Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Recipe

Our Cafe Rio sweet pork recipe tastes just like the restaurant version. With quick prep and sweet and savory flavor, it’s a favorite copycat!

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It Tastes just like it!

Cafe Rio is a favorite dinner spot for our family, so of course, we had to create our own copycats to enjoy these dishes at home.

We ended up testing this recipe about a dozen times to get it just right. Sometimes we used Coke – sometimes it was Dr. Pepper. Sometimes we used only one kind of enchilada sauce and sometimes we used a mix. We also tested different amounts of brown sugar. The recipe we have below is the one that got the most votes from family as friends of being closest to the OG Cafe Rio sweet pork recipe.

We are so happy with how it turned out, and our families especially loves the sweet and savory flavor. We often serve it at church events and for company (and of course for our family). Pair it with Cilantro Lime Rice and Cafe Rio Dressing for perfection!

This recipe is guaranteed to get TWO thumbs up! Leftovers (if you have any) are perfect to serve in tacos, enchiladas, salads, or quesadillas! You’re going to LOVE it – we promise!!

Ingredients

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 12 hours

• 6 pound, bone in pork butt – also known as bone-in pork shoulder yields approximately 8-12 servings. If frozen, a 6-pound bone-in pork butt will typically take 24-48 hours to thaw completely in the refrigerator.
• 1 (12-ounce) can Coke – or Dr. Pepper
• 1 (10-ounce) can green enchilada sauce – store-bought or homemade Green Enchilada Sauce
• 2 (10-ounce) cans red enchilada sauce – store-bought or homemade Red Enchilada Sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic – see How to Mince Garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• dash of chili powder
• 1-2 cups brown sugar – We use light brown sugar, but dark brown sugar works. And we like our pork more sweet and use 2 cups, but you can also use 1 cup.
• optional toppings – shredded lettuce, shredded Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, diced avocados, sour cream or Greek yogurt, Salsa, hot sauce, or cilantro

How to Make Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

1. PREP. Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
2. COOK. Add a 6-pound bone-in pork butt and cook on low heat for 12 hours (or high heat for 6-8 hours). Cook until the pork roast is tender and easy to shred and easily falls off the bone. Discard fat and bone and leave the meat in large chunks. (We usually do this the day before we make the pork).
   • Add pork back to the crock pot, along with 12 ounces Coke,1 can green enchilada sauce, 2 cans red enchilada sauce, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, 2 teaspoons garlic salt, a dash of chili powder, and 2 cups brown sugar.
   • Add lid and cook on HIGH or 3-3 ½ hours. For the last 30 – 60 minutes, remove the lid and continue to cook on HIGH.
3. SERVE. Serve this copycat recipe warm in tacos, burritos, tostadas, or on a sweet pork salad.

Complete The Meal

Sides

Cilantro Lime Rice

30 mins

Refried Black Beans

15 mins

Flour Tortilla Recipe

45 mins

Café Rio Dressing

5 mins

Mexican Main Dishes

Cafe Rio Shredded Chicken

3 hrs 5 mins

Carnitas Tacos

9 hrs 10 mins

Cilantro Lime Chicken

55 mins

How to Make Carne Asada

3 hrs 20 mins

Collections

Mexican Dinner Ideas

40 mins

Easy Dinner Ideas

Crockpot Dinner Ideas

Family Dinner Ideas

5 from 25 votes

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna

Our Cafe Rio sweet pork recipe tastes just like the restaurant version. With quick prep and sweet and savory flavor, it's a favorite copycat!

Servings: 6

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 6 hours hrs

Total: 6 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3 pounds pork sirloin roast
• ▢ 1 (16-ounce) bottle Dr. Pepper
• ▢ 1 (28-ounce) can green enchilada sauce
• ▢ ¾ cup sugar
• ▢ ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• ▢ 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon dry mustard
• ▢ ½ teaspoon chili powder

Instructions 

• Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
• Add pork and soda to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.
• After 4 hours, combine all remaining ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to mix well.
• Add this mixture to your slow cooker and cook for 2–3 hours more, until the pork is falling apart as you try to remove it from the slow cooker.
• Shred pork pieces with a fork, removing fat as you go, and place it back in the sauce. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

Serving suggestions. Serve this pork in tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or wraps. Or make a salad bowl using Cilantro-Lime Rice , Canned Refried Beans, chopped
lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, Guacamole, Salsa, and Cafe Rio Dressing.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It also freezes really well, just place it in a freezer bag and freeze for 2-3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup, Calories: 473kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 53g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 141mg, Sodium: 128mg, Potassium: 996mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 52g, Vitamin A: 55IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 46mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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