Pulled pork is a wonderful main course whether you’re hosting a party or just feeding your family. It’s easy to make, tastes delicious, and it’s versatile both freshly pulled and as leftovers. However, the last thing you want is to run out of pulled pork before everyone has enjoyed it. You need to know how much pulled pork per person to make.
As a general rule, you need ⅓ of a pound of cooked pulled pork for every adult and ¼ of a pound for every child. This is assuming that you’re making pulled pork sandwiches and putting the pork on a bun or another sandwich vessel of your choice. Top these sandwiches with some of our favorite toppings and you’ll have a hit on your hands. We included a calculator that does everything for you to make it easy to figure out how much pulled pork you need.
Pulled pork sandwiches are a crowd-pleasing staple at any barbecue, picnic, or potluck But figuring out exactly how much delicious, smoky shredded pork you need can be tricky Especially when making sandwiches, how do you properly portion the pork so there’s enough to go around without piles of leftovers?
In this article, we’ll look at ideal pulled pork sandwich portion sizes, and provide tips for calculating how much meat you need per person. Let’s dig in to learn how to build the perfect pulled pork sandwiches without the guesswork!
Factors That Affect Pulled Pork Portions
There are several things that impact how much pulled pork per sandwich you should allow:
- Bun size – Smaller buns need less meat than large buns
- Other fillings – More toppings mean less space for pork
- Appetites – Kids and seniors often want less meat
- Leftovers – It’s better to have extra pork than run out
- Time of day – People eat more at dinner than lunch
- Side dishes – Sides and salads add more filling food
Keeping these in mind will help fine-tune your pork portions. Next, let’s look at some specific portion recommendations.
Recommended Pulled Pork per Sandwich
The amount of meat needed varies slightly based on bun size, but here are general guidelines:
- Regular hamburger bun: 1/4 pound pulled pork per sandwich
- Large sandwich bun: 1/3 to 1/2 pound pork per sandwich
- Slider buns: 2 ounces or 1/8 pound pork per mini sandwich
- Kids: 1-2 ounces of pulled pork (slider bun amount)
A standard hamburger bun or piece of sandwich bread will hold around 4 ounces or 1/4 pound comfortably Large buns can hold up to 8 ounces or 1/2 pound
When stuffing pork into rolls, you want enough meat for flavor and satisfaction, but not so much it overwhelms the bun Proportioning based on bun size helps achieve sandwich harmony!
Total Pulled Pork Needed for a Group
Once you know ideal sandwich portion sizes, estimating total needed for a group is easy:
1) Estimate number of people
Get a headcount of who will be served. Allow for some extras.
2) Decide on portion size
Pick pork amount per sandwich based on factors like bun size, ages, etc.
3) Do the math!
Multiply your people count by portion size needed.
Example:
25 people x 1/4 pound per sandwich = 6.25 pounds of pulled pork
Having some extra pork is ideal for leftovers or bigger sandwich appetites. But following this formula prevents huge amounts of excess.
Buying Pork Butt for Sandwiches
When purchasing a pork shoulder for pulled pork sandwiches, remember it will shrink and lose moisture during cooking.
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A good rule of thumb is plan for about 1 pound of raw meat for each 2-3 sandwiches.
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For a 25-person group with 1/4 pound sandwiches, buying a 15-pound pork butt lets you serve freshly pulled meat and have leftovers.
Allowing extra raw meat accommodates shrinkage and provides wiggle room if appetites are hearty.
Cooking Method Impacts
How you prepare the pork shoulder also affects yield and quantity. Methods like braising and slow cooking minimize moisture loss. But smoking, grilling, and roasting reduce more weight through drier heat.
Be sure to factor in cooking method when budgeting meat amounts. And use a thermometer to ensure the internal temp reaches 195°F-205°F for shredding.
Serving Up Success
With a bit of planning, you can perfectly portion pulled pork sandwiches for any event. Just follow these steps:
- Determine headcount
- Decide on ideal meat amount per sandwich
- Multiply guests by portions to get total pork needed
- Buy adequate raw pork butt to accommodate cooking loss
Stick to reasonable 1/4-1/3 pound per sandwich amounts. And remember, it’s always better to have leftover pulled pork than dissatisfied guests! Proper planning prevents pulled pork problems.
AFTER COOKING YOU WILL HAVENumber
But if you’re going to serve pulled pork with a fork on a plate, you should make the portions a little bigger. About half a pound of pulled pork for adults and about ⅓ a pound for kids is what you should aim for. Remember, leftovers are always good!.
And finally, keep in mind that cooking a raw pork butt or pork shoulder will make you lose weight. When we talk about pork butt or pork shoulder, we talk about the best cut of pork for pulled pork and how much weight you lose when you cook pulled pork. Also, whether you pick a bone-in or boneless pork cut makes a difference too.
How Much Pulled Pork Per Person Calculator
Let our calculator do all the work for you. The calculator will tell you what size uncooked pork butt or shoulder to buy based on how many people you want to feed. The calculator is basing this on a 1/3 lbs (5. 33 ounce) serving.
Keep in mind to buy a little more than you need so no one goes hungry.
How Much Pulled Pork Do You Need To Feed A big Group
FAQ
How many sandwiches will 10 pounds of pulled pork make?
How many people will 2 pounds of pulled pork feed?
How much pork for pulled pork sandwiches?
How much does 1lb of pulled pork serve?
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?
Can one eat pork?
A cooked, medium pork cutlet or steak provides 239 calories, 34 grams protein, 10 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 697 milligrams sodium, and 0 grams carbohydrate, if you eat only the lean part of the steak. Pork contains many of the micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) found in beef and it is high in protein, but can be lower in fat than beef—depending on cut and preparation. Meat from any kind of mammal, including pork, can cause an allergic reaction (and some people who are allergic to mammalian meat also react to poultry).
How much pulled pork per person?
Estimate ½ pound of cooked pulled pork per person, then add 2 or 3 pounds to your total. That should give you plenty of meat for leftovers. If you’re serving 10 people, that translates into 12 or 13 pounds of raw pork butt. So, while we would recommend allowing for 1/3 pound of pulled pork per person, there are exceptions to every rule.
How much pulled pork should a 40 person party eat?
This total comes from 30 people times 1/3 pound each. If you’re feeding 35 people, aim for around 11.7 pounds (or 5,250 grams) of pulled pork. The math here is 35 x 1/3 pounds per person. For a party of 40, you’ll need roughly 13.3 pounds (or 6,000 grams) of pulled pork. This quantity is arrived at by multiplying 40 people by 1/3 pound.