Adjust for your crowd
Enter how many of your guests are kids; each counts as half an adult.
Ham for other crowd sizes
tap a row for its own list ↓| Guests | Sliced meat | Ham to buy | Spiral hams |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 people | 4 lb | 8 lb | 1 |
| 20 people | 9 lb | 15 lb | 2 |
| 25 people | 11 lb | 19 lb | 3 |
| 30 people | 13 lb | 22 lb | 3 |
| 40 people · you're here | 18 lb | 30 lb | 4 |
| 50 people | 22 lb | 37 lb | 5 |
| 75 people | 33 lb | 55 lb | 7 |
| 100 people | 44 lb | 74 lb | 9 |
| 150 people | 66 lb | 110 lb | 13 |
| 200 people | 88 lb | 147 lb | 17 |
4 spiral hams for 40 people. Leftover ham freezes well, so err toward the bigger number.
How many people does an 8-lb spiral ham feed?
Feeds about 19 people with sides, or 12 if ham is the main event.
Everything else for 40 people
How we got this number
- 140 guests × 0.4 lb sliced = 16 lb
- 2× 1.10 cushion = 17.6 lb sliced
- 3÷ 0.60 meat yield = 29.3 lb bone-in → 4 spiral hams
the bone and rind count in the weight you buy, so we plan by meat on the plate.
We count hams at 9 lb each, the top of the usual 7–9 lb range. If the ones at your store run smaller, buy by weight: about 30 lb in all.
Food safety: a fully cooked spiral ham only needs warming to 140°F; USDA times it at 10 to 18 minutes a pound at 325°F (USDA on ham). Don't leave it out more than 2 hours.
Sources for this rule: University of Arkansas Extension; University of Kentucky Extension (S. Bastin); HoneyBaked (spiral, bone-in, fully cooked); HoneyBaked bone-in half hams; Old Farmer's Almanac party chart; USDA Food Buying Guide, Turkey, Whole, fresh or frozen, with neck and giblets; USDA FSIS ham timetable (325 F).
Ham questions
How much ham for 40 people?
Buy about 30 lb of bone-in spiral ham: 4 spiral hams. That's about 18 lb of sliced meat off the bone: 0.4 lb per guest as the main event, plus a 10% cushion. Range: 23–37 lb depending on appetite.
What if 8 of the 40 guests are kids?
Kids count as half an adult, so it's 36 adult portions: buy about 27 lb of bone-in spiral ham: 3 spiral hams.
How much ham for 40 people with sides?
Buy about 19 lb of bone-in spiral ham: 3 spiral hams.
How many people does an 8-lb spiral ham feed?
Feeds about 19 people with sides, or 12 if ham is the main event.
Different headcount? The ham calculator works for any number of guests, and the menu planner builds one shopping list for the whole party.