Stuffing Quantity Calculator
Tell us how many are eating for the amount of stuffing to make.
Answer
600 g of made-up stuffing
Your numbers
- These weights are for made-up stuffing cooked in a tray, which is how most people serve it.
- Cooking stuffing inside a bird slows the bird down and has to reach 75°C in the middle of the stuffing itself. A tray is easier and safer.
- Stuffing balls take about 30 minutes at 190°C; a tray takes around 35.
Source: Standard UK catering and home-cooking portion guidance · Reviewed 2026-09-10 · Guidance version 1.0.0
Reference and detail
100g per adult, made up
That is the weight of finished stuffing, not dry mix. A standard UK packet makes around 400g once it has taken up water, so it feeds four generously. Children take a little over half an adult portion.
In a tray, not in the bird
Stuffing inside a bird slows the whole thing down and the stuffing itself has to reach the same safe temperature as the meat, the middle should reach 70°C for two minutes, or an equivalent such as 75°C for 30 seconds, which usually means overcooking the breast to get there. A tray cooks in 35 minutes at 190°C, gives you crisp edges, and frees the bird to cook to its own timing.
Making it worth eating
Even from a packet: soften an onion in butter, add a handful of chopped bacon or sausagemeat, some chopped parsley and a grating of lemon zest, then stir the mix in with a little less water than the packet says. Balls take about 30 minutes; a tray about 35.
Questions and answers
Questions about stuffing quantities
How much stuffing do I need to make per person?
Enter your guest count above rather than guessing, since stuffing amounts are usually planned as a side dish rather than a main element, alongside turkey and other trimmings.
How many packets of stuffing mix does that work out as?
Check the total weight the calculator gives you against the pack size you're buying, since packet sizes vary between brands and between sage-and-onion and other flavours.
Should I cook stuffing inside the turkey or separately?
Either is fine for taste, but stuffing cooked inside the bird needs the whole turkey, including the stuffing itself, to reach a safe core temperature, which can extend the cooking time. Cooking stuffing separately in its own dish is simpler to time and check.
Do I need more stuffing if I'm also serving pigs in blankets and gravy?
Not necessarily more stuffing itself, but plan the whole plate together rather than in isolation. Several rich trimmings on one plate can mean slightly smaller individual portions of each work out fine.