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Cafe Rio Sweet Pork is easy to make and delicious on anything from a salad to a taco. 
Cafe Rio is a Utah based restaurant which has now spread into California and Arizona (you lucky people, you!). But sadly it has not come to Oregon yet. So each time I visit Utah, a visit to Cafe Rio is required at least once. One of my favorite dishes to get there is their sweet pork. I love it in a burrito or on a salad. It is delicious both ways! And the now, with this recipe, I can make their delicious sweet pork at home in my crock pot.
There are lots of different sweet pork recipes out there in the blogosphere and I have experimented with a lot of them. This one is by far my favorite and is almost identical to the sweet pork from Cafe Rio.
How to make Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
I purchased pork carnitas from the store but you could use pork roast or shoulder. Just get the least expensive cut of pork you can find.
Then marinate the pork for a couple of hours in a can of coke and some brown sugar. You can use caffeine free Coke if you like but DO NOT use Diet Coke. After it marinades pour all of it into the crock pot and let it cook away.
About an hour before serving pull it out of the crockpot and shred it. Discard the liquid and put the meat back into the crock pot. Then add in the enchilada sauce.
Allow it to cook in the crockpot for another 30 -60 minutes. Then serve it along with cilantro lime rice and cafe rio black beans. Top it with a little Monterey Jack or cotija cheese and wrap it up in a tortilla for a delicious quick and easy meal.
It is also great in a taco or a quesadilla. Or my favorite way to eat it is in a Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad. I also have an Instant Pot Cafe Rio Pork recipe here.
Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Recipe
Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. boneless pork carnitas, shoulder etc
- 12 oz Coke 1 can
- 1/4 c brown sugar
- 10 oz. enchilada sauce can
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 4 oz diced greenchileis small can
- 3/4 C brown sugar
Instructions
- Marinade pork for at least 2 hours or overnight in can of coke and 1/4 C brown sugar.
- Pour pork and liquid into crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Remove meat and shred. Discard liquid
- Put meat back in crock pot and add enchilada sauce, garlic, green chilies and brown sugar.
- Cook for 30-60 more minutes. If there is excess liquid drain some off.
Nutrition Facts:
nancy Holdaway says
Can you use something other than Coke? I really don’t like to use it.
Leigh Anne says
You can try root beer
Gabrielle says
So flavorful We made the whole dinner and it is out of this world delicious. Nachos for dinner tomorrow night.
jo says
my mouth is watering! about how many people would you say this recipe will feed?
Jeanne says
I like to make the main dish for my bunco party ahead of time, freeze it, and warm it up on the day of the party. Is the Cafe Rio Pork a good one to freeze? What about the Slow cooker Greek Chicken? How does that one freeze? Thanks.
Leigh Anne says
The Cafe Rio Pork freezes really well. I have not frozen the Slow Cooker Greek Chicken but I think it should freeze well.
Darby says
Hi Leigh Anne,
Is the small can of green chili’s “fire roasted”? That is all I have been able to find in my grocery store. I am worried that there may be a non fire roasted version.
Thanks. Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Darby
Leigh Anne says
The fire roasted is fine – enjoy!
kansascook says
What does a can of cola do in the marinating? Better half is leery of using soda pop and brown sugar together. Is there a replacement item?
Leigh Anne says
you could just use water I guess but I have never left it out or substituted something for it. The sugar in the soda does add to the flavor and the acid in the soda helps tenderize the meat. Can’t vouch for the recipe without the soda.
Anna says
How many people does this recipe serve? We want to make this for a big family get together and need to know how many recipes of this we need to make for about 30 people.
Leigh Anne says
Probably serves about 6-8 so I would triple it for 30 people. Just depends on how big of eaters people are 🙂