If you are cooking chili for a crowd, this calculator will give you an estimate of how much chili per person you will need. It will break down how much to buy and prepare to feed a large gathering, as well as provide ideas for toppings and serving tips. After you enter the number of guests you’ll be serving, the calculator’s results will provide a breakdown of common purchased ingredients which you can use as a checklist to prepare for your event.
Offering a chili bar for a wedding, birthday party, graduation, church event, or fundraiser is a convenient and budget-friendly way to feed a lot of people.
If you’re having a casual event with a lot of people, you could turn your gathering into a chili cook-off and ask each household to bring a batch of their favorite chili recipe.
Standard Chili Bowl Serving Size
A typical serving of chili as the primary main dish is one to one and half cups, or 8 to 12 ounces (oz). This amount can vary due to guests’ appetites as well as the number of toppings offered.
The calculator will give you an estimation of the ingredients and quantities you’ll need to feed 10, 25, 30, 50, 100 or more guests. You can even print out the results.
If you are making rather than purchasing any of the items for your chili bar, use our Recipe Multiplier calculator to convert your recipes to the ingredient quantities you’ll need.
How Much Chili For A Crowd
Here is a quick breakdown of the amount of chili needed for a crowd. Use the chili calculator to get specific recommendations for your event.
How much chili for 10 people? You would need 84 ounces of chili for 10 people.
How much chili for 20 people? You would need 169.5 ounces of chili for 20 people.
How much chili for 25 people? You would need 211.5 ounces of chili for 25 people.
How much chili for a crowd of 30? You would need 253.5 ounces of chili for 30 people.
How much chili for a crowd of 50? You would need 423 ounces of chili for 50 people.
How much chili for a crowd of 75? You would need 634.5 ounces of chili for 75 people.
How much chili for 100 people? You would need 846 ounces of chili for 100 people.
Chili Bar Basics:
- A typical chili bowl serving could be between 8-12 ounces. Our calculator uses 8 ounces as a serving in calculating how much chili and toppings to buy per person.
- Use a crock pot (or slow cooker) to serve your chili. It will keep the chili at the perfect temperature without having to continually check it. It also makes chili easier to transport.
- Don’t forget to offer some hot sauce, as some guests make like their chili extra hot.
- Rather than adding onions to the chili, offer them on the side. Finicky guests and young children will thank you.
- Present your cold toppings in bowls on an inflatable ice bar.
- A variety of toppings are nice, but focus first on the standard chili toppings. Guests might try a few unusual or gourmet toppings but they’ll definitely load up on the tried-and-true favorites first.
- Put sour cream and other semi-liquid toppings in condiment bottles to make self-serve as well as clean up easier.
- Make clean up easier by using disposable soup bowls.
The Best Toppings For A Chili Bar
Elevate your event to the next level by providing your guests with some favorite as well as unique toppings for chili.
Chili Bar Toppings Basics
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Diced onions
- Diced tomatoes
- Sliced jalapeño
- Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
- Crumbled bacon
- Fried onions
- Oyster crackers
- Lime wedges
- Hot sauce
- Black beans
- Rice
Unique Chili Bar Toppings
- Chopped avocado
- Creme fraiche
- Crushed corn chips
- Crumbled queso fresco
- Sliced spring or green onions
- Guacamole
- White corn
- Sliced olives
- Sliced red bell peppers
- Shredded monterey cheese
The Perfect Sides For A Bowl Of Chili
If chili is the main feature, offer your guests an assortment of sides to create the perfect chili bar menu.
- Cornbread
- Tortilla chips
- French fries
- Salad wedges
- Tater tots
- Garlic bread sticks
- Grilled cheese
- Sweet potato fries
- Crackers
- Loaded baked potato wedges
- Cheddar muffins
- Mini stuffed peppers
The calculator will provide an estimate of items needed based on standard serving sizes as a main dish. However, guests’ preferences as well as appetite can vary greatly so you may have too much of one item and not enough of another. You may also need to adjust the numbers if you are serving other main dishes.
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