How Much Prime Rib per Person? Ribeye Roast Yield
A boneless ribeye roll trimmed practically free of fat gives about 0.63 lb of cooked, trimmed, sliced lean meat per pound in the USDA Food Buying Guide, so plan about 0.8 lb per person for an 8 oz cooked portion. In USDA cooking tests a bone-in rib eye roast kept 76.9% of its weight roasted and a boneless one 75.8%. A bone-in roast also carries the ribs: USDA’s nutrient database counts bone as 16% of a whole rib section.
USDA yields for prime rib
From the USDA Food Buying Guide: how much ready-to-use or cooked product one pound as purchased gives. The figures work the same in metric: 0.63 lb per pound is 0.63 kg per kilogram.
| As purchased (USDA description) | Result, as USDA states it | Yield | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef Rib, Ribeye, fresh or frozen; Roll roast or steak, Without bone, Practically-free-of-fat, (Like IMPS #112) | 1 lb AP = 0.63 lb cooked, trimmed, sliced, lean meat (cooked) | 63% | FBG table |
Cooking yield by method
USDA cooking tests: cooked weight as a share of the raw weight of the cut as described.
| Cut | Method | Yield | Samples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef, rib eye roast, bone-in, lip-on, lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8" fat | Roasted | 76.9% | 35 |
| Beef, rib eye roast, boneless, lip-on, lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8" fat | Roasted | 75.8% | 36 |
How much is waste
USDA’s nutrient database (SR28, NDB 13824) lists 16% of “Beef, rib, whole (ribs 6-12), separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8" fat, all grades, raw” as refuse: bone.
How much to buy
At 63% (cooked, trimmed lean meat from boneless ribeye), for 8 oz (227 g) portions:
| Portions | Cooked | Buy as purchased |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 5.00 lb (2.27 kg) | 7.94 lb (3.60 kg) |
| 25 | 12.5 lb (5.67 kg) | 19.8 lb (9.00 kg) |
| 50 | 25.0 lb (11.3 kg) | 39.7 lb (18.0 kg) |
| 100 | 50.0 lb (22.7 kg) | 79.4 lb (36.0 kg) |
Cost per usable pound
At 63%, the price as purchased becomes, per pound and per kilogram:
| Price as purchased | Cost per usable pound |
|---|---|
| $10.00/lb ($22.05/kg) | $15.87/lb ($34.99/kg) |
| $12.00/lb ($26.46/kg) | $19.05/lb ($41.99/kg) |
| $14.00/lb ($30.86/kg) | $22.22/lb ($48.99/kg) |
Example prices. Put yours in the food yield calculator.
The MiseKit app
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Good to know
- The Food Buying Guide figure is for a boneless roll already trimmed practically free of fat. A roast with its fat cap, or a bone-in standing rib roast, gives less trimmed meat per pound.
- The cooking tests measure only the weight lost in the oven, so they run higher than the Food Buying Guide figure, which also counts the fat trimmed off after cooking.
FAQ
How much prime rib do I need per person?
About 0.8 lb (12 3/4 oz) of boneless ribeye for 8 oz of cooked, trimmed meat (0.5 lb ÷ 0.63). Buy more for a bone-in roast: bone is 16% of a whole rib in USDA’s nutrient database.
How much does prime rib shrink when cooked?
A bone-in rib eye roast kept 76.9% of its raw weight roasted in USDA cooking tests (35 samples) and a boneless one 75.8% (36 samples), so it loses about a quarter in the oven.
How much prime rib do I need for 20 people?
About 16 lb of boneless ribeye for 8 oz of cooked meat each (20 × 0.5 lb ÷ 0.63).
Sources
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs (yield tables; public domain)
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, Table of Cooking Yields for Meat and Poultry, Release 2 (2014)
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 28 (refuse)
USDA figures are averages; size, grade, trim, ripeness and cooking change them. Weigh your own main items before you cost a menu on them.
Last reviewed October 11, 2026.
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