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Make these tasty BBQ pulled pork sliders for the best game day food! They’ll be a hit at your Super Bowl party!
If you want to make savory pull-apart sliders for your Super Bowl party this year, try these BBQ pulled pork sliders. They are easy to make and will please everyone who comes to your party.
These sliders are seriously delicious. It’s hard to say no to sliders on Hawaiian rolls, but when you add our slow cooker pulled pork, caramelized onions, creamy garlic aioli, and gooey cheddar cheese, you can’t stop eating them! With a little planning ahead of time, you can make a big batch of these tasty sliders for everyone to enjoy before the big game.
Pulled pork sliders are a classic party food. The tender, saucy pork is piled high on soft rolls for a handheld treat. But figuring out how much pork you need can be tricky. In this guide, we’ll break down exactly how many sliders you can expect per pound of cooked pulled pork.
Factors That Affect Pork-to-Slider Ratios
Several factors impact your pork-to-slider ratio
- Slider size – Mini, standard, or large
- Pork portion size – 1 oz, 2 oz, etc per slider
- Bun weight – Buns add extra ounces
- Guest portions – Appetizer or entree size
We’ll look at how each affects the slider count
Common Slider Sizes
Sliders come in a range of sizes
- Mini sliders – 1-2 bites, around 1 oz pork
- Standard sliders – 2-3 bites, around 2 oz pork
- Large sliders – 4+ bites, around 3 oz pork
Mini sliders work well as passed appetizers. Standard size is good for plated apps or lighter meals. Large sliders can be more of a meal.
Pulled Pork Portions Per Slider
Typical pulled pork amounts:
- Mini slider – 1 oz
- Standard slider – 2 oz
- Large slider – 3 oz
You can tweak portions depending on your menu. But don’t skimp on the pork!
Bun Weight Adds Up
When calculating portions, factor in the bun weight too. Standard buns weigh:
- Mini buns – 0.5-1 oz each
- Regular buns – 1.5-2 oz each
- Large buns – 2-3 oz each
Heavier buns like brioche or Pretzel buns will be on the higher end. Hawaiian rolls are on the lighter side.
Appetizer vs Entree Sizing
Appetizer portions are smaller since sliders are shared items. For entrees, plan for more sliders per person.
Appetizer Portions
For apps, expect 2-4 sliders per guest:
- Mini sliders – around 4 per person
- Standard sliders – around 3 per person
- Large sliders – around 2 per person
Entree Portions
For slider meals, guests may have 4-6 each:
- Mini sliders – around 6 per person
- Standard sliders – around 5 per person
- Large sliders – around 4 per person
Now let’s see how many sliders a pound of pork actually makes.
Slider Counts Per Pound of Pulled Pork
Here’s how many sliders you can expect per pound of cooked, shredded pork:
Mini Sliders Per Pound
With ~1 oz pork per mini slider, 1 lb of pork makes ~16 mini sliders.
Calculate about 1 oz pork + 0.5 oz bun per slider.
That’s enough for:
- 4 appetizer portions
- 2-3 entree portions
Standard Sliders Per Pound
With ~2 oz pork per standard slider, 1 lb of pork makes ~8 standard sliders.
Figure around 2 oz pork + 1.5 oz bun per slider.
That covers:
- 2-3 appetizer portions
- 1-2 entree portions
Large Sliders Per Pound
With ~3 oz pork per large slider, 1 lb of pork makes ~5 large sliders.
Calculate around 3 oz pork + 2 oz bun per slider.
That’s enough for:
- 2-3 appetizer portions
- 1 entree portion
Tips for Pulled Pork Slider Success
Here are some useful tips for fantastic pork sliders every time:
- Smoke pork butts or shoulders for tender, juicy pork
- Chill pulled pork before shaping patties for easy handling
- Choose soft dinner rolls, Hawaiian rolls, or brioche for best buns
- Brush buns with butter or oil and toast lightly
- Top with coleslaw, pickles, cheese, and your favorite bbq sauce
- Make extra uncooked patties to freeze for quick meals
- Refrigerate or freeze leftover cooked pork for tacos, nachos, etc
Sample Slider Party Math
Let’s say you’re hosting a slider app party for 25 guests. You decide to make standard size sliders.
Since guests will likely have 2-3 each, you’ll need ~75 sliders total.
At ~8 sliders per pound of pork, you’ll need around 10 lbs of raw pork to yield enough pulled pork for all your guests.
