Upcoming BBQ? Here's How Many Guests One Rack Of Baby Back Ribs Serves

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Barbecue math isn't easy, and baby back ribs can make feeding all of your guests even more complicated. Nobody wants to be the host that left people hungry, but the flip side of that is spending way too much money and dealing with piles of uneaten leftovers at the end of the cookout. When it comes to ribs, most people could probably take down a half-rack of baby backs by themselves as a meal. But at a barbecue, there are loads of enticing sides and (likely) other meats like burgers and sausages that people are going to want to sample. It's honestly impossible to say for sure how many baby back ribs any one person will eat in your backyard, but a good rule of thumb to follow when stocking up is to account for at least three bones per guest, and up to six if they're the main course.

While the number of ribs will vary, most baby back rib racks contain 12 bones on average, although they may vary between 10 and 13. That means your average rack is going to feed two to four guests, depending on whatever else you are serving. If you have a lot of additional food options and are expecting people to only be eating appetizer-sized portions as they sample away, you might bump it down to two ribs per person, but three is probably the best baseline to avoid the disappointing horror of running out of ribs before guests are satisfied. You may not want to waste food, but good ribs aren't the kind of thing people will be begging to wrap up and take home anyway.

The range of other barbecue recipes that you're going to be plating up isn't the only variable, as you can also switch things up from baby back ribs if you are worried about underserving people. Spare ribs and St. Louis-style pork ribs are more meaty than your average baby back rack. Despite that, they're often a bit cheaper per pound than in-demand baby backs. That said, St. Louis-style are a bit more expensive than spare ribs, but are more party-friendly since they're made by cutting away extra cartilage and bone chunks from spare ribs.

Given the extra meat on each bone, a rack of St. Louis-style ribs can feed three to six people instead of two to four. That means you can cut down on how many rib racks you need, and curb your spending, all at once. Plus, you'll get to introduce many of your barbecue guests who might normally default to baby backs to the rich, robust glory of St. Louis-style ribs.

Whether you stick with baby backs or opt for St. Louis-style, cooking a bunch of ribs at once can be a challenge on most grills. So to finish off your barbecue preparations consider investing in a rib rack, which props up multiple ribs at once to better maximize your grill space and improve air flow. They aren't too expensive — popular choices like this Weber Rib Rack go for around $20 — and anyone who feeds a yard full of people some perfect barbecue ribs is sure to be asked for a repeat performance, making good use of the tool.