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Cafe Rio Sweet Pork is made either in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. Sweet Pork is a tender, melt in your mouth pork with a sweet sauce made up of only 3 ingredients; taco sauce, Coke and brown sugar. Use on salads, in burritos or quesadillas!
Cafe Rio? Sweet Pork?
If you read those two words and just feel confused, you are likely not alone!
Cafe Rio is a restaurant that was started in Utah back in 1997. They serve Mexican cuisine, getting their inspirations from the Rio Grande area.. hence the name Cafe Rio.
Once one location, now there are over 120 operating locations in the US. Most of it’s locations are on the West Coast, there are a few states further east that are lucky enough to have a Cafe Rio though! Florida, Virginia, and Maryland are the lucky states to be exact.
If you don’t have a Cafe Rio near (I have 11 restaurants within an hour of me!) Either plan a special trip to visit a state that has one, or make this copy cat version at home. ?
How To Make Sweet Pork
Sweet Pork is such an easy thing to make. You will find this out by how many paragraphs it takes me to explain.. here is a hint: there won’t be many!
To make the sweet pork, you’ll need nice, tender pork roast. Either slow cook the pork roast for 6-8 hours on high or cook on Manual HIGH for 90 min NPR 30 min in the Instant Pot/ pressure cooker.
Once you have shredded pork, drain the liquid from the Instant Pot/ slow cooker and return the shredded meat to the liner.
Pour over and mix together taco sauce, some Coke and brown sugar. If using the slow cooker, turn on low and let it sit for 30 minutes or until all of the brown sugar has dissolved. If using the Instant Pot, turn onto Sauté LOW and simmer for a few minutes until the brown sugar has dissolved.
See.. Easy Peasy!!
Sweet Pork Serving Ideas
If you were to take a trip to the restaurant, there are few different serving options, and we usually rotate through the options at my house.
Serve this Sweet Pork inside of burritos, Fill with rice, beans, cheese, sweet pork. Top with Pico de Gallo, sour cream, guacamole, and cilantro.
Another option, which happens to be my favorite, is on a salad. We always buy raw tortillas that we cook up quickly on a frying pan (buy them at Walmart! Near the cheese.). We top the fresh, warm tortilla with shredded romaine lettuce, rice, beans, cheese, Sweet Pork, Pico de Gallo, sour cream, guacamole, and crushed tortilla chips. Cafe Rio has a creamy tomatillo dressing that everyone LOVES, I generally just put ranch on mine though. #RANCHFORLIFE.
On of their newest ways of serving up Sweet Pork (or any of their meats!) is on nachos! The last time we went into the restaurant (thank you, gift card!!) my husband and I shared some Sweet Pork Nachos. They are HEAVEN. Basically, tortilla chips loaded with Sweet Pork, rice, beans, cheese, Pico, guac, and sour cream. This one is SO easy to recreate at home.
The most common and easiest way to serve Sweet Pork up at home is quesadilla style. Sweet Pork and some cheese melted inside of a fresh tortilla, yes PLEASE!!
Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
Cafe Rio Sweet Pork is made either in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. Sweet Pork is a tender, melt in your mouth pork with a sweet sauce made up of only 3 ingredients; taco sauce, Coke and brown sugar. Use on salads, in burritos or quesadillas!
Ingredients
- 3 lb pork roast
- 3 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 can Coke
- 16 oz taco sauce I use mild
- 2 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Place the pork roast and broth into the Instant Pot. Cook on Manual HIGH for 90 minutes, allow for a 30 minutes NPR.
- Remove from pot and shred. Discard the liquid inside of the pot and return the shredded meat to the pot.
- Turn the Instant Pot onto sauté NORMAL. Add in the coke, taco sauce and brown sugar. Simmer until the brown sugar has dissolved.
- If you’d like your sauce thicker, simply simmer until the sauce reduces to your liking.
- For crockpot instructions: cook the pork roast on HIGH for 8 hours or until shreddable. Shred the meat. Discard liquid and then return the shredded meat to the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for an additional 30 minutes on low.
Try These Other Instant Pot Recipes
BBQ Pulled Pork
Ground Beef Stew
Creamy Ziti
I LOVE seeing my recipes come to life in YOUR kitchen! Take some pictures, share on social media and TAG ME! ?
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Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
Ingredients
- 3 lb pork roast
- 3 1/2 cups beef broth
- 1 can Coke
- 16 oz taco sauce, I use mild
- 2 cup brown sugar
Instructions
- Place the pork roast and broth into the Instant Pot. Cook on Manual HIGH for 90 minutes, allow for a 30 minutes NPR.
- Remove from pot and shred. Discard the liquid inside of the pot and return the shredded meat to the pot.
- Turn the Instant Pot onto sauté NORMAL. Add in the coke, taco sauce and brown sugar. Simmer until the brown sugar has dissolved.
- If you'd like your sauce thicker, simply simmer until the sauce reduces to your liking.
- For crockpot instructions: cook the pork roast on HIGH for 8 hours or until shreddable. Shred the meat. Discard liquid and then return the shredded meat to the slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for an additional 30 minutes on low.
Sounds delicious! What cut off pork did you use? I’m not sure what pork roast means, exactly. Thank you!
Hi Gina! There are many cuts of a pork roast that will work. Any cut that is a 3 lb boneless pork roast will work. I find mine at my local grocery store.
Your crock pot directions can’t be right, can they? 8 hours on HIGH then 30 minutes on LOW??? Shouldn’t that be the other way around? 8 hours on LOW then 30 minutes on HIGH…
Hi Blaine- to get the pork fall apart tender I find that it takes 8 hours on HIGH, then after mixing together the taco sauce and brown sugar you will return it to the crockpot and cook for an additional 30 minutes on LOW. I have tried cooking the pork roast on LOW but it took 12 hours for it to be tender enough to shred. Make sure the last 30 minutes (after the sugar and taco sauce go in) are on LOW, the sauce tends to burn if it is on HIGH. Hope that makes better sense!
What kind of taco sauce do you use ?
Hi Katherine, the brand of taco sauce I use is La Victoria. ?
How many does this recipe serve approximately?
6-8 servings.
I’ve tried several copycat cafe rio pork recipes and I am always disappointed… BUT this one is by far the BEST and easiest one out there. It tastes just like the real stuff!! Thank you for making my life complete, Karli. You are the instant pot master.
I am SO happy to hear this, Rachel! Thank you, Thank you!!