too long.
When guests arrive: You should be grilling, not prepping. If you are still slicing onions when people walk in, something went sideways. Have the sides out, the drinks cold, and let the grill do its thing.
The Leftovers Strategy
Even with careful planning, you will probably have some food left over. The goal is not zero leftovers. The goal is leftovers you actually want to eat during the week instead of throwing away.
Leftover burgers reheat well in a skillet. Leftover hot dogs do not. If you are going to err on one side, buy extra burger patties and fewer hot dogs. Potato salad keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Coleslaw gets soggy after day two. Chips are fine forever (or at least until the bag is empty, which in my house is about 36 hours).
Have a few quart sized zip bags or containers out near the food at the end of the party. People will take leftovers home if you make it easy for them. This doubles as a guest pleaser and a fridge saver.
Quick Reference: Shopping List for 20 People
Here is the complete list for a standard Memorial Day cookout serving 20 adults. Adjust down for kids (count each child under 12 as half a person for food quantities).
Protein: 7.5 pounds ground beef (30 quarter pound patties) and 30 hot dogs (3 packs). Or swap half the hot dogs for chicken if your crowd prefers it.
Buns: 4 packs hamburger buns and 4 packs hot dog buns (8 count packs).
Sides: 5 to 7 pounds potato salad (or 5 pounds of potatoes to make your own), 1 large batch coleslaw (one head of cabbage plus dressing), 2 large bags of chips with 2 dips.
Drinks: Two 24 packs of beer, 1 bottle of wine or cocktail ingredients for a batch, two 12 packs of soda, 3 to 4 gallons of water, and 3 bags of ice.
Condiments: Ketchup (1 bottle), mustard (1 bottle), mayo, pickles, sliced onions, lettuce, tomatoes (3 to 4 large ones), sliced cheese (1 pound).
Plug your exact guest count into our party food calculator to get a customized shopping list based on your specific numbers and food choices.
The Bottom Line
The secret to a great Memorial Day cookout is not buying more food. It is buying the right amount. Stick to the quantities in this guide, prep what you can the night before, and resist the Costco impulse to add "just one more thing" to the cart.
Your guests will remember the cold drinks, the hot grill, and the fact that they did not have to stand in a restaurant line on a holiday weekend. They will not notice that you did not buy a seventh side dish. And most importantly, your fridge will not be full of leftover hot dogs until Friday.