This Cafe Rio Sweet Pork recipe is incredibly delicious and better than the original. Marinating in Coca-Cola and brown sugar and cooked in the Instant Pot (or slow cooker), you will quickly fall in love with this sweet pork recipe.

It makes a great meal with rice and beans or can be incorporated into tacos, burritos, salads, and more. The pork is tender, juicy, and full of sweet flavors that everyone loves! Just one bite, and youโ€™ll never return to the original Cafe Rio Sweet Pork again. Enjoy this easy-to-make copycat recipe!

Sweet pork is an incredibly versatile ingredient that can be used in various dishes. A Mexican-inspired meal can be shredded and added to tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or quesadillas. It also makes a great addition to taco salads – add crunchy tortilla strips, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.

You can also pair the sweet pork with rice and beans for a simple and delicious meal. Try making some homemade nachos topped with sweet pork for something different – theyโ€™re sure to be a hit! Finally, donโ€™t forget to save some of the leftovers so you can make pulled pork sandwiches the next day.

No matter how you serve it, Cafe Rio Sweet Pork will surely be a crowd-pleaser! With this recipe, you can enjoy the delicious flavors of the original restaurant version in your own home. Give it a try and see why this dish has become so popular! You wonโ€™t be disappointed.

Sweet Pork Recipe Ingredients

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork is an incredibly flavorful dish with simple yet delectable ingredients. The marinade for the pork consists of Coca-Cola, brown sugar, and a mix of spices.

  • Pork Roast
  • Coca-Cola (the original)
  • Brown Sugar
  • Water
  • Canned Green Chiles
  • Enchilada Sauce
  • Granulated Garlic
  • Chili Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Sugar
  • Molasses
  • Sea Salt

What Kind of Pork for Cafe Rio Sweet Pork?

  • The choice of meat is crucial in recipes. Some recipes call for lean meat, while others require a fattier cut. For example, Cafe Rio uses bone-in pork shoulder/butt with fat marbling for tenderness and moisture. Using a leaner cut like pork loin or roast may produce less tender and moist shredded meat.

How to make Sweet Pork in the Instant Pot

Marinade the pork with Coke and brown sugar by placing the pork, 1 1/2 cans of Coke & 1/4 cup brown sugar in a large Ziplock or container. Set in the refrigerator and marinade for 2 hours; overnight works as well.

Drain the pork from the marinade. Add the pork to the Instant Pot with the remaining ingredients.

Pressure cook on high for 60 minutes. Natural release for 20 minutes. Once cooked the pork should shred easily. If the pork is still tough, put it back in the Instant Pot for another 10-20 minutes.

After shredding, drain all of the juice out, except two cups.

Put the 2 cups of remaining juices and the shredded pork back into the Instant Pot on the โ€œsautรฉโ€ setting and cook until the sauce thickens to your preference, about 5-6 minutes.

How to Make Sweet Pork in the Slow Cooker

Marinade the pork with Coke and brown sugar by placing the pork, 1 1/2 cans of Coke & 1/4 cup brown sugar in a large Ziplock or container. Set in the refrigerator and marinade for 2 hours; overnight works also.

Pour out the marinade and place pork, ยฝ can of coke, water, and garlic salt into a crock pot. Cook on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it can be easily shredded, but avoid overcooking it) or on low for 8 hours.

Take out the pork from the crock pot and dispose of any remaining liquid in the pot. Then, shred the pork.

Blend 1/2 cup of Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce, and remaining ingredients in a food processor or blender. If the mixture appears too thick, gradually add more Coke. Next, place the shredded pork and sauce in a crockpot and cook on low heat for 2 hours.

pin this Recipe to your favorite Pinterest Board!

collage image of cafe rio sweet pork in a burrito

Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Recipe

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 278 kcal
This Cafe Rio Sweet Pork recipe is incredibly delicious. Marinated and cooked in the Instant Pot, it's the best sweet pork recipe.

Ingredients
 

  • 3 lbs pork roast

Marinade

  • 1 1/2 cans Coke
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

Instant Pot Ingredients

  • 1 can Coke
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 4 ounces diced green chiles
  • 10 ounces red enchilada sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic
  • 1 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt

Instructions
 

Marinade

  • Marinade the pork with Coke and brown sugar by placing the pork, 1 1/2 cans of Coke & 1/4 cup brown sugar in a large Ziplock or container. Set in the refrigerator and marinade for 2 hours; overnight works as well.

Instant Pot

  • Drain the pork from the marinade.
  • Add the pork to the Instant Pot with the remaining ingredients.
  • Pressure cook on high for 60 minutes. Natural release for 20 minutes.
  • Once cooked the pork should shred easily. If the pork is still tough, put it back in the Instant Pot for another 10-20 minutes.
  • After shredding, drain all of the juice out, except two cups.
    Put the 2 cups of remaining juices and the shredded pork back into the Instant Pot on the โ€œsautรฉโ€ setting and cook until the sauce thickens to your preference, about 5-6 minutes.
Calories: 278kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 26gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 888mgPotassium: 477mgFiber: 1gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 219IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know what you think!

Similar Posts

12 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I love this recipe! Coke is the ultimate marinade. It adds so much sweet flavor and makes meat so tender. I can’t wait to try this one.

  2. 5 stars
    I made this every year for Cinco de Mayo and the recipe never fails! Thank you so much!

  3. 5 stars
    Why is this the most delicious pork recipe I’ve ever made? So tender and juicy and full of flavor – I’m already looking forward to making it again!

  4. 5 stars
    The tender and flavorful porkโ€”it tastes just like the restaurant’s version. Love that I can now recreate this delicious dish at home.

5 from 8 votes (1 rating without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating