Pork Loin for 10 to 100 guests
Standard scenario: adults, average appetites, two or three sides on the table. The "at the counter" column rounds up to pieces you can actually buy.
| Guests | Cooked meat | Raw to buy | At the counter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 3.5 lb | 4–4.5 lb | one ~5-lb center-cut loin roast (≈5 lb) |
| 20 | 6.5 lb | 8.5–9.5 lb | one ~9.5-lb center-cut loin roast (≈9.5 lb) |
| 25 | 8.5 lb | 10.5–12 lb | two ~6-lb center-cut loin roasts (≈12 lb) |
| 50 | 16.5 lb | 21–24 lb | three ~8-lb center-cut loin roasts (≈24 lb) |
| 100 | 33 lb | 41–47 lb | five ~9.5-lb center-cut loin roasts (≈48 lb) |
The yield: raw pound ≠ served pound
Loin is lean and pre-trimmed, so there’s little to lose but moisture: 70–80% of raw weight serves if you pull it at 145°F. Overshoot the temperature and the yield — and the eating — drop fast.
Buying pork loin: what to look for
A whole boneless loin runs 8–10 lb and is one of the cheapest cuts per serving in the store; groceries sell center-cut halves at 3–5 lb. Do not confuse it with pork tenderloin — the skinny 1-lb cut — which cooks in a fraction of the time. A loin with a fat cap left on self-bastes.
Frequently asked questions
How much pork loin per person?
⅓ lb of cooked pork loin per adult when two or three sides share the table, ½ lb for hearty appetites or a meat-centered meal; kids about half. Since pork loin keeps only 70–80% of its raw weight, that's roughly 0.41–0.47 lb raw per adult.
How much pork loin for 20 people?
About 8.5–9.5 lb raw for 20 adults with a normal spread of sides — at the counter, one ~9.5-lb center-cut loin roast (≈9.5 lb). Scale with the chart above or the calculator for your exact crowd.
Why buy so much more raw pork loin than you serve?
Loin is lean and pre-trimmed, so there’s little to lose but moisture: 70–80% of raw weight serves if you pull it at 145°F. Overshoot the temperature and the yield — and the eating — drop fast.
What internal temperature is pork loin safe at?
USDA: pork is safe at 145°F with a 3-minute rest — a little blush of pink at the center is correct, not undercooked. Doneness details and hour-per-pound charts are on the pork loin cook-time page.
Pork loin or pork tenderloin?
Different cuts entirely. The loin is the big 8–10 lb roast this page covers; the tenderloin is a slim 1-lb muscle that cooks in about an hour. Recipes and cook times are not interchangeable.