GUIDES FROM THE MASTER
Shashlik for 20 People: Amounts, Packs and a Two-Grill Plan for Your Garden Party
For 20 people you need 8 kg of shashlik if it is the main course. That is 400 g of marinated meat per guest. The easiest way is to order the “Friends and Family” pack twice: 8 kg in four varieties for €135.96, or €6.80 per person.
With 20 guests, though, more changes than the amount. This is no longer a table, it is a party: people come and go, neighbours bring salads, children run around the garden. 8 kg of meat needs cold space and won’t fit on the grill in one go. Stand at a single grill on your own and you will be grilling for over an hour and miss your own party.
Your shopping list with the amount, packs and sides is right below this introduction. Further down is everything that makes a BBQ for 20 relaxed: options with and without pork, two grills, who does what, keeping things cold and a timeline.
At a glance
- 8 kg of shashlik feeds 20 people as a main course; with a buffet 6 kg is enough, for big appetites plan 10 kg.
- €135.96 buys 2 × “Friends and Family”, which is €6.80 per person; with 2 kg of lamb as a highlight it is €155.95.
- Two grills are the better choice: with one you need 3 to 4 rounds and over an hour, with two, 2 rounds each will do.
- About 8 kg of charcoal plus a spare bag, and the meat stays in the fridge or cool boxes until it goes on the grill.
- €183.96 buys the pork-free option: 2 kg each of chicken breast, chicken thigh, lamb and beef, or €9.20 per person.
Your shopping list for 20 people
Based on 400 g of shashlik per person as a main course.
2 × Friends and Family = 8 kg
€135.96 Total · €6.80 per person · free delivery
View 2 packagesOn the product page you set the mix of varieties for both packages together.
For the table
- Lavash or flatbread1 per person20 breads
- Onions for pickling1 for 3–4 people6 large onions
- Salad200 g per person4 kg
- Fresh herbs1 bunch for 3–4 people6 bunches
- Sauce50 ml per person1 l
- CharcoalRule of thumb: 1 kg per kg of meatabout 8 kg
Different group size? Open the calculator
How much shashlik for 20 people?
With 20 guests, a lot evens out: one person eats three skewers, another just one. What matters is the kind of party you are throwing. A street party with a shared buffet needs less meat per head than a birthday where the shashlik is the main event.
For any other number of guests, use the calculator in our guide to shashlik per person.
| Kind of party | Per person | For 20 people |
|---|---|---|
| Street party, everyone brings something for the buffet | 300 g | 6 kg |
| Garden party, shashlik as the main course | 400 g | 8 kg |
| Big birthday, long evening, few sides | 500 g | 10 kg |
| 14 adults and 6 children up to 12 | 400 g / 150–200 g | 6.5–6.8 kg |
| 20 guests, each also eats a bratwurst | 400 g − 100 g | 6 kg |
BBQ pack for 20 people: options and prices
The basis is two “Friends and Family” packs. Choose 2 packs on the pack page and the mixer spreads the whole 8 kg across the varieties in 500 g steps. So you can take more chicken thigh and less breast, say, or a kilo of Mayo pork instead of Classic. Swaps stay within the price group, pork for pork and chicken for chicken, so the 4 kg of pork remain.
Lamb shashlik makes a great highlight, planned as an extra rather than the bulk: 2 kg of lamb with “Friends and Family” and “Work’s done. Grill’s on.” brings you back to 8 kg. If many guests don’t eat pork, go for the pork-free option.
| Option | What you order | Amount | Price | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 2 × “Friends and Family” | 8 kg | €135.96 | €6.80 |
| With a highlight | “Friends and Family” + “Work’s done. Grill’s on.” + 2 kg lamb | 8 kg | €155.95 | €7.80 |
| Pork-free | 2 kg each of chicken breast, chicken thigh, lamb and beef | 8 kg | €183.96 | €9.20 |
| Buffet, 300 g per person | “Friends and Family” + “Work’s done. Grill’s on.” | 6 kg | €101.97 | €5.10 |
| Big appetites, 500 g per person | 2 × “Friends and Family” + “Work’s done. Grill’s on.” | 10 kg | €169.95 | €8.50 |
BBQ for 20 people: one grill or two?
The rule of thumb: a large charcoal grill or mangal handles about 2 to 3 kg of shashlik per round, and a round takes 15 to 20 minutes.
For 10 guests, one grill and two rounds will do (shashlik for 10 people); from 30, plan 2 to 3 grills (shashlik for 30 people). With 20, your set-up decides whether everyone eats together or queues:
| Set-up | Rounds | Grilling time | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 grill, 1 griller | 3–4 | over an hour | The first have finished before the last eat, and the griller is stuck there all evening. |
| 1 grill, griller plus helper | 3–4 | over an hour | Doable: the helper fetches and serves, the griller just turns. The wait stays the same. |
| 2 grills, 2 grillers | 2 each | about 40 minutes | Everyone eats at almost the same time, and one grill can stay completely pork-free. |
Planning a BBQ party for 20: who does what?
