Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad with Creamy Tomatillo Dressing is one of the most popular dishes served at the restaurant. Now you can recreate it at home.
Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad with creamy tomatillo dressing is what I usually order when I get a chance to eat at Cafe Rio. I love, love, love it! Since I don’t live near a Cafe Rio to get a fix whenever I want to, I have found a way to recreate it at home.To make this salad you will need to make a batch Cafe Rio Sweet Pork. Although this pork is delicious in many dishes, the salad is my favorite way to eat it.
How to Make a Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad
The base of the salad is a flour tortilla. Cafe Rio makes them on site, right in front of you! I recommend making your own homemade flour tortillas. They are a lot easier to make than you might think. Cafe Rio also melts some cheese on the tortilla, but if you are trying to cut back on calories, you can leave the cheese off.
Next comes a layer of black beans.
Then a layer of Cilantro Lime Rice.
And then you add a layer of the sweet pork.
Finally, top it off with some lettuce and cheese. I prefer cotija cheese, but Monterey Jack will work too.
Finish it off with creamy tomatillo dressing.
Creamy tomatillo dressing is a yummy combination of buttermilk ranch, tomatillos, and cilantro. Tomatillos can be found in the fresh produce section. In my store they are near the peppers and jalepeños. They look like a green tomato with a paper skin over them. Be sure and remove the papery skin before using!
So next time you get a Cafe Rio craving – make it yourself at home. And if you won’t get a Cafe Rio craving because you’ve never had Cafe Rio before – make this salad!
Creamy Tomatillo Dressing Recipe
This creamy tomatillo dressing is a delicious combination of buttermilk ranch, tomatillos, and cilantro.
- 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Mix Traditional
- 1 C mayonnaise
- 1 C buttermilk
- 2 to matillos remove husk, diced
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
- 1 clove garlic
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 jalapeno
-
Put all ingredients together in the blender and blend.
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Hi Leigh Anne, we switched internet companies and I forgot to update my email with you. I got it back, just in time to get in on your Cafe Rio recipes. I can’t wait to try it!
So glad you’re back!
I made all of the recipes (pork, black beans, cilantro lime rice and dressing) for dinner Friday night and it was outstanding! We layered everything on a flour tortilla in the order you suggested with Monterey Jack cheese and then rolled them up burrito style. Great dinner, and lots of leftovers for the weekend. Thanks Leigh Ann.
Teri – how fun that you made all the recipes. So glad that you enjoyed them!
I made this for my family today. My husband was pretty skeptical as I was cooking. My oldest son, who lived in Provo 8 years, didn’t think I could come close to Cafe Rio. The others were impatient because they were super hungry (they think you should eat immediately after church no matter what time you meet that year). Everyone was bowled over and said I should make them whenever we have company. Thanks, LeAnne! (BTW, I am friends with your sister, Karen!)
I am so glad it was a hit with your family! Thanks for letting me know.
How much dressing does the tomatillo dressing yield? Thanks, Becca
approx. 2 cups
I am a former Utah resident living in Belgium, so finding fresh tomatillos is going to be impossible. I had a friend bring me canned, will it still call for 2?
I have never used canned tomatillos but I would think it would be the same amount. Enjoy!
Hi! How many people does making all the recipes for the salad recipe yield? We are wanting to make it for a large amount of people so we are wanting to know if we need to triple or quadruple it! Thanks!! 🙂
Hi there! I was wondering what recipe you use for the sweet pork? I tired all these recipes and they are all delicious! I found a recipe for the pork but wasn’t fond of it so thought I would see what recipe you have. Thanks!
I link to the recipe i use in the post