HowMuchPerPerson

How much coleslaw for 150 people?

Make or buy 83 cups of coleslaw (about 20.8 quarts).

That's 1/2 cup per guest, plus a 10% cushion. Range: 66–104 cups depending on appetite.

↳ dress it an hour before serving so it doesn't go soggy

Cups
83
1/2 cup per guest
Quarts
20.8
4 cups per quart
Appetite range
66–104
light to hungry crowd

Adjust for your crowd

Appetite

Enter how many of your guests are kids; each counts as half an adult.

Coleslaw for other crowd sizes

tap a row for its own list ↓
GuestsCupsQuarts
10 people61.5
20 people112.8
25 people143.5
30 people174.3
40 people225.5
50 people287
75 people4210.5
100 people5513.8
150 people · you're here8320.8
200 people11027.5

83 cups (about 20.75 quarts) for 150 people. Keep the bowl in a larger bowl of ice on the buffet.

How many people do 12 cups of coleslaw serve?

cups

Feeds about 24 people.

Everything else for 150 people

How we got this number

  1. 1150 guests × 1/2 cup = 75 cups
  2. 2× 1.10 cushion = 82.5 cups
  3. 3rounded up → 83 cups

cups of dressed slaw, the way it goes on the plate.

Food safety: keep coleslaw cold until serving and don't leave it out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (USDA).

Sources for this rule: USDA Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs; Food Network Barbecue Party Calculator; Univ. of Illinois Extension chart (via Almanac); Old Farmer's Almanac party chart; USDA FBG; ezCater.

See our full method and sources →

Coleslaw questions

How much coleslaw for 150 people?

Make or buy 83 cups of coleslaw (about 20.8 quarts). That's 1/2 cup per guest, plus a 10% cushion. Range: 66–104 cups depending on appetite.

What if 30 of the 150 guests are kids?

Kids count as half an adult, so it's 135 adult portions: make or buy 75 cups of coleslaw (about 18.8 quarts).

How much coleslaw for 150 big eaters?

For a hungry crowd, plan 25% more: make or buy 104 cups of coleslaw (about 26 quarts).

How many people do 12 cups of coleslaw serve?

Feeds about 24 people.

Different headcount? The coleslaw calculator works for any number of guests, and the menu planner builds one shopping list for the whole party.