The last thing you want is to not have enough juicy, tender, and flavorful pulled pork for your guests. This post will help you figure out how much pork you need to make enough. [feast_advanced_jump_to]No time to read?.
First, youll need to determine how many people you need to feed. Then you have to think about what else you are going to serve and how you are going to serve it. Also, if you want your guests to save room for dessert (especially if you made carrot cake!),
I make this slow cooker pulled pork all the time because it’s a crowd-pleaser that’s great for both big and small gatherings.
I always try to make extra pulled pork to use later for nachos, sandwiches, or a quick stuffed sweet potatoes dinner, whether I’m having a family dinner during the week, a backyard barbecue, or a party for a lot of people.
In the event that you are in a similar situation and are wondering how many pounds of meat you need to cook to make sure everyone has enough to eat, I will help you figure it out.
If you want to know how many sandwiches you can make with a pound of pork, we’ll also talk about that.
To start, let’s talk about the things that will affect how much raw pork to cook for each person. Just how much you need will depend on the type of event, the time of day, and whether this is the only main course being served.
If you’re serving hearty sides like coleslaw, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, cornbread, or baked beans, you might be able to reduce the serving size and still have enough food for everyone.
But if your cooked pulled pork is the main dish and there are only a few light sides, people are more likely to eat more.
It’s also important to say whether you want to eat it by itself or as a pulled pork sandwich. If the same amount of cooked pulled pork is put on a bun with extra toppings, it will be more filling than if it isn’t.
To make sure there is enough meat for everyone, you should serve a larger portion if you have a group of people who eat a lot.
However, you will only need a smaller amount of pork if you are serving it to people who aren’t very hungry or to a group with a lot of kids.
Consider if there will be other protein options being served. If you offer other meats, your guests will probably still eat about the same amount of meat, so you can cut back on the pork based on how much other meat is being served.
If you know you need ½ pound of pork per person but also want to serve burgers, you would likely need closer to ¼ pound of pork and ¼ pound of beef per person, assuming they like both equally.
But in this case, I might make a third of a pound of each for each person just in case one is strongly preferred over the other. This is what I would do if I wasn’t sure what people would like.
Pulled pork is a classic barbecue dish that’s loved by many Its tender, juicy meat soaked in sauce makes for amazing sandwiches, tacos, nachos, and more. But when cooking up pulled pork for a crowd, it can be tricky to figure out how much you need Specifically, how many servings or portions come from a pint of pulled pork? Let’s take a detailed look.
What is Considered a Serving of Pulled Pork?
First, we need to establish what counts as a serving of pulled pork. The most common serving style is a pulled pork sandwich. For this, 3-4 ounces (about 1/3 pound) of pulled pork is needed per sandwich.
If dishing up pulled pork in a bowl or on a plate, plan for around 4-6 ounces (1/3 to 1/2 pound) per adult serving. A pint contains 16 ounces. So you can expect a pint of pulled pork to provide approximately:
- 3-4 sandwiches
- 2-3 bowl servings
These are very rough estimates, as serving sizes can vary based on the meal. But it provides a ballpark per pint.
Factors that Affect Serving Size
Several factors impact how many servings you yield from a pint of pulled pork:
Bun/Bread Size
Sandwich-style servings of pulled pork can range based on the size of the bread or bun used. A pint may only fill 2 Kaiser rolls but 4 smaller slider buns.
Other Toppings
If adding coleslaw, pickles, cheese, etc. to pulled pork sandwiches, this displaces some of the meat, allowing the pint to stretch farther.
Appetite and Leftovers
Some folks will gladly polish off 6+ ounces of pulled pork in a sitting! Planning for smaller servings allows for possible leftovers.
Side Dishes
Hearty side dishes like baked beans and potato salad help fill up the plate, allowing the pulled pork to serve more with smaller portions.
Pork’s Cooked Weight
Accounting for moisture loss during smoking can affect expected yield compared to raw pork weight.
Consider all these factors when estimating servings per pint.
Calculating Servings from a Pork Shoulder
To most accurately determine servings,calculate based on the starting weight of your pork shoulder:
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Weigh raw pork shoulder prior to smoking.
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Smoke until internal temp reaches 200°F and meat pulls apart easily.
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Weigh pulled pork after removing bones, fat, etc.
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Divide final cooked weight by expected serving size.
If you started with an 8 lb shoulder and ended with 4 lbs pulled pork, with 4 oz servings, that’s 16 total servings.
While you likely won’t weigh throughout the process every time, this gives you an idea of true yield.
Tips for Serving Groups with Pulled Pork
When cooking pulled pork for a party or gathering, keep these tips in mind:
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Plan for 1/3 pound (5-6 oz) per person as a safe estimate.
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Cook at least 20% extra as backup. You can keep leftovers.
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Offer slider buns to stretch pork farther and allow custom sandwich building.
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Have veggie sides available for lighter eaters to fill up on.
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Prepare a sauce or seasonings on the side for customization.
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Let guests build their own nachos, tacos, stuffed potatoes etc. with toppings.
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Pair with lighter foods like slaw and baked beans to complement, not compete.
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Add roasted chicken or other meats for variety.
