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This Cafe Rio Sweet Pork recipe tastes JUST like the original. It has been a fan-favorite on our site since 2007. When you make it you will see why!
Fun Fact: The first Cafe Rio opened in St. George, Utah in 1997 and I was there the first week it opened. It was an INSTANT hit because of the delicious food and had lines out the door every day for years. The first day I went, remember asking them what the best thing on the menu was and they said “the sweet pork, by far”. So I got the sweet pork burrito with black beans and the green enchilada sauce (yes, I still remember my first order like it was yesterday) and I was hooked. I had never tasted anything like it in my life and I didn’t venture away from that exact order for at least 10 years. When I moved away from Utah and didn’t have a Cafe Rio nearby I knew I needed to create a copycat so I could survive. So I did.
I got the recipe by simply going to Cafe Rio and asking them what was in the sweet pork. The workers told me all the ingredients and I went home and figured out the amounts to get it just right. It didn’t take long before I had it down and shared it here on Favorite Family Recipes. I originally shared this recipe back in 2007, and it has been the most popular Cafe Rio copycat recipe on the internet since, and for good reason. It tastes just like the original! The pork is tender and juicy, with the perfect amount of sweetness. You are going to love it!
How to Make Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
- First, marinate the pork in a marinade made from Coke and brown sugar. It will need to marinate for at least 4 hours, but it’s best overnight.
- Next, drain off the marinade and add the put pork, some more Coke, water, and garlic salt in a slow cooker on high for about 3-4 hours or on low for 8 hours. The meat should shred easily but not be dry.
- Remove the pork and shred it using 2 forks. Discard the remaining liquids.
- In a food processor or blender, blend ½ a can of Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce, and 1 cup brown sugar. If the mixture looks too thick, add more Coke little by little. Taste the sauce to check the sweetness, adding more brown sugar if necessary. Put shredded pork and sauce in a slow cooker and cook on low for 2 hours. If you are in a hurry you can put it all in a deep walled skillet and cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens.
The Secret to Tender Pork? Low and Slow
My favorite way to make this pork is cooking it in the Crock Pot. I can just throw it all in the pot and forget about it. The pork cooks all day in the slow cooker which makes the meat tender and easy to shred. It also makes the house smell SO good! I always make a big batch of this sweet pork so I can use it in multiple recipes throughout the week, I also find myself snacking on it straight out of the fridge. It’s that good!
Try it In the Instant Pot
Short on time? Prepare the sweet pork in the Instant Pot.
- Place the pork, ½ can of Coke, water, and garlic salt in the Instant Pot.
- Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes for a pork roast, 40 minutes for pork ribs or pork chops. Natural release for 20 minutes. The pork should shred easily after cooking. If still tough, cook on high pressure for another 10-20 minutes.
- Discard liquid and shred pork.
- Combine the remaining ½ can of coke, chiles, enchilada sauce and brown sugar.
- Return pork and add the liquid mixture to the Instant Pot.
- Cook on the sauté setting and stir frequently until the sauce is thickened.
What Kind of Pork Is Best?
For this sweet pork recipe, it’s best to use boneless pork ribs, pork shoulder, pork roast, or pork butt. These cuts are well-marbled and tender, which makes them great for slow cooking and getting perfectly shreddable pork.
Ways to Use Sweet Pork
Sweet pork is my favorite meat at Cafe Rio. I love it! When prepared correctly, it practically melts in your mouth. With this recipe, you can now have the amazing taste of Cafe Rio Pork at home – all you need is a few simple ingredients and a crock pot. Once it’s shredded and ready to go, use it as a topping or filling in any of the following ways:
- Sweet Pork Salad
- Burritos
- Enchiladas
- Tacos
- Tostadas
- Quesadillas
More Copycat Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Recipes
Use this cafe rio pork recipe to re-create any of these cravable Cafe Rio menu items:
Reader Reviews
We have received many rave reviews on this sweet pork recipe. This pork is the real deal! We are thrilled that so many of you have enjoyed this recipe as much as we have.
“So I moved to Texas a little over a year ago and to my despair there isn’t a Cafe Rio for 500 miles. I love the pork Barbacoa burrito and have not been able to recreate it or find some thing close to it here in Texas until this recipe thank you for posting this. Every time I eat it, it’s like a warm homey feeling comes over me.” – Kamie
“I had my doubts because the ingredients seem so random, but we love this recipe and have done it with and without marinade several times. A++ both ways.” – Jessica
“THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY SPOT. ON. tastes amazing leftover too!!!!!” – Jared
“We love, love, love this recipe! We have made it for several years now and it surely is a treat! I love your blog and haven’t ever been disappointed! I make LOTS when I make it and freeze it…tastes just as good when thawed! Also the dressings freeze well too! Thanks for your time and talent!”– Misti
Read More: 33+ Easy Dinner Ideas
More Cafe Rio Recipes
A few more Cafe Rio / Costa Vida Recipes
- Salsa Fresca (Pico de Gallo)
- Homemade Flour Tortillas
- Homemade Tortilla Strips
- The BEST Guacamole EVER
- Cilantro-Lime Rice and Black Beans
Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork (boneless ribs or pork roast will work great)
- 3 (12-ounce) cans Coca-Cola (not diet)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- dash garlic salt
- ¼ cup water
- 1 can diced green chilies
- 1 (10-ounce) red enchilada sauce
- 1 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Put the pork in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag to marinate. Add about a can and a half of Coke and ¼ cup of brown sugar. Marinate for 4 hours or overnight.
