Copycat Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Recipe {Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker}
Well, finally, here’s my go-to copycat Cafe Rio sweet pork recipe (could easily be called Costa Vida pork or any of the other sweet pork establishments!). It’s just as delicious as the real thing and so easy!
Over the years I’ve made several recipes for sweet pork, but I’ve never fully committed to an all-out, best-ever recipe. Until today.
These smothered sweet pork burritos are fantastic. And this slow cooker sweet tomatillo chipotle pork is to die for. But neither of those are a bona fide copycat (haha) recipe for a total Cafe Rio/Costa Vida sweet pork knockoff.
Even though there are a lot of copycat recipes online, a quick look into sweet pork land shows basically the same recipe floating around with a few variations here and there. I used those older knockoff recipes as a starting place, experimented like crazy, and came up with the best sweet pork in the history of ever.
After making this copycat Cafe Rio sweet pork recipe for 100+ people at my cousins’ wedding luncheon, I knew it was the real deal. Sweet and mildly spicy, the tender pork is brimming with saucy, delicious flavor. In other words: it’s incredible.
How to serve sweet pork
Our favorite way to eat this delectable sweet pork is piled high layers of cilantro lime rice, salsa black beans*, sweet pork, toppings galore (avocados, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa), and a healthy drizzle of cilantro lime ranch dressing.
*Salsa black beans are as simple as they sound. I dump two cans of rinsed and drained black beans into a pot and add 1 cup of really good, knock your socks off salsa and simmer for a few minutes.
But that’s just a beginning. You could use this pork in an all-out smothered burrito. In enchiladas. Tacos. Quesadillas. It makes a fantastic meal for feeding a crowd (even crowds over 100, trust me!) and is perfect for a take-in meal. In fact, I’d say the whole rice/beans/pork combo I detailed above is easily in my top 10 go-to meals I turn to when taking a meal into someone.
Pressure cooker or slow cooker
This flavorful sweet pork can be made in the pressure cooker or slow cooker. The pictures below are using a pressure cooker because I think electric pressure cookers are life (the one pictured is the Mealthy brand; I also use an Instant Pot regularly – both are great). But you can’t go wrong with a slow cooker either.
The pork roast is seasoned with a simple pantry-staple spice mixture and cooked in a bath of root beer (or coke) + green salsa. It sounds weird, but you just have to go with it. Flavor, flavor, flavor!
After it cooks, the pork is shredded (cooking liquid mostly done away with) and returned to the pot with a delectable saucy lineup of enchilada sauce + brown sugar + green chiles + salsa + some of the reserved spices used in the first step. Heat through, and you have the most delicious sweet pork ever.
If you’ve never had sweet pork, the name can be a bit deceiving. It’s not sweet like chocolate cake. It has more of the sweet and spicy vibe that is really popular for a reason. The flavors balance each other so that neither the heat nor the sweet overpowers. It’s definitely a savory recipe…with just a hint of sweetness.
I mean get a load of this saucy sweet pork goodness. There’s a reason you’ll probably want to prepare yourself to be mobbed for this recipe, you guys. The layers of flavor go beyond just tossing a 4-ingredient recipe into the crockpot.
It’s complex without being complicated. Wow-worthy without being weird.
What kind of pork roast is best?
Great question! I’ve had the best luck using the pork sirloin roasts (that come in a 4-pack) from Costco. That’s actually the pork I use 99% of the time whenever a recipe calls for a hunk of pork. They are much leaner than, say, pork shoulder but they are still very tender if cooked correctly.
A pork shoulder roast would work well, too (just trim off any large fat pockets). I wouldn’t recommend pork loin – at least the roasts I’ve tried have been very dry when cooked.
I haven’t tried this meal with beef or chicken. But, you know – experiment away! FYI: chicken will need far, far less cooking time.
I hope this copycat Cafe Rio sweet pork recipe makes your heart sing like it does mine. I feel all sorts of satisfied happiness when I know I’ve finally worked hard enough to tweak and create and evolve a recipe that won’t ever need altering again. This sweet pork truly is best-ever.
I’m not sure there’s another meal that gets quite the excitement around here than when my family spies all the fixings for a loaded plate of sweet pork goodness.
Some of us eat it salad style. Some of us go for the all-in burrito style. Some of us do the layered cilantro lime rice plate. I mean, sure, there’s always that kid that tries to avoid the beans, but no one would dare skip the sweet pork. It’s what brings us together.