A BBQ party for 20 runs smoothly when everyone knows their job. Hand the jobs out beforehand, not once the charcoal is glowing. Embers, grilling times and core temperature are covered in our guide to grilling shashlik.
8 kg of shashlik needs cold space. Clear some fridge shelves the day before. Whatever doesn’t fit goes into cool boxes with plenty of ice packs, kept in the shade. The meat stays there until just before grilling.
- Griller 1: pork, for example Classic and Onion & Garlic, 15 to 20 minutes per round.
- Griller 2: chicken and, if you ordered it, lamb. Guests who don’t eat pork collect their food here.
- Supplies: one person only takes as much out of the fridge or cool box as fits on the grills.
- Buffet: one person tops up lavash, onions and salads and puts mayo-based salads back in the cool.
Timeline for a BBQ party with 20 guests
With 20 guests you start earlier than with a small group: sort out the second grill, ask your helpers, plan the cooling. If your party falls after the best-before date on the pack, freeze the meat flat and in portions once it arrives. Our guide to freezing shashlik shows how.
| When | What |
|---|---|
| As soon as the date is set | Count your guests, with children and pork-free guests separately. Lock in the second grill and two helpers. |
| In good time, with a few days’ buffer | Order and set the mix for the 8 kg. Especially early before bank holidays. |
| When the packs arrive | Into the cold straight away. Check the best-before date and freeze flat if needed. |
| The day before | Clear the fridge, freeze the ice packs, thaw anything frozen overnight in the fridge. Make the salads and sauces that improve with resting. |
| A few hours before the party | Thread the skewers, one variety each, sorted by grill into fridge and cool boxes. |
| About 45 minutes before eating | Light both grills; the embers are white after 20 to 30 minutes. Pickle the onions, set up the buffet. |
| Round 1 | About 2 kg on each grill, off after 15 to 20 minutes, then rest for 3 to 5 minutes. |
| Round 2 | Check the embers with your hand: 4 to 5 seconds at skewer height. Then put the second half on. |
| After the party | Chill cooked leftovers promptly. Raw shashlik that stayed cold throughout and was never frozen can go in the freezer. |
Sides and buffet for 20 guests
The shopping list above tells you how much lavash, onion, salad, herbs and sauce you need. With 20 guests, what matters most is how you set up the buffet. The queue rarely forms at the grill; it forms at the table where everyone reaches for the bread at once.
Recipes for pickled onions, shashlik sauce and make-ahead salads are in our guide to sides for shashlik. Here is how the buffet works:
- Set it up as a line: plates, lavash, shashlik, onions and herbs, then salads and sauces. Nobody has to double back.
- If neighbours bring salads, agree who makes what. With a big buffet, plan 300 g of meat per person.
- Make pickled onions fresh in two or three bowls, 15 to 20 minutes before eating.
- Keep mayo-based salads in the shade or in the cool and only top up what gets eaten.
8 kg for your garden party
Two “Friends and Family” packs as the base, plus lamb as a highlight or chicken for guests who don’t eat pork: you will find the right products just below.
Frequently asked questions
How much meat do I need for a BBQ for 20 people?
As a main course, 8 kg of shashlik, which is 400 g per person. With a buffet and lots of sides, 6 kg is enough; for big appetites, plan 10 kg. Count children up to about 12 at 150 to 200 g.
How much does shashlik for 20 people cost?
Two “Friends and Family” packs with 8 kg in total cost €135.96, which is €6.80 per person. With 2 kg of lamb as a highlight you pay €155.95, and completely pork-free €183.96. Delivery is free either way.
How many grills do I need for 20 people?
Ideally two. A large charcoal grill handles about 2 to 3 kg per round, so with one grill 8 kg takes 3 to 4 rounds and over an hour. With two grills, everyone is fed after two rounds.
How much charcoal for a BBQ for 20 people?
Rule of thumb: about 1 kg of charcoal per kg of meat, so roughly 8 kg for 8 kg of shashlik, split between both grills. Add a spare bag.
How do I keep 8 kg of meat cold at a party?
In the fridge or in cool boxes with plenty of ice packs until just before grilling, ideally in the shade. Clear space in the fridge the day before. Only take out as much as fits on the grill.
Can I choose my own varieties when I order two packs?
Yes. If you choose 2 “Friends and Family” packs, the mixer spreads the whole 8 kg across the varieties in 500 g steps. Swaps stay within the price group, so pork for pork and chicken for chicken.