Are you planning dinner or an event and wondering how many pounds of pork loin to serve per person? You need to allow eight ounces, .5 lbs, or 225 grams of uncooked pork per person. Cooking for many people can be overwhelming, so you need to plan and calculate how much to buy.
Your plan depends on many factors, which we will discuss, but two important ones are the type of meat to serve and whether it will be the main ingredient.
Table of contents
How Many Pounds of Pork Per Person?
You must allow eight ounces, .5 lbs, or 225 grams of uncooked pork per person. It doesn’t matter if you’re smoking a pork loin, grilling pork tenderloin, or stuffing a pork loin; the golden rule is to allocate eight ounces or a half-pound of pork loin for every guest.
Serving 8 ounces of meat is generous. And it takes into account the shrinkage of meat during the cooking process.
The amount of meat you serve per person is affected by many factors, such as;
- The side dishes, desserts, or other types of proteins you plan to cook.
- Also, the age demographics of people attending your event.
- If you plan to serve pork loin alongside other types of meat, you can serve six ounces per person.
I will go into each factor in more detail below,
Planning The Menu
Planning your menu before everything else matters a lot. Look at what you will be serving along with the pork loin.
Plan the side dishes you will serve your guests and the cooking time for each. For example, you can serve pasta, potatoes, roasted vegetables, or sautéed greens.
Consider What Role The Meat Will Play
With your menu now planned, you need to decide whether the meat is the main feature of the meal. Will you serve it with salad or a giant dish like curry or ragout? Or are you making pulled pork out of the pork loin? Doing this will help the meat go further.
This decision can help you decide how much meat to buy and prepare. If pork loin is part of a broader dish, like pasta or curry, allow 1/4 to 1/3 pound or four to six ounces per guest.
The Cooking Process
Knowing the yield of the meat you will be serving your guest after cooking is something you need to consider. You see pork tenderloin, beef, or burgers shrink during cooking because raw meat has 65% water.
If you buy half a pound or eight ounces per person, you will serve maybe 6 ounces. That’s why restaurants like McDonald’s have an asterisk for the 1/4-pound burgers. Due to fat and moisture loss, the weight of the meat can shrink by up to 31%.
Before purchasing meat, you must consider the amount of pork loin you want to serve per person. Cooked meat yields 6 ounces, which is a generous serving.
Note: if you make your pork ahead of time it may go dry, see my tips for how to moisten dry pork loin. It will ensure you have juicy and tender meat.
Guest List
Before buying your meat, consider the average portion sizes you need for your guests. For adults, half a pound or 8 ounces of raw meat per person is a good portion size.
If your guest list includes kids, cut back on the portions and bump them up for the teenagers. You can, for example, buy a quarter-pound or a third-pound per child.
If you serve your guests with several side dishes, use 12 ounces or 3/4 pound per person. Also, the plan is to have an extra pound of pork per person for the big eaters like teenagers and athletes.
And consider the possibility of your guests inviting other friends. The rule of thumb is to have extra portions for other people.
Time Of The Day You Will Host Your Guests
Cut back or portion less if you are serving pork loin for lunch. Unlike dinner, people eat less during the day.
Type Of Event
If you serve pork loin over dinner and it’s delicious, ramp up the portions of meat per person. People attending dinner consume more because the focus is on the food.
Bone-in or Boneless?
A pork loin roast is a piece of meat sold bone-in or boneless. A boneless piece of pork loin is the same as a center cut. Boneless pork loin comes trimmed and is the best choice for most recipes.
A bone-in piece of pork is the same as a center-cut rib roast. Bone-in pork roast makes a good presentation at the dinner table.
Trimmed or Tied Roast?
You may be busy with work to trim or tie your roast. Ask the butcher to help you with trimming and tying the pork loin.
Butchers do a great job and are fast. Trimming excessive fat and tying keeps the meat moist. It ensures your cooked pork is a delicious meal, stays juicy, and prevents overcooking.
The Perks of Serving Pork Loin
The good news is that pork loin is cheaper than pork chops or tenderloin. Plus, pork loin is a lean cut of meat and is full of flavor. You can buy bone-in or boneless pork loin. But it’s mostly served boneless.
Plus, pork loin is a lean cut of meat and is full of flavor. You can buy bone-in or boneless pork loin. But it’s mostly served boneless.
Serving Example: how much pork loin for 8 people do you need
You need 4lbs of raw pork loin if you cook for 8 people. You must allow eight ounces, .5 lbs, or 225 grams of uncooked pork per person. So if you use that calculation, it comes to 4lbs
Serving Example: how much pork loin for 9 people do you need
You need 4.5 lbs of raw pork loin if you cook for 9 people. You must allow eight ounces, .5 lbs, or 225 grams of uncooked pork per person. So if you use that calculation, it comes to 4lbs
Serving Example: When Serving a 12 Pound of Pork Loin at 3/4 of A Pound Per Person, How Many Servings Do You Get?
If you’re cooking a 12-pound pork loin and planning on 3/4 of a pound, you can expect to get 11-12 servings. You need to allow for meat shrinkage.
Serving Example: How many pounds of pork loin to feed 100?
You must allow eight ounces, .5 lbs, or 225 grams of uncooked pork per person
100 people x .5lbs = 50 pounds of raw pork
Serving Example: When Serving a 4 Pound of Pork Loin at 1/2 of A Pound Per Person How Many Servings Do You Get?
If you’re cooking a 4-pound pork loin and planning on 1/2 of a pound, you can expect to get 6-7 servings. You need to allow for meat shrinkage.
Smoke On!
Charlie
Hi, I’m Charlie, I have been meat-smoking and grilling for the past 15 years. I have an array of different smokers, thermometers, and have a love for finding the right wood and charcoal combo My favourite recipes are my EXTRA CRISPY smoked pork belly, juicy pulled pork, smoked brisket, duck poppers, and ANY SEAFOOD I grill).
I loves sharing his tips with beginners, helping them navigate the world of smoking. I find it’s not just about cooking; it’s a quest for that perfect smoky flavor.
You will usually find me playing with the kids, perfecting my brisket bark, or sipping beers with boys around the fire. Can’t wait to share all my delicious smoking and grilling recipes with you!
You can read more about me on our About Us page.
Hungry For More?
thanks it was so much easier to figure out how much pork I needed for our family lunch with this
Super helpful for the 60th bday I threw on the weekend, I had the right amount of meat