One of our favorite copycat recipes, this Copycat Cafe Rio Sweet Pork is perfect for salads, burritos, tacos, and even quesadillas! Slow cooked all day long, this sweet and savory shredded pork is versatile and delicious!
Also try some of our other Cafe Rio copycat recipes, like this Tomatillo Ranch Dressing or this Cilantro Lime Rice.
This Copycat Cafe Rio Sweet Pork is one of those recipes that I’ve been making for years and years, and I finally decided to post it here. Mostly so that I have a record of it and I’m no longer scrounging for the stained, marked up piece of paper I had it on before.
There are a lot of different recipes out there for this sweet pork. This one uses a few more ingredients than most, but I think it packs the most flavor. In fact, I think it’s actually better flavored than the restaurant version.
Plus, I love that I can make a copycat salad and add as much of the pork as I want to, instead of the tiny amount they give you at the restaurant. 😂
Ingredients
- Spices: I think the spices are what set this recipe apart from so many others out there. They give you so much extra flavor! You’ll need chili powder, cumin, onion powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Pork: The main thing to look for when making this recipe is a cut of pork that is fattier. A tenderloin will not work well. I try to find a boneless pork shoulder, or pork butt roast. When possible, I get boneless, because it’s easier to cut into pieces, but bone in will work if that’s what you have.
- Cola: You can use a cola, like Coke, or root beer. I do not like using diet for this recipe.
- Enchilada Sauce: You will need both red and green enchilada sauces. I usually just use canned. The biggest tip here is to use a brand that you like, because the flavor will come through.
- Green Chiles: The recipe calls for 1 can of green chiles, but sometimes I’ll up this to 2.
- Brown Sugar: This brings in most of the sweetness for the sauce. I use light brown sugar.
How to Make Copycat Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
STEP 1: Mix all of your spices together in a small bowl. Take 3 tablespoons of this mixture and set it aside.
STEP 2: Cut the pork into large chunks. I try to cut them about the same size. It doesn’t have to be perfect, though.
STEP 3: Take your spice mixture and rub it all over the pieces of pork.
STEP 4: Place the pork in the bottom of a slow cooker. I like to try to get it in a single layer, if possible.
STEP 5: In a bowl, mix together half of the green enchilada sauce with the cola. Pour this into the slow cooker. Cook the pork on low for 8-10 hours, or until it falls apart easily.
STEP 6: Once the pork is done, remove it to a cutting board and let it cool slightly. Discard all but about 1/2 cup of the liquid in the slow cooker. Once the pork has cooled slightly, shred it with 2 forks. (Or sometimes I’ll wait until it’s a little cooler and just pull it apart by hand.)
STEP 7: Add the shredded pork back into the slow cooker. Add the remaining green enchilada sauce and the reserved spices, as well as the red enchilada sauce and the brown sugar. Stir this all together, then cook for another 30 minutes, or until warmed through.
Tips and Tricks
You can cook this on high if you are short on time, but you will get much better results if you cook it low and slow.
If you prefer a smooth sauce, you can blend the red enchilada sauce and the green chiles together before adding. I don’t mind the green chile pieces, so don’t usually do this.
This freezes very well. It makes a decent amount of meat, so we usually eat half and freeze the second half for later.
More Copycat Recipes
Red Lobster Cheddar Biscuits
Olive Garden Salad Dressing
Cheesecake Factory Avocado Egg Rolls
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Copycat Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3-5 pound boneless pork shoulder or pork butt roast
- 1 (12 oz) can cola
- 1 (15 oz) can green enchilada sauce divided
- 1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce
- 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper.2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Cut the pork into large chunks. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the spice mixture, taking the remaining and rubbing it over the pieces of pork.3-5 pound boneless pork shoulder or pork butt roast
- Place the seasoned pork in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- In a bowl, whisk together the cola and half the can of enchilada sauce. Pour this into the slow cooker with the pork.1 (12 oz) can cola, 1 (15 oz) can green enchilada sauce
- Cook on low for 8-9 hours, until the pork is pull-apart tender.
- Once cooked, remove the pork to a cutting board to cool slightly. Discard all but about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid from the slow cooker.
- Shred the pork with 2 forks, then return to the slow cooker.
- Mix together the remaining green enchilada sauce, the red enchilada sauce, the green chiles, the brown sugar, and the reserved spices. Stir this into the pork.1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce, 1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles, 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- Cover and cook until warmed through, about 30 more minutes.
- Serve on salads, in burritos, or in tacos.
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