If you need to know how much pulled pork per person to cook, I’ve got an easy solution. Learn how to calculate how much pork you need to buy for your next cookout. Charts, formulas, and a calculator for boneless and bone-in pork shoulders are below.
Hot dogs and hamburgers are always a quick and easy option for hosting afternoon cookouts. But, pulled pork is easy, delicious, and an inexpensive way to feed a crowd. Plus, you can easily stretch the meat to serve more people.
It’s not as easy to figure out the portions as it is to count hot dogs and hamburgers, but there is a pretty easy formula that takes the guesswork out of having a big party.
For a great pulled pork recipe that’s easy and hands-off, I recommend an oven-roasted pork shoulder!
Pulled pork is a versatile crowd-pleaser for backyard barbecues and potlucks But hosts often wonder how much meat an 8 lb bone-in pork butt will yield after smoking and pulling This important calculation helps ensure you cook enough pork for your guests.
Factors That Affect Yield
Several factors influence how much ready-to-eat pulled pork results from an 8 lb raw Boston butt or pork shoulder
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Bone weight – The bone accounts for about 20-25% of the raw weight. So on an 8 lb butt, the bone is around 1.5-2 lbs.
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Trimming – Trimming excess fat before cooking reduces usable meat. Leave a 1⁄4 inch fat cap for best results.
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Cooking method – Smoking, braising, roasting impact moisture loss and yield. Low and slow smoking tends to dry meat more.
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Doneness temperature – Cooked to 205°F results in moist, shreddable meat and higher yield compared to 185°F.
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Resting – Letting cooked meat rest wrapped retains moisture versus shredding immediately.
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Pulling method – Hand pulling is gentler than machined shredding which can tear meat.
Average Yield Ranges
Taking these factors into account, a whole 8 lb bone-in pork butt usually yields an average of 4-5 lbs of pulled meat after cooking, resting, and pulling. Here are some typical yield ranges:
- Minimum yield: 3.5 lbs
- Average yield: 4-5 lbs
- Maximum yield: 6 lbs
So you can reasonably expect around 50% usable meat from an 8 lb raw butt. But yields vary based on butcher trimming, cooking losses, and pulling technique. It’s smart to estimate on the low end to ensure plenty of pork.
Serving Size Matters
To determine how many people an 8 lb pork butt will serve, you need to decide on serving sizes. A common serving size for pulled pork sandwiches is 4-6 oz per person. An 8 lb butt that yields 5 lbs of pulled pork provides roughly 80 quarter pound servings. For 6 oz servings, you’ll get about 50 servings from 5 lbs.
Here are some serving estimates based on average yields:
- 4 oz portions: 65-80 servings
- 5 oz portions: 50-65 servings
- 6 oz portions: 40-50 servings
The type of meal also impacts portions. As a sandwich, 4-6 oz is typical. For a plated dinner, 8-12 oz portions are often served.
Leftovers Are Useful
Don’t forget to account for leftovers in your pork butt calculations. Pulled pork keeps well refrigerated for 5-7 days and frozen for 2-3 months. Leftovers make quick sandwiches, tacos, omelets, pizza toppings, or casseroles. It’s usually better to have a little extra than run short on such a time-intensive smoked meat.
Sample Calculation
Let’s look at a sample calculation for an 8 lb pork butt:
- Raw bone-in weight: 8 lbs
- Estimate bone weight: 1.5 lbs
- Usable meat before cooking: 8 lbs – 1.5 lbs bone = 6.5 lbs
- Assume 50% yield after cooking loss: 6.5 lbs x 50% = 3.25 lbs
- For 4 oz portions: 3.25 lbs / 0.25 lbs (4 oz) = 13 servings
In this case with a 50% yield, an 8 lb pork butt would provide approximately 13 servings of 4 oz each. Remember results vary based on many factors.
Ordering Tips
When ordering pork for pulled pork meals, use 1.25-1.5 lbs of raw bone-in weight per average eater as a general rule of thumb. An 8 lb pork butt should comfortably serve 6-8 average eaters allowing for leftovers. Always round up to the next common pork butt size to ensure plenty.
An 8 lb bone-in pork butt yields about 4-5 lbs of pulled pork after cooking, resting and pulling. Estimate serving sizes and portions to determine how many people this will feed. Leftovers can be repurposed into many delicious dishes. With some simple calculations, you can ensure your next pork butt cook provides perfect portions for any event.
How Much Pulled Pork Per Person
As a general rule, each person should get about 1/3 pound of cooked pulled pork (or Boston butt). It’s what most BBQ experts say to do, and it will make sure you never run out of food.
The meat will lose about 40 to 50 percent of its weight in water and fat as it cooks. This applies to all cooking methods, including smoking, grilling, roasting the meat, and even in a slow cooker.