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Copycat Sweet Pork Recipe {Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker}
Ingredients
Seasoning Mixture:
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon regular or smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons salt, I use coarse, kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, I use coarsely ground
Pork:
- 3-5 pounds boneless sirloin pork roast or pork shoulder roast
- 1 cup root beer or cola soda
- 1 cup green salsa or enchilada sauce
Sauce:
- 2 cups red enchilada sauce (see note for homemade version)
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar
- 8 ounces chopped green chiles, blend for smoother texture, if desired
- 1 cup green salsa or enchilada sauce
Instructions
- Combine all the seasoning ingredients together in a small bowl. Measure out 2 tablespoons of the mixture and save for later.
- Cut the pork roast into large chunks (4-6 inches) and rub the remaining seasoning mixture (not the reserved 2 tablespoons) evenly over all sides of the pork.
- Pressure cooker: add the root beer/cola soda and the 1 cup green salsa/enchilada sauce to the insert of an electric pressure cooker. Stir to combine. Add the seasoned pork. Secure the lid, set the valve to seal and cook on high pressure for 55-60 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Transfer the pork to a cutting board or pan and shred. Discard all but 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid in the pressure cooker. Add the pork back to the pressure cooker. Add the 2 tablespoons of reserved spices, red enchilada sauce, brown sugar, green chiles and green salsa/enchilada sauce and stir/toss to combine. Heat through using the saute function (stir often to avoid sticking) or slow cooker function (high for 30 minutes or so). Keep warm until serving.
- Slow cooker: add the root beer/cola soda and the 1 cup green salsa/enchilada sauce to the insert of a slow cooker. Stir to combine. Add the seasoned pork. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 5-6 hours until tender. Transfer the pork to a cutting board or pan and shred. Discard all but 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid in the slow cooker. Add the shredded pork back to the slow cooker. Add the 2 tablespoons of reserved spices, red enchilada sauce, brown sugar, green chiles and green salsa/enchilada sauce and stir/toss to combine. Cover and cook on high for 15-20 minutes until heated through. Keep warm until serving.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (inspired by recipes like this one and this one and this one)
So I hit publish too soon. I meant to also ask if I’m preparing this huge amount of pork a week in advance would you –
Freeze it if it’s needed in a week?
Would you add the sauce to the cooked pork now or wait until the day we need it? TIA
Yes, I would freeze if making a week in advance. I would add the sauce to the pork, freeze it, and then thaw and reheat.
I’m going to use this recipe to make pork for 300 people. What tips or recommendations do you?
Another winner, Mel!! We think the Cafe Rio pork is too sweet, so I only used 1/4 c. Of brown sugar and it was PERFECT. We decided we like it much better than the Cafe Rio pork. We ate it as bowls with your new garlic butter rice, and your cilantro ranch dressing… perfection!! My husband said it may be his new favorite meal.
If I am reheating it to serve a big group how long should I plan to have it in the crock pot before serving?
Are you reheating from frozen or from the refrigerator? If it is thawed but chilled, I would plan on 4 to 5 hours on low, stirring often.
After cooking, your instructions say to ‘discard all but ½ cup liquid’. I am wondering what you use this retained liquid for? I don’t see it referred to anywhere in the recipe after that. Thanks!
The liquid that is not discarded stays in with the meat.
How do you usually calculate how much meat, beans, and rice to make per person for large groups? Do you have a standard you use to calculate? Thanks!
Hi Tiffany, if feeding a mix of adults and kids, I usually plan on about 1/4 to 1/3 pound of meat per person. For beans (if they’re being used as a topping rather than a side dish), I use about 1/4 to 1/3 cup per person – including if salsa or anything else is added to the beans. For rice, I plan about 1/4 cup DRY rice per person for a side dish, but if it’s being used as an addition to burritos or build-your-own salads, I do a bit less – 5-6 servings per cup of dry rice instead of 4.
If I want to do a double batch of this recipe in a crock pot, how should I adjust the cooking time? Do I keep it the same, or…?
Also, is there any benefit to searing the meat to get some Maillard browning before putting it in the slow cooker?
Thanks!
You can definitely sear the meat first, if you’d like – might get a slightly more pronounced depth of flavor. If you double the recipe, the cooking time should be the same as long as the slow cooker isn’t over crowded. If it is really packed full, you might need to increase the time by an hour or so.
I made this for a Father’s day crowd and what a hit!!! No one could figure out the subtle sweetness in the pork until I caved and told them about the brown sugar. I served it with Mel’s cilantro lime rice and the delicious Cilantro lime dressing. Added her refried beans and the whole meal was attributed to Mel. Thank you Mel….your recipes never disappoint!! I will make this again and again….
