grumpyoldman
Sous Chef
as most of you know on Dec. 20 we are having friends over to eat
there will be 22 people what size turkey will i need ?
there will be 22 people what size turkey will i need ?
What size turkey for 20+ people?
- Thread starter grumpyoldman
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Gone Hiking
Senior Cook
1 to 1.5 lbs per person is the usual recommendation. (1 lb per person is adequate for us when we have 12 to 18 people, but I usually go 1.5 to 2 lbs per person to send leftovers home with whoever might want some and to have some for ourselves.) Personally, I like to cook 2 smaller birds rather than one big one. They don't take as long and tend to cook more uniformly.
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grumpyoldman
Sous Chef
so i'm gonna need a 22 lb turkey, thats a big one haha
i should mention there will also be plenty of ham plus the wife is making something called " 3 red chicken" , i have no idea how well that will go over as no one has ever heard of it , all i know about it is that its got red peppers (diced) and red onions ( diced ) and stewed tomato's so that should cover the meat part
i should mention there will also be plenty of ham plus the wife is making something called " 3 red chicken" , i have no idea how well that will go over as no one has ever heard of it , all i know about it is that its got red peppers (diced) and red onions ( diced ) and stewed tomato's so that should cover the meat part
Weights per serving are based on what else is being served. If you also have ham and chicken, you do not need such a large turkey. I would go 15/18 lb and you'd still have leftovers. Same with your ham.
Especially if you carve the turkey breast in this fashion
So much easier for passing at the table.
Especially if you carve the turkey breast in this fashion
Andy M.
Certified Pretend Chef
Since you have other meats, I'd go with the lower end of the estimate. Also agree that two smaller birds are a better way to go. If you have the room, consider butterflying the turkeys. You can do them at the same time on two different shelves and they cook in no time. I cooked a 13.68 Lb turkey in about an hour.
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grumpyoldman
Sous Chef
people ARE going to take leftovers home with them whether they want to or not !!! 
i'm not a big fan of eating leftovers for a week . i'll put my fancy vacuum sealer to work that day
i'm not a big fan of eating leftovers for a week . i'll put my fancy vacuum sealer to work that day 
caseydog
Chef Extraordinaire
When I cook for a group of people around that size, I am always afraid of not having enough, so I end up cooking too much.
CD
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grumpyoldman
Sous Chef
well for one thing the wife is doing the bulk of it ,i'm just doing the turkey,
and for another if it was anything but turkey it would be different, ribs , steaks things like that i know how to figure it but i'm kinda at a loss because i really don't know how much the bones weight , or things like water loss , fat rendering and such , for all i know a 20 lb turkey might only yield 14 lbs of meat
and for another if it was anything but turkey it would be different, ribs , steaks things like that i know how to figure it but i'm kinda at a loss because i really don't know how much the bones weight , or things like water loss , fat rendering and such , for all i know a 20 lb turkey might only yield 14 lbs of meat
caseydog
Chef Extraordinaire
Yeah, I have a hard time imagining how much meat I'll get for a turkey. But, any excess meat can go home with guests, or for me, I freeze it to make gumbo, or something else. The carcasses get boiled down for stock.
CD
GH and Andy are correct about doing 2 smaller birds being the way to go. And spatchcock/butterfly will decrease cooking time even further. I'd do two 13 lb birds. With all the other food you're going to have way more than enough. GH was accounting for bones and cartilage weight since really, the average person is not going to eat a pound of meat or probably not even a half a pound, especially with all the sides and other food.
That 14 lbs of meat from a 20 lb bird sounded optimistic to me. So, I looked around a little and found an interesting article. It says 40% to 70% of the weight of the turkey is the usual range for how much meat. It depends on how big is the turkey, what breed is it, how was it processed, etc., etc.
How Much Meat Can You Get From a Turkey? - Chef's Resource
How Much Meat Can You Get From a Turkey? On average, you can expect to get about 40-70% of a ... Read moreHow Much Meat Can You Get From a Turkey?
www.chefsresource.com
caseydog
Chef Extraordinaire
That 14 lbs of meat from a 20 lb bird sounded optimistic to me. So, I looked around a little and found an interesting article. It says 40% to 70% of the weight of the turkey is the usual range for how much meat. It depends on how big is the turkey, what breed is it, how was it processed, etc., etc.
How Much Meat Can You Get From a Turkey? - Chef's Resource
How Much Meat Can You Get From a Turkey? On average, you can expect to get about 40-70% of a ... Read moreHow Much Meat Can You Get From a Turkey?
You can pretty much count on a "solution" of primarily salt and water being injected int to turkey for "flavor and tenderness," which really means to "make the turkey weigh more so the corporation processing it and the grocery store selling it can make more money.
CD
Roll_Bones
Master Chef
This year we did two smaller turkeys. Both were around 10 pounds. Was much easier to work with.
I did one on grill/smoker and one roasted inside.
Note: Two turkeys equal more bone, so be advised.
I did one on grill/smoker and one roasted inside.
Note: Two turkeys equal more bone, so be advised.
pictonguy
Executive Chef
The usable portion is generally around 50-55%.
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grumpyoldman
Sous Chef
thats what i needed to know, thanks pictonguy
That works out to the same ratio as Gone Hiking posted. When ratio's are given for turkey and chicken, the bones have been taken into consideration.
Helps to remember that 1.5 lbs of pure meat is a LOT of meat for one person to eat in a sitting.... unless you're a dragn.
Helps to remember that 1.5 lbs of pure meat is a LOT of meat for one person to eat in a sitting.... unless you're a dragn.
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grumpyoldman
Sous Chef
wife picked up the turkey today at walmart 19.34lbs @ 0.84 cents per lb.
Nice price!
When is D-day? Better leave it out now to defrost!
When is D-day? Better leave it out now to defrost!
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grumpyoldman
Sous Chef
D day is Dec 20th at 2:00 pm so i was thinking to start thawing it on next Tuesday ?
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