Plan quantities generously but not wastefully: a whole turkey is only about half meat, so 1–1.5 lb per person raw gives roughly 8–12 oz of meat. Make a cooking timeline and remember the turkey needs to rest before carving, which frees the oven for sides.
How to use the Thanksgiving Calculator
- Adults
- Children
- Adults drinking wine
- Do you want leftovers?
Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.
How it works
Enter the number of adults, children and wine drinkers, and whether you want leftovers.
Tips
- Buy the turkey early and allow enough fridge thawing time – about one day per 4–5 lb.
- Always check the thickest part of the thigh and breast with a thermometer: 165 °F (74 °C).
- Let the turkey rest 20–30 minutes before carving so the juices settle.
- Make a timeline working backwards from when you want to eat.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Thawing a turkey on the counter, which lets bacteria grow.
- Stuffing the bird the night before.
- Relying only on the pop-up timer instead of a thermometer.
Inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Adults | A number |
| Children | A number |
| Adults drinking wine | A number |
| Do you want leftovers? | Choose one: No, Yes |
What each result means
- Stuffing = [Adult equivalents]×0.75×236.5882365
- Potatoes (raw) = [Adult equivalents]×0.5×453.59237
- Gravy = [Adult equivalents]÷3×236.5882365
- Cranberry sauce = [Adult equivalents]÷4×236.5882365
- Vegetable sides = [Adult equivalents]×0.5×453.59237
- Dinner rolls = ceil([Adult equivalents]×1.5)
- Appetizer pieces = ceil([Adult equivalents]×3)
- Cheese = [Adult equivalents]×1.5×28.349523125
- Bottles of wine (750 ml) = ceil([Adults drinking wine]÷2)
Example values
How the main result changes when Adults changes and everything else stays at the example values above:
| Adults | Whole turkey (raw) (lb) |
|---|---|
| 4 | 8.7 |
| 6 | 12.2 |
| 8 | 15.7 |
| 10 | 19.2 |
| 12 | 22.7 |
| 16 | 29.7 |
Formula
Turkey (whole, raw) = 1.25 lb per adult + 0.6 lb per child (× 1.4 for leftovers)
Per adult: ¾ cup stuffing, ½ lb potatoes, ⅓ cup gravy, ¼ cup cranberry sauce, ½ lb vegetables, 1.5 rolls, ⅛ pie, 3 appetizer pieces, 1.5 oz cheese, ½ bottle of wine per drinker
Children eat about half (no wine)
Worked example
Inputs — Adults: 8; Children: 2; Adults drinking wine: 6; Do you want leftovers?: Yes.
Results — Whole turkey (raw) = 15.7 lb; Stuffing = 6.8 cups; Potatoes (raw) = 4.5 lb; Gravy = 3 cups; Cranberry sauce = 2.2 cups; Vegetable sides = 4.5 lb; Dinner rolls = 14; 9-inch pies = 2; Appetizer pieces = 27; Cheese = 13.5 oz; Bottles of wine (750 ml) = 3.
Frequently asked questions
How much turkey per person?
About 1–1.5 lb of whole raw turkey per adult; 1.5–2 lb if you want leftovers.
How many pies for Thanksgiving?
One 9-inch pie serves 8; plan one pie for every 6–8 guests, more with leftovers.
How much stuffing per person?
About ¾ cup.