Do you have instructions for making this in the oven? Love all your recipes!
Hi Pamela, thank you! You could cook the roast in a covered Dutch oven or covered pan in the oven at 300 degrees for 4 to 6 hours – that should work pretty well!
Hello! How should I adjust the cooking time if the pork is frozen?
I haven’t used a frozen pork roast in this recipe, so you might have the best luck googling “using frozen roast in instant pot” to see if there are suggestions for cooking times.
Best recipe set ever. I add some honey to satisfy my wifes sweet tooth. This recipe alone has helped transform a bumbling Dad disaster in the kitchen to a full blown kitchen hero. Its safe to say this recipe can save your marriage. I have prepared this as meals to other families on a smaller scale for home meals when they needed help and looking forward to larger scale family parties in the future. The combination of sweet pork, cilantro lime rice, and the cilantro lime ranch dressing is next level. My wife loves me every time I make this and take the pressure off her. Do yourself a favor and become the next kitchen hero.
Wondering.. when you cater for your cousins wedding, girls camp or Ward dinners…how much meat do you calculate, if you have made pulled pork tacos…how many tacos per pound? ☺️ if you haven’t done that…no worries.
Hi Carrie, for meals where meat is the main star (like pulled pork sandwiches), I usually plan on about 1/3 pound of meat per person. If meat is more of an accessory (like layering on salads, etc), I plan for about 1/4 pound per person.
This recipe was amazing! People are saying “not like Cafe Rio” and I would say it’s better, not as sweet! I think it’s the perfect balance of sweet and spicy. We had pork shoulder. We did half in the instant pot and half in the smoker, and I have to say the smoker pork turned out INCREDIBLE. Thanks for the recipe!! We will definitely be making this again.
It’s really good! From other recipes we researched and reviews we decided to double the sugar of this recipe and it was very close to costa vida sweet pork. I have not tried other copy cat recipes to compare. We are all big costa vida/cafe rio fans and we all liked it a lot.
Hi Mel! This recipe is a family favorite! I am going to prepare it for girls’ camp. I will use shoulder instead of sirloin due to the quantity/cost. I will need to prepare this for about 35 people. We are figuring 25 pounds of pork. Do you happen to have this recipe scaled for that large of a quantity? With shoulder?
Hi Julie, you should be able to triple the other ingredients in the recipe and it should work fine for that quantity of pork. Good luck!
I am planning girls camp, and want to make this for one of the meals. Could I smoke the pork, and then heat up at camp with the sauces?
Yes, that should work just fine!
Jana, have you made this for camp yet? I am also doing this and wondering what quantity you made and how this turned out for your group.
Good recipe, but nothing like Cafe Rio or Costa Vida. I have tried a number of copy cat recipes for Cafe Rio sweet port and this tastes the least like the real thing. It wasn’t nearly sweet enough and there was too much other spiciness. Again, it’s good, but all references to being a copy cat of Cafe Rio should be removed. I’m giving it only one star due to the misleading title and recipe commentary surrounding Cafe Rio. But I will give a 5-star rating and reference to the Cilantro Lime Rice. It’s amazing and the family loves it!
We’ve made this so many times and we love love love it!
The one question I have, is there a way to get the sauce a little less? We just have found that the liquid overtakes the meat sometimes! But we love it!
You can discard more of the cooking liquid or cut down on the enchilada sauce mixture a bit.
I made this today along with the cilantro lime rice, salsa black beans, and cilantro lime dressing. It was amazing! All of the flavors were so perfect together and definitely tasted like Cafe Rio to me. This will be a go-to recipe for company and take in meals. Thank you, Mel!!
My family absolutely loves this recipe, thank you for sharing!
This is one of our favorite recipes! My kids even think it’s better than the restaurant. Do you think this recipe would work as a freezer dump and go?
Definitely worth a try!
I’ve made this as a freezer meal several times and it works great. I put the raw meat in the bag with the spices on it and the one cup of enchilada sauce, then staple it to a bag with the final sauce ingredients and freeze it all together. Works great!
Ohgoodlord, this was amazing! So much flavor perfection! It was a hit for the whole family, and the only thing we discussed at dinner was how delicious it was, and how I need to finally write a five-star review for an online recipe for the first time in my life. Not sure I’ve ever done that before. That’s how perfect this was.
Hi Mel.