- Drain the marinade and put pork, ½ can of Coke, water, and garlic salt in a slow cooker on high for about 3-4 hours or on low for 8 hours. (You want the meat to shred easily, but not be too dry.)
- Remove pork from the slow cooker and discard any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.
- In a food processor or blender, blend ½ a can of Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce, and 1 cup brown sugar. If the mixture looks too thick, add more Coke little by little. Put shredded pork and sauce in a slow cooker and cook on low for 2 hours.
Video
Notes
- Place the pork, ½ can of Coke, water, and garlic salt in the Instant Pot.
- Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes for a pork roast, 40 minutes for pork ribs or pork chops. Natural release for 20 minutes. The pork should shred easily after cooking. If still tough, cook on high pressure for another 10-20 minutes.
- Discard liquid and shred pork.
- Combine the remaining ½ can of coke, chiles, enchilada sauce and brown sugar.
- Return pork and add the liquid mixture to the Instant Pot.
- Cook on the sauté setting and stir frequently until the sauce is thickened.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
- Leftovers can also be frozen in freezer Ziplock bags for up to 5 months.
I used dr paper instead of coke and put too much of it, now the meat is really watery.
What should I do?
Ca you clarify where you are in the recipe process? If it’s the marinade, no biggie. If it’s after everything has cooked, you can drain some of it off completely or drain it into a saucepan and simmer until it has reduced and thickened and then add it back over the pork. Hope this helps!
This needs to be made with Dr. Pepper, not coke for better flavor accuracy
Wonderful! Just as good as I remember. Made it for my Cinco de Mayo party and everyone loved it!
I bet your party was a hit! Thanks for commenting!
Hi, my mom and I love this recipe. She is having a baby soon and I saw this is freezable. What steps would I go through to make sure the meat is frozen safely? Also how would you heat it up after freezing? Any differences we should expect?
Congratulations to you and your mom on a new baby coming to the family! To freeze the meat, prepare it according to the recipe. The meat needs to cool to 70 degrees before freezing. This can be done quickly by dividing it into smaller portions and placing it in the refrigerator. Once it is cooled, place the meat in a freezer safe, air tight container. Freezer storage bags work great. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 5 months. Thaw the meat completely in the refrigerator before reheating. My preferred way of reheating is on the stove top. Add a little water and heat on medium heat, stirring frequently, until the meat is heated through. Wishing you all the best with the new baby! 🙂
Do you use mild or hot chilis?
We use mild, but if you want it spicier, feel free to use hot. Completely up to you! 🙂
Hi does the pork need to be thawed out before I cook it?
I always start with a thawed pork with this recipe. It will cook more evenly. If my pork is frozen I will put it in the fridge a couple days before I am planning on making it. That being said, you CAN put a frozen pork in the CrockPot but it will need to cook longer. Just keep checking to make sure the internal temperature is 195-205 degrees F (shredding temperature). Hope this helps!
I love this recipe, I make it often. I saw a recent comment say they used dr pepper instead of coke and might just try that instead next time since I usually don’t have coke in my home. I make it in my instant pot and it turn out just as great as in a crockpot.
That’s awesome, I haven’t tried Dr Pepper yet either but I’ve heard it’s good.
This recipe is AMAZING!!
I used Dr Pepper instead of Coke.. so good!!
Yum! I haven’t tried it with Dr Pepper.
Hello. I have made this recipe probably 6 times now, love it, but struggle with the measurements each time. I noticed when you 1x, 2x, 3x the recipe, the measurements in the instructions steps 1 – 4 do not change. (So I am wondering if the people that are stating the meat is too dry, if they have 2x or 3x the recipe but instruction steps are not reflecting the corrected amounts to use, we all sometimes following recipes blindly.) I am planning on doing this recipe at 12x. The calculations would be to use 6 (4 oz.) cans of diced chilis, 6 (10 oz. cans of enchilada sauce), 1 1/2 cup of water and 6 CUPS OF BROWN SUGAR!!! What are your recommendations because I am using 10 quart crock pot? 12 lbs. will fit and reduce while cooking but worried about Step 4.
Carbon copy of Cafe Rio! Very delicious!
This tastes just like cafe rio or even better
Thank you for your comment! We agree! 🙂
Sooo good…husband keeps asking for it
Followed the recipe exactly but the meat turned out very dry.
It definitely shouldn’t be dry. I am wondering if you didn’t let it slow cook long enough. What cut of meat did you use?
This recipe is definitely a copy cat of Cafe Rio pork. I found Cafe Rio during a trip to Las Vegas and fell in love with their Sweet Pork. Not having a Cafe Rio near where I live, I was very happy to find this recipe.
So glad you liked this recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and comment!
I found this recipe online, thought the ingredient ratios would appear after I gave my email address to this forum. Nope. I don’t see the amounts of pork in oz. or lbs.. no measurements for spices either. What do I do with this?
You don’t need to provide an address to get the recipe, only if you want to save it. Try this link again: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/cafe-rio-sweet-pork/
I will also email you a copy of the recipe. Thank you for letting me know!
Can I just cook the pork in the marinade adding the water and spices to it?
Yes you can 🙂
Have you made gravy out of this crockpot juice before? Curious if it would be good with mashed potatoes and carrots or if I should just use regular gravy mix. Thanks!
I feel like this crock pot juice would be a little too sweet for gravy. I would use a regular gravy mix!
Hi, could this be made without the chilies? Thank you!
Yes, you can make it without the chilies. It will change the taste of the pork a little, but if you don’t like chilies you won’t mind. Thanks for asking and thank you for the star rating. 🙂