Pot Roast for a Crowd Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How much pot roast for 20 adults? ›

That means you'll want at least 2 1/2 pounds of meat if you're planning to have 10 people over to dinner, and 5 or more pounds of meat if you're cooking for 20 guests.

Step 1: Figure out how much you need

Bone-in roasts: Figure about one-pound per person. A 10-pound roast will feed 8-10 people. Boneless: Allow about a half-pound per person, which should yield about a 6-ounce piece.

Beef chuck roast is an excellent source of protein, vitamin B12 and iron. A serving size is about 3 ounces, which is about the size of a deck of playing cards. A 3-pound roast will make about eight servings.

Pot roast is meant to be braised, which means cooking meat slowly over low heat with minimal liquid, covered. If you add too much water/broth, you are going to miss out on that roasty flavor that comes from the top part of the meat cooking above the liquid.

A question we often get is “How much meat do I need?” The starting rule of thumb is: Boneless Meat: 1/2 lb. per person for adults and 1/4 lb. per person for children.

When buying a roast, plan on a pound for every two guests, and a half-pound per two children. Then, add an extra pound just in case, or just because leftover roast makes for delicious future meals!

Allow around 375g beef per person, so for four people, you need a joint around 1.5kg, for six, 2.25kg, for eight, 3kg and for 10, 3.75kg.

How much pot roast per person? When serving meat as a main dish plan 8 oz per person. If you have big appetites or love leftovers, then plan 12 oz of meat per person.

Bone-in beef chuck pot roasts will yield 2 to 2-1/2 three-ounce servings of cooked, trimmed beef per pound.

If the roast is part of a holiday buffet, estimate that your guests will eat about half a pound per person. If it is the main course for a sit-down dinner, plan on one pound per person or one rib for every two diners. For example, you can plan on a four-bone roast generously serving eight guests.

Is roast better in oven or Crock-Pot? ›

For the most appealing tenderness and and juiciness that's coveted in the best pot roasts, the pot roast is either cooked in a slow cooker for 4 hours on High or 7-8 hours on Low or for better and more even temperature control, slow-cooked in the oven at 200F/100C for 4 hours for firm, knife-ready meat and 8 hours for ...

Does chuck roast get more tender the longer you cook it? It does! The secret to an incredible beef chuck roast recipe is to let it cook for long enough. I cook my chuck roast for 6 hours and 20 minutes, and by the time it's done it's fall-apart tender with soft carrots and potatoes all cooked in the same pot.

Another problem is overcooking the pot roast, leading to dry meat. Prevent this by ensuring you have enough braising liquid in the pot and don't let it go dry. For smaller roasts under 3 pounds, check for doneness at two hours. For larger roasts, check three hours.

A standard portion of meat generally tops out at four ounces, or a quarter-pound. You can go higher if you like, but this is usually plenty. Using that number, you can serve four people with one pound of meat. Taking that further, you would need 10 pounds to serve 40 people.

Plan on serving about 5-6 ounces of each side per person. One gallon (128 ounces) of sides is enough for 20-25 people. An adult side is enough for two children under 12.

Regardless of the size of your roast, aim for cooking at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), for 20 minutes per pound.

Chefs generally recommend 8 ounces (½ pound) of meat per person. You need about 5-5 ½ pounds to serve around 10 to 12 people. If you're serving more than one dish in your entree, you can set aside ¼ pound per meat type. You'll need 2½ pounds of each meat for 10 to 12 people.

Hence a good rule of thumb is to go with 1/2 a pound or 8 ounces of meat per person. This is when the meat is your main dish.

Nothing says comfort food like a pot roast. The perfect pot roast takes time. A good 3- 4 hours for perfectly tender roast can be made well ahead of time and works well to serve to guests or family.

ONE POUND RULE:

The easiest rule is the “One Pound Rule.” Provide one pound of food for each adult guest (not including drinks or dessert).

How much liquid should you put in a roast? ›

Cook's Notes. Oven method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In step 1, use a 5-quart Dutch oven or ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid; add 2 cups water. Cover; bake until roast is tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Look instead for roasts weighing between 4 and 6 pounds, enough to comfortably feed at least six to 10 guests.

A person should eat around 0.5-1 grams of meat per pound of body weight. How Many People Will 10 Lbs of Meat Feed? 10 lbs of meat will feed 10-12 people.

The key to cooking pot roast is cooking it low and slow. The meat should just fall apart, hence the name, and if it doesn't, you probably have not cooked it long enough. Also, I like to cook the potatoes separately, as they tend to be a little to mushy for my liking when you cook them with the roast.

When cooking a roast in the oven, keep it uncovered until roasted to the desired doneness. After removing from the oven, tent with foil and let stand 15 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute, preventing them from draining out during carving—and preventing dry, disappointing meat.

3. Think about your tools: Your roasting pan or baking sheet will shield meat or vegetables from the heat source, so if you want foods to be evenly cooked, you'll need rotate and flip during the roast, at least once.

Add Some Extra Onions

Never hold back from adding extra onions to your pot roast. Onions help turn the broth into a smokey jam as they caramelize, flavoring the tender beef. Though you can use white onions, sweet onions, or red onions, we recommend using yellow ones because of their unique flavor profile.

If the pot roast or chuck roast is tough, it is because it needs more cooking time. As the beef cooks the muscles and connective tissues break down and this makes the beef tender. Also, if you cook the roast at a high temperature, the roast will be tough. Since you are using the slow cooker, this is not an issue.

If the roast is part of a holiday buffet, estimate that your guests will eat about half a pound per person. If it is the main course for a sit-down dinner, plan on one pound per person or one rib for every two diners. For example, you can plan on a four-bone roast generously serving eight guests.

According to VooDoo BBQ & Grill, 9 pounds of meat will feed a group of 20-22 people, and 12 pounds will feed a group of 30-35. If you're ordering ribs, you'll want to aim for 3 ribs per person. The experts agree that 3 varieties of meat is a good target to aim for.

How much meat do I need for 40 people? ›

A standard portion of meat generally tops out at four ounces, or a quarter-pound. You can go higher if you like, but this is usually plenty. Using that number, you can serve four people with one pound of meat. Taking that further, you would need 10 pounds to serve 40 people.

The easiest rule is the “One Pound Rule.” Provide one pound of food for each adult guest (not including drinks or dessert).

8-10 pound bone-in Prime Rib Roast = 4-5 ribs. Serves 8-10 people or more. 4-6 pound bone-in Prime Rib Roast = 2 ribs. Serves 4-6 people or more.

The rule of thumb for buying prime rib is to buy one pound per person. A bone-in standing rib roast will feed about 2 people per bone. Also, be sure to consider how many side dishes you plan to serve. If you are preparing a large holiday meal with plenty of other food you could plan on ½ – ¾ pound prime rib per person.

Bone-in beef chuck pot roasts will yield 2 to 2-1/2 three-ounce servings of cooked, trimmed beef per pound.

A good rule of thumb is to count on about ⅓ pound of cooked meat for each person for a main. This amount may vary between ½ pound if your guests are big eaters or you don't have many sides, to ¼ pound if your sides are generous.

In general, each pound of BBQ feeds 3 to 4 people, especially if you're serving sides. You can expect most adult guests to eat ¼ to ⅓ pounds of meat each during your event.