Cookout Party Game Plan: Two Tiers to Feed a Crowd
A good cookout party doesn’t have to mean three days in the kitchen — or a Saturday you spend wishing you’d just ordered pizza. After years of feeding a crowd in our backyard here in Florida, I’ve figured out there are really two ways to throw one: the easy, mostly store-bought way, and the homemade way. Both end with full plates and happy people. So I built you a game plan for each — pick the tier that fits the week you’re having and run with it.
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Your Cookout Party, Two Ways
Here’s the truth about a cookout party: nobody at the table is grading you. Some weekends I want to put out a homemade spread and fuss over the details. Most weekends I want a hamburger, a bag of chips, and a folding chair. Both are a great party. So pick your tier — Tier 1 is simple and mostly store-bought, Tier 2 is simple and homemade — and don’t apologize for either one.
Tier 1: Simple & Easy (Mostly Store-Bought)
This is the cookout you can pull together on a Thursday for a Saturday. Almost all of it comes from one grocery run.
- The menu: hamburgers and hot dogs (plus brats if your crowd loves them) with buns, condiments, chips and fresh fruit, store-bought cookies and popsicles, and tea, lemonade, and a couple of 2-liters to drink.
- The decor: gingham-check plastic tablecloths (or pick two colors and run with them), matching paper goods — plates, cups, napkins, plasticware — and a few store-bought paper centerpieces. Done.
Tier 2: Simple & Homemade
Same easygoing party, just with more made from scratch — the version I pull out when I’ve got a little more time and want the table to feel special.
- The menu: maple balsamic grilled chicken (or steak), homemade pasta salad, Grandma’s potato salad, Mama’s best baked beans, a fruit and veggie tray with dips, and for dessert cherry cheesecake bars and fudgy pie. To drink: mixed berry lemonade, a flavored iced tea (peach or mango is my summer go-to), and the rest of my DIY drinks for a crowd.
- The decor: gingham-check plastic tablecloths (or your two colors), matching paper goods, fresh flowers in mason jars for centerpieces, lawn games out in the yard, and little party favors — dollar-store cups in your colors, filled with candy.
Want the full cookout menu with every recipe in one place? That’s all in my Cookout for a Crowd post — this one is about throwing the party around the food.
How Much to Buy for a Cookout Party
The number one thing people get wrong at a cookout party is running short — on burgers, on ice, on something to drink. Here’s how much I buy, by headcount. Guests pick among the proteins, so plan about two handhelds each; if burgers or chicken are your only main, bump that row up.
| Feeding… | 10 guests | 20 guests | 30 guests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burgers & dogs (combined) | 20 | 40 | 60 |
| Buns | 20 | 40 | 60 |
| Grilled chicken (pieces) | 6 | 12 | 18 |
| Chips (party-size bags) | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| Tea + lemonade (gallons) | 3 | 6 | 9 |
| Ice (lb) | 15 | 30 | 45 |
| Dessert (servings) | 12 | 24 | 36 |
Need other headcounts, or full sides like rice, rolls, and gravy? My Scale-It-Up Cheat Sheet does the math from 8 to 24 — it’s available to my newsletter subscribers on their private page: Seat at the Table.
The Decor, Games & Table
You don’t need much to make a backyard look like a party. Gingham tablecloths and matching paper goods do most of the work, mason jars with grocery-store flowers handle the centerpieces, and a couple of lawn games keep everyone outside and happy long after the plates are cleared. These are the few things I’d actually spend on — the pieces that come back out cookout after cookout.
You can shop the entire list on my Amazon Storefront! Or, you can browse below…
Featured for the Yard
- RUSTIC DESIGN: Join the classic fun of cornhole with this unique set featuring printed steel framed...
- COMPLETE CORNHOLE SET: Includes 2 premium tailgate size 3 x 2 ft boards, 8 all-weather regulation...
• The set that comes out at every cookout. The rustic boards look good in the grass and have held up to years of Florida summers — buy once, play for a decade.
- OFFICIAL SIZE AND WEIGHT HORSESHOES: The Family horseshoe set includes (2) blue and (2) silver...
- SOLID STEEL STAKES: This set also comes with (2) 24" inch solid steel stakes that are built to stand...
• The game the grandparents and the grandkids both end up playing. Easy to learn, impossible to walk away from, and it folds up small when the party is over.
- 1.Party Cup Holder with Marker Slot: Wooden cup holder measures roughly...
- 2.Mark Your Cup and Drink Up Cup Holder: Cup holder with marker slot, includes two marker pens...
• Keeps the drink table from turning into a sticky mess. Everybody finds their own cup, so the grass stays clean and every cup has a home.
See the complete shopping list ↓
🛒 Cookout Party Shopping List
Every decor piece, game, and serving helper from this post — tap any item to shop on Amazon.
Decor & Table
Lawn Games
Serving & Drinks
🍔 Get the FREE Cookout Game Plan PDF
My complete printable game plan — both tiers, the full menu and decor checklists, every recipe, and my how-much-do-I-buy cookout math — all on two pages you can tape inside a cabinet door. It goes out to my newsletter subscribers this Saturday and will be available to them on the subscriber-only page: Seat at the Table.
Subscribe & Get the PDF →Cookout Party FAQ — The Questions I Get Every Time
How do I throw a cookout party without spending all weekend cooking?
Go Tier 1 and lean on the grocery store with zero guilt. Burgers and dogs, bagged chips, store-bought cookies and popsicles, and gingham paper goods get you a real party with one shopping trip and almost no prep. Save the homemade spread for a weekend you actually have the time for.
How much food do I need for a cookout party of 20?
For 20 guests I buy about 40 burgers and dogs combined, 40 buns, two party-size bags of chips, 6 gallons of tea and lemonade, and 30 pounds of ice. Round up if your crowd skews teenage boy. The chart above breaks it all down for 10, 20, and 30.
What are the best lawn games for a cookout party?
Cornhole, horseshoes, and a potato sack race are my three. Cornhole pulls in every age, horseshoes gets competitive fast, and the sack race is the kind of chaos the kids beg to do again. They set up in five minutes and keep everyone outside long after the food is gone.
Can I throw a cookout party on a budget?
Absolutely — that is exactly what Tier 1 is for. Dollar-store cups, gingham paper goods in two colors, store-bought sides, and a candy-filled favor cup per kid keep it cheap and still festive. Spend on the few reusable things — the games, the drink station — and save on everything disposable.
What can I make ahead for a cookout?
Make the potato salad and baked beans the day before — they are both better after a night in the fridge. The cherry cheesecake bars and fudgy pie can be made ahead too, and the veggie tray can be cut and covered the night before. Day-of, all that is left is the grill and pouring drinks.
More Crowd-Friendly Hosting You’ll Love
- Cookout for a Crowd — the full burgers-and-dogs menu with every side recipe, the food half of this party.
- DIY Drinks for a Crowd — sweet tea, lemonade, and flavored drinks that come out to under a dollar a batch.
- Church Potluck Day — four crowd recipes and how I send everyone home with almost zero leftovers.
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Cookout Party — About Stephanie Longstreth
Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, weekly meal plans, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.