Adjust for your crowd
Enter how many of your guests are kids; each counts as half an adult.
Chili chart: 10 to 200 people
tap a row for its own list ↓| Guests | Cups | Quarts |
|---|---|---|
| 10 people | 9 | 3 |
| 20 people | 17 | 5 |
| 25 people | 21 | 6 |
| 30 people | 25 | 7 |
| 40 people | 33 | 9 |
| 50 people | 42 | 11 |
| 75 people | 62 | 16 |
| 100 people | 83 | 21 |
| 150 people | 124 | 31 |
| 200 people | 165 | 42 |
How many people do 16 cups of chili feed?
Feeds about 21 people with sides, or 10 as the main event.
Everything else for 20 people
How we got this number
- 120 guests × 3/4 cup = 15 cups
- 2× 1.10 cushion = 16.5 cups
- 3÷ 4 per quart = 4.1 → 5 quarts
chili is counted in cups of finished chili, from the pot.
Food safety: cook chili with ground beef to at least 160°F, and keep it hot (140°F or above) in a slow cooker while it's out (USDA safe temperature chart), and don't leave it out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (USDA).
Sources for this rule: Ellen's Kitchen (quantity-cooking reference); USDA Food Buying Guide; Taste of Home Beef and Lentil Chili; Taste of Home Best Ever Chili.
How to make chili: the most-watched videos
Videos from YouTube, picked by us from the most-watched on the topic; view counts as of October 2026. We don't make these videos and aren't paid for them. Pressing play loads YouTube.
Chili questions
How much chili per person?
Plan on 3/4 cup of chili per person with sides, or 1.5 cups as the main event.
How much chili for 100 people?
Make 83 cups: 21 quarts. That's 3/4 cup per guest, plus a 10% cushion. Range: 66–104 cups depending on appetite.
How many people do 16 cups of chili feed?
Feeds about 21 people with sides, or 10 as the main event.
Should kids count as a full person?
Count each kid as half an adult. Add them in the Kids box and the shopping list updates.