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These Sweet Pork Enchiladas are loaded with tender Cafe Rio-style sweet pulled pork, cilantro lime rice, black beans, green enchilada sauce, and melted cheese. An easy family dinner everyone loves!
Cafe Rio, But Make It Family Style
I absolutely love Cafe Rio recipes, especially the Sweet Pork Salad and Sweet Pork Burritos. But sometimes I want those same flavors in an easier, more family-friendly dinner that I can throw together without making a whole burrito bar. That’s why I came up with these Sweet Pork Enchiladas. They have all the flavors I crave from Cafe Rio with the sweet shredded pork, cilantro lime rice, black beans, green enchilada sauce, and lots of melted cheese, all baked together in one pan. They are easy to make ahead, perfect for feeding a family, and the perfect dinner to satisfy those Cafe Rio cravings without all the extra work!
🩷 Erica
Table of Contents
Ingredients to Make Sweet Pork Enchiladas
Sweet pork – I like to use our Cafe Rio Sweet Pork for this recipe because it’s sweet, savory, and super tender. Country style pork ribs work great because they shred easily, but a pork roast or pork loin works great too. To make things even easier, make the pork ahead of time and freeze in batches. I will go into more detail on how to do this below.
Enchilada sauce – You can use green or red enchilada sauce (our homemade enchilada sauce is fantastic with this recipe) but my kids usually prefer the green so that’s what I end up doing most of the time. It comes down to personal preference so use what you like best!
Cheese – Monterey Jack melts really well and gives these enchiladas that creamy, cheesy texture. Pepper Jack is also delicious if you want a little extra kick.
Rice – I almost always use cilantro lime rice because it tastes the most like Cafe Rio, but regular Mexican rice works great too if that’s what you have on hand.
Black beans – You can use black beans, pinto beans, or even refried beans. Again, this comes down to personal preference. They are all great in these enchiladas!
Toppings – Top these with shredded lettuce, sour cream, fresh cilantro, diced tomatoes, avocado, pico de gallo, sliced olives, jalapeños, or a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Anything you love on tacos or burritos will work great with these enchiladas too!
How to Make Sweet Pork Enchiladas
Here’s to make sweet pork enchiladas, step-by-step. For full ingredient list and instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Sear the pork on all sides, then add it to the slow cooker with Coke, brown sugar, and red enchilada sauce. Cook until the pork is tender and shreds easily.
- While the pork is cooking, make the cilantro lime rice in a rice cooker or on the stovetop.
- Spread a little green enchilada sauce in the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish so the enchiladas don’t stick.
- Add sweet pork, rice, black beans, a little green enchilada sauce, and cheese to each tortilla. Roll them up and place them seam-side down in the pan.
- Pour the rest of the green enchilada sauce over the top, and sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake until everything is hot and bubbly. Serve warm with any extra rice and beans on the side, plus your favorite toppings like sour cream, pico de gallo, lettuce, cilantro, and/or lime.
Authentic Cafe-Rio Style Enchiladas
I like adding the rice, beans, and cheese right into the enchiladas because it makes them more filling and honestly just easier to serve all in one pan. But if you’ve had enchiladas at Cafe Rio before, you probably know they actually keep things a little simpler. Their enchiladas are usually made with smaller enchilada or fajita-sized tortillas and are filled mostly with only the sweet pork and cheese. The rice, beans, lettuce, and pico de gallo are served on the side instead.
If you want to make them more like the real Cafe Rio version, use a softened 6-inch corn or flour tortilla and fill it with just the pork and cheese before rolling it up. Then continue with the recipe as written and serve the rice, beans, lettuce, and pico de gallo on the side.
Expert Tip: Make the Pork Ahead of Time
The sweet pork is the most time-consuming part of this recipe, so I love making it ahead of time whenever I can. You can make the pork a day or two in advance and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the enchiladas. It also freezes really well. I will often get a huge pork loin from Costco and make a giant batch of sweet pork, separate it into single-batch size freezer bags, and freeze. That way when I’m ready to make enchiladas (or burritos, salads, or quesadillas), I can thaw and re-heat one bag at a time. The pork reheats great and honestly tastes even better after the flavors have had time to sit together. Just a little prep ahead of time can turn this into a quick 30(ish)-minute meal!
How to Store and Reheat Enchiladas
Store leftover enchiladas covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I usually just cover the baking dish with foil or transfer leftovers to an airtight container. To reheat, microwave individual portions until heated through or cover the pan with foil and warm in the oven at 350-degrees until hot and bubbly again. If the enchiladas seem a little dry after being refrigerated, spoon a little extra enchilada sauce over the top before reheating.
These also make a great make-ahead or meal prep meal. You can assemble the enchiladas ahead of time, cover with foil, and refrigerate before baking. When ready to cook, just bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes if they are going into the oven cold.
Frequently Asked Questions
This totally comes down to personal preference. I usually go with green enchilada sauce because that’s what my kids like, but red enchilada sauce is delicious too. If your family already has a favorite, use that.
Yes. Corn tortillas make them taste a little more authentic, but flour tortillas are softer and easier to roll. If using corn tortillas, warm them first so they don’t crack when rolling.
I almost always serve these with cilantro lime rice, black beans, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, or chips and salsa. Basically anything you would serve with tacos or burritos works great.
More Easy Enchiladas Recipes
Have you tried these Sweet Pork Burritos? I’d love to hear what you think! Drop a comment below and let me know how you liked them. And don’t forget to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @favoritefamilyrecipes! 📸🌮
Sweet Pork Enchiladas
Ingredients
Shredded Pork
- 2 pounds country style pork ribs, you can also use a pork roast or pork loin
- 1/2 cup Coca Cola
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup red enchilada sauce
Cilantro Lime Rice
- 1 1/2 cups rice, uncooked
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
Burrito
- 8 flour tortillas
- 1 (14 ounce) can cuban-style black beans, well drained
- 28 ounces green enchilada sauce, (2 cans)
- 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, grated
Instructions
For the Shredded Pork
- Sear pork on all sides until browned. Place pork in slow cooker with Coke, brown sugar, and enchilada sauce. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours or until pork is tender and shreds easily. Shred pork, place back in slow cooker and set aside.
For the Cilantro Lime Rice
- In the meantime, place rice, chicken broth, lime, garlic and cilantro in a rice cooker and cook according to rice cooker instructions (you can also do this on the stove following rice package instructions).
For the Burritos
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Pour about ¾ cup of the green enchilada sauce over the bottom of a 9×13 glass pan and spread evenly.
- In each flour tortilla shell, place about ¼ cup shredded pork, scoop of rice (to taste), scoop of black beans (lightly drained, to taste), about 2-3 tablespoons of green enchilada sauce, and a sprinkle of cheese (to taste). Place enchiladas along the bottom of the prepared 9×13 pan.
- Pour remaining green enchilada sauce evenly over the top and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.
- Serve with any extra remaining rice and beans.
Equipment
- 9×13 inch pan
Notes
- Make the sweet pork ahead of time and refrigerate until ready to assemble the enchiladas. The flavor gets even better the next day.
- Warm tortillas before rolling so they don’t crack or tear.
- If using corn tortillas, lightly soften them first for easier rolling.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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