I can’t wait to try your recipe! I have a bone-in pork Boston butt that is 9.71 lbs. Should I triple ALL ingredients for the season mixture, pork and sauce? Also, when reserving the spices, would I still reserve 2 Tablespoons or more?
How would you cook this in an electric roasting oven?
I think you could get away with doubling everything for the seasoning mixture and the sauce. And then reserve double the amount. I haven’t made it in an electric roaster oven, but you could try as long as the roaster oven isn’t too large (it can dry out, if so).
this is great! But it doesn’t taste like cafe rio. It tastes like the las palmas enchilada sauce. But not bad!
I thought the same thing as u! Definitely try her homemade red enchilada sauce, it quite literally makes all the difference. I won’t go back to store bought!
Why do you discard all of the liquid except for 1/2 cup? Can I just put the pork back into the same liquid, plus the extra seasoning, and not the additional 3 cups of sauce/salsa?
You can try that but the flavor may not be quite as strong (and the finished pork may be more watery – whereas using the sauce creates a slightly thicker sauce).
This might be a super dumb question but when you freeze this and then reheat it, do you do it in your instant pot on the sauté function? Or is there a different way you like to reheat it? I’m making it for a group and would love to make it ahead of time and freeze it but want to make sure it doesn’t have that weird reheated meat flavor. Thanks!
Hi Anna, I usually try and let it thaw in the refrigerator and then reheat in the oven (in a dish covered in aluminum foil) or in a slow cooker (on low for a few hours).
Hi Mel, I am preparing to make this for a bday party this weekend. Is the Herdez Green Salsa the same as the mild salsa verde? Just want to make sure before I make this in a double batch for my guests! Also, do you have a preference of green salsa or enchilada sauce in the part of your recipes where you listed to use either/or?
Hi Mandee – the herdez green salsa works for this although I’m not sure if it’s labeled mild or medium. I honestly don’t have a preference on green salsa or enchilada sauce in the final part – maybe enchilada sauce slightly edges out because of the smoother texture but both are great.
Oh hi, Mel! I’m just here in my kitchen a day before young men’s camp making 15 pounds of this recipe, divided among three instant pots … and I’m hoping you are done with girls’ camp! Thank you for what you do to serve, and how you help all of us with our opportunities to serve, too.
Rebecca, I laughed when I saw your comment. Yes, I’m done with girls camp. But literally AT THIS MOMENT, I have two instant pots going in my kitchen with this pork for an upcoming family reunion. 🙂
Love the recipe, but having a hard time finding meat now that Costco has stopped selling the four packs of pork sirloin roasts. Any tips on where to find something similar?
I agree, Whitney! So bummed they stopped selling those. My grocery store sells sirloin roasts so I’ve been buying those, but I’ll probably start using the pork shoulder/butt roasts from Costco (and cut off a lot of the fat).
I made this yesterday for a family party and used a Pork Loin I bought at Costco. Everything thought it turned out great!
It was yummy in itself, but tasted way more like enchilada meat than sweet pork. The seasonings are good, but I think there is too much in here. It wasn’t really sweet at all so I think it needed either more brown sugar or soda. We’ve tried several different versions of this recipe and this was probably the least like copycat sweet pork. Again, it was yummy, but not sweet pork.
It’s good but not a copycat of Costa Vida or Cafe Rio.
How would you do this recipe if using 7 pounds of pork?
Thanks.
I would probably 1 1/2 or double all of the other ingredients for 7 pounds of pork.
Taste even better than costa vida! I have made this several times and turns out perfect each time. Use a full can of root beer
Could I substitute salsa verde for the green enchilada sauce?
Sure, I think so!
MEL YOU ARE A FOOD GODDESS THANK YOU
this is the first time i havent cried trying to make cafe rio!!!!
Yay! Way to go, Tamara!
Can you tell me what kind of white sauce you poured over the top of your bowl? It looks like sour cream, but thinner. Thanks!
It’s this cilantro lime dressing: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/creamy-cilantro-lime-dressing/
I have to say- this is the best of all of the Cafe Rio Sweet Pork copycats I’ve tried… and I’ve tried a lot of them!! The reason I like it so much is that the finished sauce has that classic rich, thick, and ultra flavorful taste most similar to Cafe Rio— the other recipes haven’t matched it as well.
I could not believe how much easier and quicker this recipe is (due to the instant pot method). Could it be?! Why, yes! Thank you, Mel!!
The last time I checked, the Trader Joe’s Red Enchilada Sauce is not Gluten Free. Maybe they have changed the recipe though. It used to be my favorite.