Of course, weights differ from boneless and bone-in pork shoulders.
For boneless cuts of pork shoulder, estimate 1/3 pound of cooked pulled pork per guest. Remember, the cooked pork will only weigh about half as much as the raw pork after cooking.
Here’s the basic formula:
[ Guests x 1/3 ] x 2 = Pounds of Raw Pork Needed
Example: Let’s say you’re roasting a pork shoulder for 24 people. When you divide the number of guests into thirds, you are left with 8. That is the amount of pork you will want to serve to your guests. It tells you how much raw pork you need to buy when you multiply that number by 2.
There is 8 pounds of meat to serve, which is 16 pounds of raw pork that needs to be made.
[ 24 x 1/3 ] x 2 = 16 pounds of raw pork needed
Using this formula, you should purchase 16 pounds of raw boneless pork shoulder to feed 24 guests.
The bone-in cuts need a small change to the formula because of the weight of the bone and the extra fat that comes with them.
Instead of 1/3 of a pound of cooked meat, estimate one-half pound of meat per person. The math is much easier for this version. To account for shrinking, the weight of the bone, and the extra fat, just buy one pound of raw pork shoulder per person.
Using the same example above, here is the formula in action:
[ Guests x 1/2 ] x 2 = Pounds of Raw Pork Needed
You might be able to serve less meat depending on the event, the menu, and the people who are coming.
What else is on the menu? Will the pulled pork be the main dish? Are there any side dishes?
If you are hosting a potluck, you will likely have enough food to fill out your menu. So, there won’t be any need to stress over the meat’s portion sizes. However, if you’re keeping it simple with only another side or two, consider increasing the portion size.
Using the one-third of a pound per person rule, you may have a lot of leftovers if there are a lot of kids on the guest list.
In this case, you could scale the portions back to 1/4 pound per child. But, that complicates the calculations a little too much for me. I’d much rather have too much food leftover than not enough pork.
If, on the other hand, most of your guests are big eaters, you could easily make the portions bigger.
Think about how you are serving the pulled pork. Pork sandwiches will make your guests full faster, so they won’t want to come back for more.
Hamburger buns hold about 5 ounces (one serving) of meat. But, pork sliders are great for smaller portions, holding about 2. 5 ounces per bun. Plus, they can play a little trick on the stomach and the eyes, helping guests feel fuller faster.
Usually, people eat more at a formal, sit-down even than at a more casual event.
If there is a set time for “dinner,” your guests are more likely to eat than if the food is available all night. When people are mingling and socializing, the focus is less on food.
This chart will quickly show you how much meat you need to serve 1/3 pound and 1/2 pound of cooked pulled pork. Consider this your BBQ per person calculator!.
| Pounds of Pork Butt (Raw Weight) | Number of Servings (1/3 pound serving) | Number of Servings (1/2 pound serving) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 12 | 8 |
| 16 | 24 | 16 |
| 24 | 36 | 24 |
| 32 | 48 | 32 |
How to Store Leftover Pulled Pork
For any leftover pork, place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for about 3 days.
Don’t forget to add the juices to the leftovers to keep the meat as moist as possible.
Pulled Pork (Pork Butt) Yield Explained. How Much Pulled Pork Out Of A Pork Butt.
FAQ
How many people will 8 lbs of pulled pork feed?
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Pounds of Pork Butt (Raw Weight)
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Number of Servings (1/3 pound serving)
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Number of Servings (1/2 pound serving)
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8
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12
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8
|
|
16
|
24
|
16
|
|
24
|
36
|
24
|
|
32
|
48
|
32
|
How many sandwiches will 10 pounds of pulled pork make?
How many people does a 7lb pork shoulder feed?
How much will 15 lbs of pulled pork feed?
How much weight can a pork butt lose?
For a pork butt, you can expect to lose somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 to 50 percent of the starting weight. The bone-in pork butt will be towards the higher end of that scale. A picnic shoulder, especially if you aren’t serving the skin, is right around the 50% mark. So when you’re shopping, target 50% weight loss to be safe.
What is the yield of pork butt?
Many people report about 50% yield for pork butt, but some report as high as 70% yield. Yield goes down the more you trim the meat and the longer you cook it. Every piece of meat is different, so your results may vary. Always cook more than the estimated amount to account for big eaters and leftovers.
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 do you calculate bone-in pork shoulder & pork butt?
A simple formula would be (amount of guests x 1/3) x 2 = raw boneless pork shoulder. When you calculate bone-in pork shoulder or pork butt, you should plan for 1/2 pound per person of bone-in pork. A simple formula would be (amount of guests x 1/2) x 2 = raw bone-in pork shoulder/pork butt