Most briskets range from 10-20 pounds. There are some 20+ pound monsters out there and some are in the 8 pound range but most fall between 10-20 pounds. After trimming and cooking you will generally lose about half of the weight of the brisket. So if you start with a 15 pound brisket you will trim away around a couple pounds and during the cooking process it will lose another 6 pounds or so. That would leave probably 7 or 8 pounds of meat when all is said and done.
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If you go by the 50% weight loss as a rule of thumb you can gauge how much meat you will need to feed your crowd. Most people will probably eat ⅓ pound to ½ pound of meat. So a 15 pound brisket will feed around 15-20 people.
Of course you will have to think about who will be eating. If you are feeding a college football team you will probably want at least a pound of meat per person. For a family dinner with children around you can probably lean towards the ⅓ pound number. A couple weeks ago I started with a 17 pound brisket and we had 6 adults, 2 10 year olds, and 3 younger children. The adults all ate quite a bit, the kids not so much, and I had probably 6 servings of leftovers when all is said and done.
As a rule of thumb buy 1 pound of brisket per person you will be serving and you should have plenty. Add a couple pounds to that number and you will most likely have some great leftovers as well.
Usually I would rather cook two smaller briskets than one big one. 15 pounds is my sweet spot and I like to keep my briskets around that size. So if I am feeding more than 15 people I will usually just cook two briskets rather than buying a larger one. A few pounds of leftover brisket never hurt anyone and it makes some great chili.
If you start getting to the 18-20+ pound range the meat is so thick you don’t get a good ratio of exterior bark and seasoning to internal meat. Too small of a brisket generally means you will have a thin flat that can get a bit dry before the rest of the brisket is properly cooked. So shoot for something in the 14-16 pound range if you can.
If you shop at your local Costco or butcher shop you might not have a lot to choose from. There have been times I have been to Costco and all they have are 18+ pounders. If you order online from Snake River Farms you can pick the weight of the brisket you want, anywhere from 9 to 20+ pounds. I would again suggest 14-16 pounds.
12 Commonly Asked Questions About Brisket
- What is a brisket?
- Where can I buy a brisket?
- What should I look for when buying a brisket?
- How big of a brisket should I buy?
- How should I trim a brisket?
- How should I season my brisket?
- What type of wood should I use when smoking brisket?
- What temperature should I cook my brisket at?
- How long should I cook a brisket?
- Should I wrap my brisket?
- How long should I rest my brisket?
- How should I slice my brisket?
