Recipe cost calculator
Price your dishes on real numbers, not guesswork. List the ingredients in a recipe, tell us how many portions it makes and your target food cost — we’ll show the cost per plate, the price to charge, your food cost percentage, and the profit on every serving.
How many servings the recipe makes.
Most kitchens aim for 28–35%.
Enter to see your food cost % and profit.
Results
Suggested menu price
$6.25
To hit your target food cost %.
Total recipe cost
$15.00
Cost per portion
$1.88
per portion
Your food cost %
20.8%
Gross profit
$7.13
per portion
How to calculate recipe and plate cost
Recipe costing means adding up what every ingredient in a dish costs, then dividing by how many portions the recipe yields to get your cost per plate. From there you price the dish to hit a target food cost — the share of the menu price that goes to ingredients. Most kitchens aim for 28–35%. A recipe that costs $15 in ingredients and makes 8 portions costs $1.88 per plate; at a 30% target you’d charge about $6.25, leaving roughly $4.37 of gross profit before labor and overhead.
The formula
Cost per portion = Total ingredient cost ÷ Portions · Suggested price = Cost per portion ÷ (Target food cost % ÷ 100) · Food cost % = Cost per portion ÷ Menu price × 100
Costed your menu? Put it on a QR code.
Turn your priced menu into a QR code menu with Scanmie — update dishes and prices anytime and the same printed code stays current.
Recipe cost FAQ
- What is a good food cost percentage?
- Most full-service kitchens target 28–35%, while quick-service and high-volume concepts often run a little lower. The right number depends on your labor, rent, and menu mix — use it as a goal across the whole menu rather than forcing every single dish to hit the same figure.
- How do I calculate cost per portion?
- Add up the cost of every ingredient the recipe uses, then divide by the number of portions it yields. If a batch costs $24 in ingredients and makes 12 servings, your cost per portion is $2. Cost ingredients at the as-purchased price, and remember to account for trim and waste on items like meat and produce.
- Should I include labor, packaging, and overhead?
- This calculator focuses on ingredient (food) cost, which is the foundation of menu pricing. Labor, packaging, and overhead are real costs too — many operators target a lower food cost percentage to leave room for them, or add them separately when setting the final price.
- How often should I re-cost my recipes?
- Whenever supplier prices move noticeably, and at least once a quarter. Ingredient costs drift constantly, so a dish that hit your target last season can quietly slip below it. Re-running the numbers keeps your menu prices and margins where you want them.