How much pulled pork for 50 people?

For 50 guests, order about 33.1 lb of raw bone-in pork shoulder, which serves about 16.6 lb. That is roughly 3 full trays.

How much pulled pork for 100 people?

For 100 guests, order about 66.3 lb of raw bone-in pork shoulder, which serves about 33.1 lb. That is roughly 6 full trays.

Catering portion guide

How much pulled pork per person?

In short

Plan on 1/3 lb (about 5.3 oz) of cooked pulled pork per person as a main. Bone-in shoulder yields about 50 percent, so buy roughly 2/3 lb raw per person: 50 guests needs about 17 lb cooked from about 34 lb of raw shoulder.

Buy more pulled pork than you serve

Bone-in pork shoulder gives up roughly half its raw weight to bone, fat and moisture during a low and slow cook. Buy about twice the cooked weight you plan to serve.

Planning factor: 2x. For every 1 lb you want to serve, order about 2 lb of raw bone-in pork shoulder.

How much pulled pork for 10 to 100 people

Order is what to buy as raw bone-in pork shoulder. Serves is what reaches the plate after trim and cooking.

Pulled pork quantities by guest count, showing purchase weight and served weight
Guests	Order	Serves	Trays
10	6.6 lb	3.3 lb	1 full tray
12	8 lb	4 lb	1 full tray
15	9.9 lb	5 lb	1 full tray
20	13.3 lb	6.6 lb	1 full + 1 half trays
25	16.6 lb	8.3 lb	1 full + 1 half trays
30	19.9 lb	9.9 lb	2 full trays
40	26.5 lb	13.3 lb	2 full + 1 half trays
50	33.1 lb	16.6 lb	3 full trays
60	39.8 lb	19.9 lb	3 full + 1 half trays
75	49.7 lb	24.8 lb	4 full + 1 half trays
100	66.3 lb	33.1 lb	6 full trays

These are standard food-service planning figures, not fixed constants. Real yield moves with cut, trim level, cooking method, and how long the food is held. Weigh your own results once and adjust the factor to your kitchen.

Things that change the number

For sandwiches, 4 to 5 oz of cooked pork per bun is generous and still holds together.
Boneless shoulder yields a little better, closer to 60 percent, so you can buy slightly less.
Pulled pork holds and reheats better than most barbecue, so erring high costs you little.

Common questions

How much pulled pork per person?: Plan on 1/3 lb (about 5.3 oz) of cooked pulled pork per person as a main. Bone-in shoulder yields about 50 percent, so buy roughly 2/3 lb raw per person: 50 guests needs about 17 lb cooked from about 34 lb of raw shoulder.
How much pulled pork for 50 people?: For 50 guests, order about 33.1 lb of raw bone-in pork shoulder, which serves about 16.6 lb. That is roughly 3 full trays.
How much pulled pork for 100 people?: For 100 guests, order about 66.3 lb of raw bone-in pork shoulder, which serves about 33.1 lb. That is roughly 6 full trays.

Working out a whole menu, not one dish?

The catering food calculator takes your actual dish list and guest count and returns quantities, tray counts, and a cost range for the whole event.

Open the catering food calculator