Shashlik for 30 People: How Much Meat, How Many Grills and a BBQ Timeline

How much shashlik for 30 people?

The 12 kg is your starting point. With 30 guests, three things decide whether you go up or down: how big the buffet is, how many children are coming and whether there are sausages on the grill too.

BBQ pack for 30 people: three options with prices

The simplest way to cover 12 kg is three “Friends and Family” packs. Each brings 4 kg in four varieties: Classic pork, Onion & Garlic pork, Classic chicken breast and Mayo chicken thigh. With three packs, the mixer on the pack page spreads the whole 12 kg across the varieties in 500 g steps. Swaps stay within the same price group: pork for pork, chicken for chicken. So you could turn the 6 kg of chicken into 4 kg of Mayo chicken thigh and 2 kg of Classic chicken breast. The pork share stays in the pack.

If some guests don’t eat pork, plan single varieties for them: chicken, lamb or beef, 400 g per person. In the highlight option, lamb and beef are already included; cook them on a grill of their own. For more variety or a buffet, choose one of the other two combinations. All arrive ready-marinated, cut in the Meister Morgel Cut® and chilled:

BBQ for 30 people: how many grills do you need?

For 30 guests you need enough grill space and a small grill team: two or three people at the grills and one helper who fetches meat from the cool box and carries the cooked skewers to the buffet. How long each variety takes is in our guide to grilling shashlik. Charcoal: about 1 kg per kg of meat, so around 12 kg plus a spare bag.

Rule of thumb for grill space: a large charcoal grill or mangal handles about 2 to 3 kg of shashlik per round, and a round takes 15 to 20 minutes. With one grill, the first guests are eating while the last ones wait another hour. Two grills are the minimum, three make it relaxed. For 12 kg it looks like this:

Milestone birthday, small wedding, company party: adjusting the plan

The amount stays the same; the running order changes with the occasion:

• Milestone birthday in the garden: you are host and guest of honour at once. Hand over the tongs and greet your guests. These parties run late, so plan 400 g rather than 300 g per person.
• Small wedding: everyone often eats at once, after the drinks reception or the photos. Light the grills so the first round is ready when the couple arrives. The buffet with the sides is out before that.
• Company party: the numbers change until the last minute. Collect replies early and order with a few days’ buffer. A grill team from two departments is good team building, too.
• Party in a hall: the grills stand outside, well away from the entrance so no smoke drifts in. A helper brings the meat in on clean platters.

Keeping 12 kg of shashlik cold: fridge, cool boxes, hygiene

12 kg of meat takes up space. Clear a fridge before the delivery arrives or ask the neighbours for a shelf. Put everything away as soon as you unpack it; the best-before date is on the pack.

On the day, the meat stays in the fridge or in cool boxes with plenty of ice packs until shortly before grilling. Only take out as much as fits on the grill, so 2 to 3 kg per grill and round. Keep the cool boxes in the shade, not next to the embers.

• Separate tongs and plates for raw and cooked skewers, at every grill.
• Cook pork and poultry right through: Germany’s Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) recommends at least 70 °C in the centre for at least 2 minutes.
• Raw meat that has stayed cold throughout can be frozen at the end. Anything that stood outside for hours cannot.

Planning a BBQ for 30 people: the timeline

This plan is for 30 guests. Smaller and bigger parties have their own plans: shashlik for 10 people, for 20 people and for 50 people. For any other number, use the calculator in our guide to shashlik per person.