Cooked Meat Yield Calculator
Cooked meat, loss, and servings from yield.
What it does
Meat shrinks as water and fat leave. A 4 lb roast at 65% yield serves 2.6 lb cooked, so six 6 oz plates need more raw than the menu weight suggests. Yield percent bridges shopping with serving.
The tool above multiplies raw by yield, then divides cooked into servings. Defaults give 2.6 lb cooked with 1.4 lb lost and 6 servings. The metric mirror at 1.8 kg gives 1.17 kg cooked with the same 6 servings of 170 g. Higher heat, longer time, and leaner cuts all push yield down.
Cuts set the range. Beef roasts often land near 60 to 65%, pork near 70%, and poultry near 70 to 75%, with ground meats varying by fat. Recipe yields beat rules of thumb, and thermometers beat clocks because pulling at temp stops loss sooner.
This page models boneless edible weight only. It does not subtract bones, trim, or drippings saved for gravy. Weigh the portion that actually cooks for best results.
How to use
- Pick imperial (lb) or metric (kg).
- Weigh the boneless raw meat.
- Enter the recipe yield percent.
- Read cooked weight first, then loss.
- Read servings at 6 oz or 170 g.
- Scale raw to hit the servings needed.
Formula
- raw
- Boneless raw weight in lb or kg.
- yield
- Edible share after cooking, 30 to 100.
- serving
- 6 oz or 170 g per serving, rounded down.
Yield percent is edible cooked over raw edible weight. At 100% there is no loss. Bones, trim, and drippings method sit outside this line, so weigh boneless raw for best results.
Worked example
Example: 4 lb raw at 65% yield
Defaults: imperial 4 lb raw at 65% yield. Metric mirror is 1.8 kg. Servings are 6 oz (170 g).
- Inputs (imperial default): 4 lb raw at 65% yield.
- Cooked: 4 times 0.65 is 2.6 lb cooked.
- Loss: 4 minus 2.6 is 1.4 lb lost.
- Servings: 2.6 / 0.375 is 6 servings of 6 oz.
- Metric mirror (1.8 kg at 65%) gives 1.17 kg cooked with 6 servings of 170 g. Tool shows the same.
Reference table
| Raw and yield | Cooked | Servings |
|---|---|---|
| 4 lb at 65% | 2.6 lb cooked | 6 servings (6 oz) |
| 6 lb at 70% | 4.2 lb cooked | 11 servings (6 oz) |
| 1.8 kg at 65% | 1.17 kg cooked | 6 servings (170 g) |
| 2.5 kg at 60% | 1.5 kg cooked | 8 servings (170 g) |
| 10 lb at 75% | 7.5 lb cooked | 20 servings (6 oz) |
Limits
- Boneless edible only. Bones and trim excluded.
- One yield for whole piece. Mixed cuts differ.
- No food safety model. Temperatures rule doneness.
- Servings rounded down. Buffets need extra.
Common mistakes
- Weighing bone in as meat.
- Using volume cups for meat weight.
- Applying one yield to every cut.
- Skipping rest and losing juices on the board.
- Planning servings from raw weight.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
6 lb raw at 70% yield?
Cooked is 6 times 0.70 is 4.2 lb. Loss is 1.8 lb. Servings are floor of 4.2 / 0.375 is 11 servings of 6 oz.
2.5 kg raw at 60% yield?
Cooked is 2.5 times 0.60 is 1.5 kg. Loss is 1 kg. Servings are floor of 1500 / 170 is 8 servings of 170 g.
Questions
How is cooked weight figured?
Cooked = raw times yield/100. Here 2.6 lb cooked with 1.4 lb lost.
How are servings figured?
Floor of cooked over serving size. Here 6 servings of 6 oz.
What yield percent should I enter?
Roasts near 60 to 75 by cut and temp. Use the recipe yield when given.
Do I weigh before or after resting?
Yes. Resting redistributes juices but does not change cooked weight much. Weigh after resting.
Does bone count?
No. Bones and trim leave before cooking math. Weigh the edible raw portion.
Why did my roast lose more?
Higher heat and longer time raise loss. Thermometers beat clocks.