How Many Slices Are In A Large Pizza? It’s Not As Easy As You Think

How many slices are in a large pizza should feel like a very simple answer, but it really depends on where you go for your pie.

By Doug Norrie | Updated

how many slices in a large pizza

Often when someone is asked to answer the question of what food they would want to take to a desert island to eat for the rest of their days, the answer is pizza. Why? Because it’s delicious that’s why. The combination of bread, sauce, cheese, and oil (with a topping or ten) thrown in there is just too much to pass up, making this an easy go-to. We’ve covered as much already in our History of Pizza, covering all the delicious ground with this food of choice. But pizza can cause problems too, and I don’t just mean from a dietary point of view. One of the prevailing questions when it comes to ordering pizza is just how many slices are in a large pizza? Why is this even an issue?

If you are asking then it’s likely you’ve never been tasked with buying enough pies to feed an entire party of people. When thinking about calling in the order, one need only look around the room of partygoers to know they are going to need to do some quick calculus and calculations around just how much to order. That starts with knowing just how many slices are in a large pie.

Unfortunately, while this question seems like it should be easy to answer, the world of pizzas hasn’t aligned into one, uniform decision about the numbers. Different places tackle this in different ways with different size pies and varying ways about how they make their pizza slicer cuts before putting that steaming goodness into the box, closing it tight, and sending it out for delivery. And don’t even get us started on the question of how long is pizza good for in the fridge, offering up a whole new set of problems to tackle with leftovers.

Let’s break down how many slices are in a large pie and why it might be different depending on who you call. 

How Many Does A Large Pizza Serve?

Now, this is a difficult question to answer because it depends on where we are looking and who we are looking at around the table. Not all adults or children are created equal and that’s going to really change the outcome of the numbers. But because we are dealing, for these purposes, in a world of averages we can give some round numbers here to make sure your life is easier when party planning. A typical answer for this is that a large pizza can serve around two adults or four children. While that’s going to change based on the group dynamics, it’s at least a decent starting point.

How Many Slices Are In A Large Pizza? 

As you’ll see below, this number is going to change depending on where you go, so you’ll want to note if you are ordering from one of the more popular pizza chains. But the standard pizzeria will answer how many slices are in a large pizza with the number 10. That’s based on how it’s cut in each place, though your in-town, mom-and-pop pizza joint will typically go with this number. It can sometimes be eight if they roll that way so you might even want to ask ahead of time if it’s crucial you get everyone sharing the right way.

It’s worth noting that in terms of overall size, a large pizza is usually around 14 inches and a medium is about 10 inches in diameter. If you bump it up to an extra-large then expect 12 slices and around an 18-inch diameter. 

How Many Slices Are In A Large Pizza From Domino’s?

how many slices in a large pizza

Domino’s has been around since 1960 and has ranked as the largest national pizza chain for some time now. There’s a reason this is one of the best-known brands around and has had such staying power on the market. They have a unique style for their pizza and have made their bones on solid and consistent delivery times while also offering a number of different non-pizza options. 

How many slices does a large Domino’s pizza have is pretty easy in that it’s 12, though keep in mind that they have a number of different size options as well when you order. The medium Domino’s pizza has eight slices, and the smaller personal pizza has six.

How Many Slices Are In A Pizza Hut Large Pizza?

how many slices in a large pizza

Much like Domino’s, Pizza Hut has been around for decades, coming into existence in 1958 in Kansas. In 2020, they ran neck-in-neck with Domino’s at the top of the pizza food chain. At the last count, Pizza Hut had more than 6,500 locations throughout the United States. With this kind of staying power, and a style of pizza a bit breadier and thicker than some of their rivals.

A large Pizza Hut pizza will be around 14 inches in diameter and have 12 slices. That’s in line with Domino’s as well, though you can see that it still differs from those local joints. That’s likely a business decision, meant to make it seem like there is more to the pizza because more hands can get in and grab a slice. But you’ll see that the size of the pizza itself it roughly the same.

How Many Slices In A Papa John’s Large Pizza?

While Papa John’s has had some controversy in recent years, mostly around owner John Schnatter, it still remains one of the most popular national chains. Consistently ranking in the top-5 nationwide, the chain has always been another of the family go-tos when it comes to delivery. Their large pizzas differ, in terms of slices, a bit from the other major brands above in that the large pie has 10 total slices when it hits the box. It still retains the 14-inch diameter which seems to be industry standard, but the companies just differ on how they are going to make the sizes of each piece.

Final Cheesy Thoughts

We’ll just throw in here at the end that the Little Caesar’s large pie has only eight slices and they are the standard 14-incher as well. But this chain only has one size for everyone, so they aren’t going to fluctuate at all. Or if you are going location-specific, the best deep dish pizza in Chicago has a whole other set of rules.

In all, when considering how many slices are in a large pizza, the answer doesn’t seem to be as easy as one set number. It’s going to depend on where you order and who’s putting it in the oven. Different companies have different strategies for this. So make sure you know before you are counting heads (or mouths) at a party and trying to determine the right number of pies to purchase in order to keep everyone happy.