Kitchen design
How Much Food for Christmas Dinner? Quantities Per Person
How big a turkey, how many potatoes and how much gravy: a quantity guide per person so you buy enough without a week of leftovers.
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Most Christmas dinners are planned by guesswork, and most end with a fridge full of leftovers. These are rough guides per adult, based on usual British portion sizes. Adjust for big eaters, children, and how many other dishes you are serving.
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Per adult, as a rough guide
| Food | Allow per person |
|---|---|
| Turkey, oven-ready on the bone | About 500 g, so a 5 kg bird feeds about 10 |
| Turkey crown or boneless joint | About 200–250 g |
| Roast potatoes | 200–250 g (4 to 6 pieces) |
| Each other vegetable | 80–100 g |
| Pigs in blankets | 2 to 3 |
| Stuffing | About 50 g (1 to 2 balls) |
| Gravy | About 100 ml |
| Christmas pudding | A 900 g pudding serves about 8 |
If you want leftovers for Boxing Day sandwiches, size the turkey up by a kilo or so rather than buying more of everything.
Cut the waste
- Choose three or four vegetables, not seven. Everyone takes less of each when there are more dishes.
- Buy loose so you get exactly the weight you need.
- Weigh potatoes on kitchen scales rather than guessing by the bag.
- Plan leftovers: see how to store Christmas leftovers.
Check your oven and tins
A bigger bird needs a roasting tin that fits it, and a tin that fits your oven. Measure both before you order the turkey. For the cooking itself, see our roast turkey, roast potatoes and the Christmas dinner oven plan. Serve the pudding with brandy butter.
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Frequently asked questions
How much turkey do I need per person?
As a rough guide, about 500 g of oven-ready turkey on the bone per person, or 200–250 g of boneless crown or joint. A 5 kg bird feeds about 10.
How many roast potatoes per person?
About 200–250 g, or 4 to 6 pieces, per adult.
How much gravy do I need?
Allow about 100 ml per person, plus a little extra for second helpings.