How many sliders for 50 people?
For 50 people at 2½ sliders each plus 10% extra, make about 138 sliders — 17.3 lb of cooked pulled pork at 2 oz each, which means buying about 33.2 lb of raw bone-in pork shoulder, and 12 packs of 12 slider buns.
How to work it out
- 50 adults × 2.5 sliders × 1.1 (appetite & extra) = 138 pieces
- 138 pieces × 0.13 lb cooked meat = 17.3 lb ÷ 0.52 cooked yield = 33.2 lb raw · 138 buns ÷ 12 per pack = 12 packs
Sliders are the party version of a sandwich: easy to pick up, easy to make in pans, and easy to eat too many of. Two or three each makes a meal for most adults.
Adjust for your project
More options: Kids · Pack · Extra
- Count
- 138 pieces · sliders
- Meat filling (cooked weight)
- 17.3 lb · pulled pork
- Raw meat to buy
- 33.2 lb · pulled pork
- Buns, rolls or bread pairs
- 138 buns
- Packs of buns
- 12 packs
- Per adult (incl. extra)
- 2.8 sliders
- The meat figure is cooked weight. Pulled pork is bought raw: at the USDA Food Buying Guide’s yield of 0.52 lb cooked per raw lb, that is the raw weight shown. The meat per person calculator has more cuts.
- Sliders count as a smaller sandwich: two or three make a meal for most adults.
- Perishable food should not sit out more than 2 hours (1 hour above 90 °F / 32 °C). Keep hot food at 140 °F (60 °C) or above and cold food at 40 °F (4 °C) or below (USDA FSIS).
Sandwiches by number of guests (kind as above)
| Guests | Count | Meat filling (cooked weight) | Buns, rolls or bread pairs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 33 pieces | 4.1 lb | 33 buns |
| 20 | 55 pieces | 6.9 lb | 55 buns |
| 30 | 83 pieces | 10.4 lb | 83 buns |
| 50 | 138 pieces | 17.3 lb | 138 buns |
| 75 | 207 pieces | 25.9 lb | 207 buns |
| 100 | 275 pieces | 34.4 lb | 275 buns |
Meat and buns for 138 sliders
Iowa State Extension plans 1½ to 2 oz of meat per slider. At 2 oz, 138 sliders need about 17¼ lb of cooked filling — pulled pork, shredded chicken, ham or burger patties. This page uses pulled pork, so the calculator converts it: 17¼ lb cooked is about 33 lb of raw bone-in shoulder at the USDA Food Buying Guide yield of 0.52. Pulled pork from a bone-in shoulder needs nearly twice its cooked weight in raw meat, which is worked through in how many people does a pound of pulled pork feed.
| Sliders each | Sliders for 50 (incl. 10% extra) | Meat at 2 oz | Packs of 12 buns |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 110 | about 13¾ lb | 10 |
| 2½ | 138 | about 17¼ lb | 12 |
| 3 | 165 | about 20⅝ lb | 14 |
Baking sliders in batches
- Pan method: keep a sheet of slider rolls joined, slice the whole sheet in half, fill, put the top back and bake. One half-size pan takes a 12-roll sheet.
- Twelve pans, two ovens. For 138 sliders, bake in rounds and keep finished pans covered in a low oven at 140 °F or above.
- Burger sliders need to reach 160 °F inside; pulled pork and ham sliders are reheated to 165 °F.
Full-size sandwiches for the same crowd: how many sandwiches for 50 people. A cold sub instead: how many people does a 6 ft sub feed.
Different size? Use the full Sandwich & Slider Calculator.
What you’ll need
- Disposable aluminum pans (half size)Budget price
For cooking, carrying and serving sides and pulled meat for a crowd. Lids make them easy to stack in a car or cooler.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab) - Instant-read meat thermometerBudget price
The only reliable way to know a turkey, ham or brisket is done. Check the thickest part, away from bone, and check it is calibrated before the big day.
See options on Amazon (opens in a new tab)
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links to products are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra and help keep these calculators free.
Frequently asked questions
How many sliders for 100 people?
About 275 sliders — 34.4 lb of meat and 23 packs of 12 buns.
How many sliders for 20 people?
About 55 sliders with 6.9 lb of meat.
How many sliders for 50 people as an appetizer?
About 110 sliders — two each with 10% extra.
Other common sizes
- How many sandwiches for 50 people — 83 sandwiches (15.6 lb deli meat)
- How many people does a 6 ft sub feed — about 13 people as the meal, 24 with sides
Sources
- Iowa State University Extension (AnswerLine) — Graduation party tips (opens in a new tab) — Per person: sandwich meat 3–4 oz, sliders 1.5–2 oz, burgers 4–6 oz, sides 4–6 oz; 1 to 1.5 lb of food per guest; soda 2 cans and water 2 bottles per hour; punch 6 oz.
- USDA FNS — Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs, Section 1 (Meats/Meat Alternates) yield table (opens in a new tab) — Cooked lean meat per lb as purchased: Boston butt bone-in 0.52, boneless 0.60; brisket ¼ in trim 0.46, practically free of fat 0.69; ground beef ≤20% fat 0.74; spareribs 0.39; chicken thighs 0.52, drumsticks 0.49, breast halves 0.66, whole chicken 0.44; turkey breast 0.64; boneless fully cooked ham 0.90; chuck roast boneless 0.63; frankfurters 8 or 10 per lb.