How Much Ground Beef for Sloppy Joes for 30 People? Getting the Portions Right

Sloppy joes are a fun, tasty crowd-pleaser With their saucy, messy flair, they’re perfect for large gatherings and potlucks But figuring out how much ground beef you need to feed a crowd can be tricky. So how much ground beef should you buy for sloppy joes for 30 people? Let’s break it down.

Sloppy Joe Overview

For the uninitiated, sloppy joes are basically seasoned, saucy beef sandwiches The classic recipe calls for

• Ground beef
• Tomato sauce, paste or diced tomatoes
• Onions, peppers, spices, etc.
• Hamburger buns

The meat mixture is simmered into a loose, spoonable consistency, almost like a chili. Then it’s ladled onto buns and devoured joyfully but messily, hence the name.

When serving a crowd, sloppy joes are an easy pleaser. They reheated well and can be made ahead. And the recipe is flexible, so you can tweak it to suit your tastes.

How Many Ounces of Meat Per Sandwich?

To determine how much ground beef you need total, first decide on the serving size per person. A typical sloppy joe sandwich contains 4-6 ounces of finished meat mixture.

Here are some serving size guidelines:

• Kids portions: 3-4 oz meat mixture
• Average adult portions: 4-5 oz meat mixture
• Big eater portions: 5-6+ oz meat mixture

Since you’ll have a mix of adults and kids, let’s plan for 5 ounces of finished meat mixture per sandwich.

Accounting for Raw Meat Shrinkage

One important factor is raw ground beef shrinks as it cooks. All the moisture that cooks out reduces the final yield.

You’ll lose around 25% of the raw meat weight during cooking. So for 5 ounces cooked, you need 6.5-7 ounces raw.

This means each sandwich portion requires about 7 ounces raw ground beef.

Total Ground Beef Needed for 30 People

To get the total:

• 30 people
• 7 oz raw ground beef per serving
• Equals 210 ounces total

Converting ounces to pounds:

• 210 oz /16 oz per pound = 13.125 pounds

So for 30 people at 5 oz cooked meat per sandwich, buy around 13-14 pounds of ground beef.

Getting a bit extra allows for imperfect divisions and leftovers. You can also mix in some sausage or bacon.

Lean Ground Beef Recommendations

For sloppy joes, you’ll want an 85% or 80% lean ground beef. Anything leaner can become overly dry when cooked into a sauce.

Fattier meats like 70% lean will render out more grease than you want in a sloppy joe. Stick with 80-85% for the best texture and flavor.

Helpful Serving Ratio Guidelines

Here are some general sloppy joe ratio guidelines when serving a crowd:

• 1 lb ground beef makes 4 average servings
• Plan for 1 regular bun and 2-3 napkins per person
• Have at least 1 lb of cooked meat mixture per 5 people
• Allow 2-3 pickle slices per sandwich
• Get 1 bag of chips per 3-4 people
• Have at least 1 condiment bottle per table

Adjust portions up or down depending on appetites. But these ratios help ensure you have enough of each element.

Making Cooking Easier in Bulk

Cooking 13+ pounds of ground meat and sauce can be a lot. Here are some tips:

• Use two large pots to divide cooking
• Cook the meat first, then mix with sauce
• Make a double batch of sauce to have enough
• Keep portions of meat and sauce separate for easier serving
• Cook the day before and reheat gently

Having a plan makes managing the bulk cookery much smoother.

Get Creative with Leftovers

Thirteen pounds of sloppy joe filling makes for great leftovers. Repurpose them by:

• Serving on nachos or fries instead of buns
• Using as a topping for baked potatoes
• Letting kids eat straight out of small bowls
• Mixing with rice, pasta or roasted veggies
• Filling omelets, quesadillas or tacos
• Topping a pizza in place of sauce and toppings

With creative leftover use, no sloppy joe meat needs to go to waste.

Planning for 13-14 pounds of ground beef allows you to feed a crowd of 30 hearty sloppy joe sandwiches. Adjust portions as needed for larger or smaller appetites. And turn extra filling into fun, inventive leftover meals. Your guests will leave happily stuffed on this saucy, beefy classic.