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Repurpose leftovers into fried rice, omelets, pizza, etc.
With some savvy planning and preparation, a pint of pulled pork can sufficiently serve 3-4 people sandwiches or 2-3 bowl servings. But consider the complete meal when menu planning and cooking for groups. Get creative stretching your pork for maximum enjoyment!
Popular Ways to Use Pulled Pork
Beyond sandwiches, here are some favorite ways to incorporate pulled pork:
Nachos
Pile pulled pork atop tortilla chips with shredded cheese, beans, salsa, guacamole, etc.
Tacos
Stuff soft tortillas with pulled pork, coleslaw, avocado, hot sauce for amazing tacos.
Baked Potatoes
Top loaded baked potatoes with pulled pork, barbecue sauce, cheese, and green onion.
Omelets or Breakfast Burritos
Add diced pulled pork to egg dishes for a protein punch in the morning.
Pizza
Use pulled pork as a topping on homemade or storebought pizza crusts.
Salads
Toss shredded pulled pork into leafy green or grain-based salads.
Burgers
Mix pulled pork with ground beef for juicy, smoky barbecue burgers.
Dips
Shred and mix into bean dips, cheese dips, and creamy spinach dips for a flavor boost.
The possibilities are endless for integrating pulled pork into other recipes!
Tips for Leftover Pulled Pork
You’re sure to have leftovers when smoking a pork shoulder. Here are some storage tips:
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Let pulled pork cool completely before refrigerating.
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Store in airtight containers to prevent drying out.
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Use within 4-5 days for best quality and food safety.
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Freeze leftovers in 1 cup portions for easy use later.
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Always reheat fully to 165°F internal temperature.
With proper storage, you can enjoy delicious pulled pork for a whole week of meals and snacks!
Satisfy Your Crowd with Pulled Pork Servings
Perfectly smoked pulled pork is a crowd-pleasing dish for any barbecue lover. While servings per pint can vary based on sandwiches, bowls, or other uses, you can expect approximately 3-4 sandwiches or 2-3 plate servings from a pint. Calculate based on 1/3 pound per person as a starting point, then adjust for your specific menu and group appetite. With some clever planning, a pint of pulled pork can sufficiently satisfy small gatherings. Just don’t be afraid to smoke up extra so your guests never leave hungry!
Event and Time of Day
You also have to think about the type of event and the time of day.
For early afternoon gatherings, guests might have lighter appetites, but for dinner events, guests may have heartier appetites.
Lastly, think about whether you want to have leftovers.
Pulled pork that has been left over can be kept in a container that won’t let air in, frozen well, and used in many recipes.
Check out this post to learn exactly how to store and freeze leftover pulled pork.
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How Much Pulled Pork Per Person?
Okay, now that we’ve talked about everything that needs to be thought about, let’s do the simple math!
It’s important to remember that the amount will depend on the event and the people who are eating it, but as a general rule, you should plan to give each person ⅓ to ¾ pounds of raw pork.
So to determine the exact amount needed, use this simple equation: Number of guests x 0. 33 (minimum) – 0. 75 (maximum) pounds of pulled pork per person = weight of pulled pork required.
For instance, if you’re having a party with 20 people, the amount of pulled pork you would need is 20 people times 0. 33 pounds = ~7 pounds (minimum estimate) 20 guests x 0. 75 pounds = 15 pounds (maximum estimate).
Based on these calculations, preparing 7 to 15 pounds of pulled pork should be enough pork.
I usually plan to serve ½ pound of raw pork (boneless) to guests and ¼ pound per serving when I’m making it for meal prep and using it in recipes.
30 Second Smoked Pork Butt Tutorial
FAQ
How many people will a pint of BBQ feed?
How many people does 1 lb of pulled pork feed?
How much pulled pork do I need for 2 people?
How many pounds of pulled pork for 12 adults?
How much pulled pork should I Cook per person?
BBQ experts, including me, recommend planning for 1/3 pound of cooked pulled pork per person if you’re serving it as the main dish. Remember, this is the weight of the cooked meat. Pork tends to lose about half its weight during cooking, so you might need to start with up to a pound of raw meat per person to end up with enough pulled pork.
How much pulled pork do you need for a dinner party?
So rather than trying to nail the exact amount of pork based on those numbers, let’s simply go with a third of a pound of pulled pork for every attendee. So say you’re serving a group of 10 people. You’ll need roughly three and a third pounds of pulled pork to ensure everyone gets a third of a pound serving.
How much pulled pork do you need for a sandwich?
That’s a shrinkage factor of 50 percent. So if there are 10 people on your guest list and you want to serve 1/3 pound of pulled pork per person, you’ll need about 6-1/2 to 7 pounds of raw pork butt. How Much Pulled Pork Per Person Do I Need For Sandwiches?
How many people can a pound of pulled pork feed?
A pound of pulled pork feed – It will feed 2 or 3 people, or just under 1/2 pound per person. For each person, you should serve around 6 or 8 oz of cooked pork shoulder. For each person, you should serve around 6 or 8 oz of cooked pork butt. What Does 3 Oz of Pulled Pork Look Like? It looks like a burger patty or 1.5 large scoops.