Adjust the math as needed for your crowd!
The Takeaway
Figuring out pork needs for sliders is simple once you know the ratios.
- Mini sliders = ~16 per lb
- Standard sliders = ~8 per lb
- Large sliders = ~5 per lb
Factor in your bun, portions, and guests to prep the right pork amount for perfect sliders every time!
How To Make BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders On Hawaiian Rolls
These game day barbecue sliders are easy to make. All you need are a few simple ingredients and ready-to-go pulled pork. Here’s how:
- If you’re making fresh caramelized onions, start there. Brown the onions in a big pan over low heat until they’re a deep brown color. If you’re not sure how to do this, read our guide here!
- Next, heat the oven to 350 degrees F and get the slider rolls ready. Cut the Hawaiian rolls in half across the middle, but leave the two halves together. Separate the top half from the bottom half. Place both halves on a large baking sheet, cut sides facing up.
- Next, make an even layer of cheese slices on top of the top half of the rolls. About 4 regular slices should be enough to cover 12 Hawaiian rolls.
- After that, bake the rolls for about 5 minutes, or until they’re lightly toasted and the cheese melts.
- Add the pulled pork and onions to the pan while the rolls are in the oven. For about 5 minutes, cook over medium-low heat until the pork is warm all the way through and has a light crisp. Then, remove from heat and stir in the barbecue sauce.
- Put a little garlic aioli on the bottom half of the toasted rolls to finish. Put the pulled pork and onion mix on top of the sliders. Close them up and serve them hot.
If you have caramelized onions from the fridge that are already made, heat them up in a frying pan over medium-low heat until they’re warm and smell sweet. You can easily make these sliders for the big game in about 15 minutes if you prepare the onions ahead of time. It will only take a few minutes.
Game Day BBQ Pulled Pork Sliders: FAQs
When making your menu for the big game, you may be wondering how many sliders you need to make or what size pork shoulder to buy. Here are our answers to some commonly asked questions to help you plan ahead.
Should I make a certain number of sliders? That depends on how many other snacks you want to serve with them. If the sliders are going to be a meal, each person should get three to five of them, along with small sides like french fries or tater tots. Because there will be other snacks for the game, you can guess that each person will eat about two sliders.
A pound of pulled pork makes how many sliders? This recipe calls for 24 sliders from a pound of pulled pork.
How do I know what size pork shoulder to buy? The amount of pulled pork you get from a pork shoulder depends on the cut of pork you choose and whether it’s on the bone or not. We typically buy a 5 pound boneless pork shoulder and get about 3. 5 to 4 pounds of pulled pork out of it.
Quick math: To make enough sliders for 20 people, who will each eat about 2 sliders, you’ll need 48 slider rolls and 2 pounds of pulled pork, which comes to a $3 5 to 4 pound boneless pork shoulder should do.
How to Smoke Pulled Pork Overnight in a Pellet Grill
FAQ
How many sandwiches does 1 pound of pulled pork make?
How much pork for 60 sliders?
How much pork for 20 pulled pork sandwiches?
How many pounds of pulled pork do I need to feed 40 people?
How much pulled pork do I need for a slider?
For Medium Pulled Pork Sliders: For your standard run-of-the-mile-sized slider you want to pack it with at least 0.15-0.2 pounds of pulled pork. For this size slider, you would expect guests to have 2 each, depending on how many other sides and foods are available.
How many pork sliders per person?
Be prepared, because guests will usually have 2-3 of these sliders each, depending on what else is on the menu! Be sure to prep 0.66 pounds of raw pork to make 0.33 pounds of pulled pork, enough for 3 sliders per person. For Medium Pulled Pork Sliders:
How much cooked pulled pork per person?
If pulled pork is the main course, and you’re only serving 1-3 sides, then you want to have half a pound of COOKED pulled pork per person. To be on the safe side, allowing for second-serves and leftovers, you’ll want to go with 1 pound of raw pork per person to end up with at least half a pound of cooked pulled pork.
What is the best pork for pulled pork sliders?
What’s the best pork for pulled pork sliders? Whether you’re slow cooking, pressure cooking, braising, or smoking pork for pulled pork sliders, the best cuts of pork happen to be the least expensive. That’s right, pork butt or pork shoulder can often be found for $1.00 per pound or less, which makes great super bowl food and picnic food.