If you’re having a big family gathering or party, a tasty taco bar is the easiest and most popular way to feed everyone. Anyone can put anything they want on their ground beef tacos, and everyone is happy and full when they leave. But then you are faced with the question…. how much taco meat per person do you need to buy?.
The worst thing that could happen as a host is running out of hamburger meat before everyone is full. On the other hand, no one wants 50 pounds of taco meat in the freezer either!
Don’t worry, friend. Today I’m going to give you a simple taco bar calculator that will help you make great tacos without having to do any math. The calculator will tell you how much taco meat each person needs. It also has all the best side dishes, taco fillings, and party ideas for tacos, so your party is sure to go well!
Taco salad is a delicious and filling Tex-Mex dish that is perfect for feeding a crowd. But figuring out how much ground beef to buy per person can be tricky You want to make sure you have enough so that everyone gets plenty of tasty seasoned beef in their salad But you also don’t want to end up with pounds of leftover meat.
So how much ground beef do you really need per person when making taco salad for a group? Here is a simple guide to help you get it just right every time
Calculate How Many Tacos Each Person Will Eat
The first step is estimating how many tacos each person is likely to eat when you serve taco salad. Here are some general guidelines:
- Adult men will eat 3-4 tacos each
- Adult women will eat 2-3 tacos each
- Teen boys will eat 3-4 tacos each
- Teen girls will eat 2-3 tacos each
- Children ages 5-12 will eat 1-2 tacos each
- Toddlers ages 2-4 will eat 1 taco each
If you know your guests have big appetites, plan on the higher end of the range. It’s better to have a little extra than not enough.
Figure Out the Ground Beef Needed Per Taco
Once you know approximately how many tacos your group will eat you need to calculate how much ground beef goes into each taco.
The standard amount of ground beef in a taco is 1/8 pound, which is about 2 ounces before cooking.
So if you are making 20 tacos, you will need 20 x 1/8 pound = 2.5 pounds of ground beef.
Here is a simple chart:
- 10 tacos = 1.25 lbs ground beef
- 15 tacos = 1.875 lbs ground beef
- 20 tacos = 2.5 lbs ground beef
- 25 tacos = 3.125 lbs ground beef
- 30 tacos = 3.75 lbs ground beef
Calculate Total Pounds of Ground Beef Needed
Now put the two steps together to figure out the total amount of ground beef you need to buy for your taco salad feast.
Take the number of people and estimate how many tacos each will eat based on the guidelines above.
Then multiply that total number of tacos by 1/8 pound per taco. That will give you the quantity of ground beef you need to purchase.
Example:
You are having 12 people over for taco salad
- There are 8 adults that will eat 3 tacos each = 24 tacos
- There are 2 kids that will eat 2 tacos each = 4 tacos
- There are 2 toddlers that will eat 1 taco each = 2 tacos
Total tacos needed = 24 + 4 + 2 = 30 tacos
30 tacos x 1/8 pound ground beef per taco = 3.75 pounds of ground beef
So for 12 people eating taco salad, you will need approximately 3.75 pounds of ground beef.
Allow for Extra Ground Beef
It’s always smart to purchase a little more ground beef than the precise calculation. You want to make sure you don’t run out of meat and leave guests hungry.
Aim to buy 10-20% more ground beef than your estimate.
In the example above, instead of getting exactly 3.75 pounds of ground beef, round up and buy 4 to 4.5 pounds for your taco salad for 12 people.
Having a little extra ground beef left over is ideal for tacos the next day!
Taco Salad Toppings
In addition to the ground beef, you’ll need lots of delicious taco salad toppings. Here are some guidelines for amounts per taco:
- Taco shell or tortilla – 1 per taco
- Shredded lettuce – 2 ounces
- Diced tomatoes – 2 tablespoons
- Shredded cheese – 1-2 tablespoons
- Salsa – 1-2 tablespoons
- Sour cream – 1 tablespoon
- Guacamole – 1-2 tablespoons
- Black olives – 1 tablespoon
- Jalapeños (optional) – 1 tablespoon
Scale the amounts up by the total number of tacos you calculated.
Tips for Making Taco Salad for a Crowd
Feeding a big crowd tasty taco salad is easy and fun with a few handy tips:
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Make the ground beef a day or two ahead so it’s one less thing to worry about on the big day.
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Keep the lettuce crisp by storing it with paper towels until ready to serve.
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Allow guests to build their own taco salads from a topping bar so everyone can customize.
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Set out stacks of taco bowls or tortilla chips for scooping up the salad.
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Keep ground beef warm in a slow cooker or chafing dish right before serving.
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Place diced tomatoes, cheese, guacamole, and sour cream in small bowls over ice to keep chilled.
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Have extras of all the toppings ready to replenish as needed.
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Offer festive margaritas, salsa, and chips on the side.
With the right amount of delicious ground beef and plenty of fresh toppings, you can easily whip up taco salad for a crowd. Use this handy ground beef per person calculator to take the guesswork out of how much meat to buy. Your guests will love building their own flavorful Tex-Mex salad!
How to Keep Taco Meat Warm for a Party
When your guests make their own tacos, make sure that all of the ingredients on the taco bar stay safe so that no one gets sick. This means that the seasoned ground beef should stay warm and the cold toppings should stay cold.
- You can use either a crockpot or a disposable chafing buffet dish to keep your cooked taco meat warm. So that bacteria don’t grow, the cooked hamburger should be kept above 140 degrees.
- Putting your cheese and sour cream in a bowl of ice will keep them cold. Be sure to change out the ice as it melts.
- For the whole party, the corn and flour tortillas can stay warm in a disposable chafing dish with a damp clean towel on top to keep them soft.
Determine the Amount of All the Taco Bar Toppings
Now that you know how much taco meat per person you need, let’s talk toppings. To make it easier, all the toppings amounts are given by weight instead of volume. All you have to do is multiply the amount of each topping by how many tacos you want to make for your party.
- Bread or hard taco shells; one shell or tortilla should be used for each taco. But keep in mind that some hard shells may break in transit, so buy extra.
- Refried beans: Adding beans to taco meat can make it last longer. Plan on 2 ounces per taco.
- Shredded cheese – each taco should take about 1. 5 ounces of cheese.
- Tear up some lettuce; each taco should have 1 ounce of it.
- Diced tomatoes—for each taco, buy 2 ounces of fresh tomatoes
- Salsa – each taco will use 1.5 ounces of salsa
- Guacamole – plan for 1. 5 ounces of guacamole for each taco.
- Sour cream – purchase 1. 5 ounces of sour cream for each taco.
- Black olives: Not everyone will want these, so plan on 0 5 ounces for each taco.
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FAQ
How much taco meat do I need for 20 people?
What is a serving size of taco salad?
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Nutrition Facts
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Serving Size 2 cups (401g)
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6 servings per container
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Calories 300
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% Daily Value *
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Total Fat 9g
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12%
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How many tacos will 1lb of meat make?
How much ground beef for 25 people?