I get it. Im letting you in on all the secrets! I have been looking for a new crockpot pork recipe for this weekend! Add about a can and a half of coke and about cup of brown sugar. xo I followed the recipe to a T with a 5 lb boneless butt roast and my meat turned out a gelatinous mess swimming in sauce. first taste before i put it away was tip top, best pulled pork ive ever made Hi what kind of old el paso like an envelope or bottle? Lets treat others how wed like to be treated . We put ours on top of nachos with homemade guac and queso and fresh pickled jalapeos. Hi Si you said if you do a frozen pork butt to increase the time to 70-80 minutes, but you also said that was for 4 lbs. Next remove the meat from the crockpot and put in a bowl and shred the meat. It was all delicious!! Remove the lid, turn the heat up to high and cook for about 30 minutes until the sauce is . Oh my gosh, cant thank you enough for perfecting this recipe for the instant pot. Si. Si, I made this Instant Pot Cafe Rio for our RS Birthday dinner which was right before the Covid shutdowns. It was AMAZING! 3, Have you made our easy Shoyu Ramen? Cook again. Thank you for this recipe! Be sure to check out all our other tasty Mexican Recipes! Whether its from scratch or not, its a recipe. ), but occasionally Ill get the quesadilla because its gooey. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Has anyone tried making it with rootbeer? Receive recipes straight to your inbox and be the first for new content! Cook a pork roast and tuck it inside. I have cooked frozen chicken breasts successfully in the IP, but chicken is a much smaller cut of than a pork roast I suggest letting it thaw and cooking afterward. I moved out of the area where my local cafe rio was. If you are in a hurry, skip this step and omit the oil in the pot. I like Old El Paso! Hoping it turns out! $2.49 is about what I paid 10 minutes ago. It was to die for. Si. Can i make this in an instapot? Serve on top of tortilla chips, tortillas, or a bed of rice. Are you able to add to your Cafe Rio group of recipes a shopping list of some sort we can print, listing all the ingredients but we would have to fill in the quantity ourselves? Just Clarification, do you cook it for 6 hours or 8-9 hours and then an additional 2 hours after adding the remaining ingredients? Wonder what the Coke does? Si. So delicious- this recipe is a keeper! I do have a couple of questions, will this amount of sauce work for 4.5 lbs shoulder/butt, do you buy yours with or without the bone? Have you ever tried adding chipotles in adobo sauce? Thank you for sharing!! Or throw it in some enchiladas. How can i SUBSTITUTE the pork for chicken? Thank you Si! This looks like the perfect dish to prepare for all my hungry helpers. Will it make a difference with cooking time at all? Use the dro Stevia is a natural sweetener that grows as a plant. The meat was super tender and shredded with the slightest of pressure. Ours are now by the Mexican aisle and the italian tomato sauces. It is heaven! There is no change in cooking time. I am Lucky in love to a supportive husband, blessed to raise 3 kids (all moved away now! Place the pork roast in the slow cooker. i made this yesterday! I would wait to put the sauce on until you are ready to serve it. Ive added brown sugar to step 11. A little more Coke can be added if it seems too thick. Enjoy. This was amazing! Yes it really is that fast and simple! Will the carrots get tender on just the warm setting? I also love the effect soda has when cooking meat, especially pork. -I only cooked 2 pounds since its just us and a 2 year old. Moving to my new house this weekend. I have always marinated my pork the night before or for at least a couple hours, but if you forget or just dont have time go ahead and cook it without marinading it. It actually acts as a meat tenderizer in the recipe so dont leave it out. Is there a reason it says prep 10 mins and cook time 10 mins? The finished consistency of the frozen recipe was not nearly as good (obviously) as the fresh made night before and day of batches. I couldnt find the old elpaso sauce packets so I ended up using a 10oz can of red enchilada sauce and adding an entire small head of crushed garlic to it. ), then just shred up the meat and add in the sauce. Being a mother of 5, I love the simplicity and still great taste of it! Rub with garlic salt and pour 2 cups of coke and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 5-6. Ive made this recipe now as its written, and with keto substitutes, and they were both divine!! Perfect! Place the seared pork roast and coke in a 6 quart slow cooker. xo Si, Hi there! just a thought for those trying to watch their sugar intake. Hi Angie, I have been making various copycat recipes for the past 15 years and this is the best and least fussy. . Remove meat and shred. Any suggestions for a good replacement? 50 min and I let it npr for 1hr until I was ready to finish dinner. Toss with the shredded meat and cook an additional 30 minutes. Wait 30-60 minutes before serving. Just made this today and no one in my family could wait a day to let it set. We found it right by the refried beans and cans of enchilada sauce. If Im using 2.5 lbs of pork instead of 4 like this recipe calls for, do I still do the full two cups of water and 50 minutes pressure cooked time? We have moved to a state that doesnt have Cafe Rios and needed to recreate it! Carole, Chill at least 1 hour or overnight. We originally shared this recipe back in 2007, and it has been the most popular Cafe Rio copycat recipe on the internet! No matter how it was cooked, it was too lean to achieve the fall apart texture I was looking for. Im planning to make this for cinco de mayo tomorrow. It actually acts as a meat tenderizer in the recipe so dont leave it out. I have even been told this recipe tastes better than the real thing. Si. brown sugar, cafe rio, cafe rio copycat, cafe rio pork, copycat, copycat recipe, mexican pork, pork, root beer, shredded pork, sweet pork, FREE EMAIL BONUS: Cozy Soup Recipes to Get You Through the Winter, http://www.pinterest.com/pin/157555686939072946/, http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2011/09/red-chile-sauce-chicken-enchiladas.html, Jenna @ Extra Income Genie on February 24, 2014, Rocky Mountain Woman on September 11, 2013, Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain on September 11, 2013, Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking on September 11, 2013. Thats cheaper than I got mine. I have a very happy husband! Cook, covered, on high for 6 hours OR on low for 8 hours. I just love a good Sweet Pork Salad. Over the years I have read many comments, suggestions and tips for preparing the highly guarded secrets in Cafe Rio recipes, namely the Sweet Pork recipe. You are awesome Im glad I read this! I tried this tonight to make sweet pork nachos and it was delicious! I wish I had looked for an instant pot recipe earlier!! xo Please check back and let us know how long it took you to cook your 7 lb roast. The yellow can said hot and I was a little scared hesitant to try it. Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Sweet and succulent pork, perfect for your go-to Mexican dish. Thank you!! Blend until smooth. Years ago, I posted a slow cooker or oven version of Cafe Rio Sweet Pork, along with a complete menu of recipes. Stir to combine. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker. Many pressure cooking experts agree that releasing the pressure manually (turning the pressure valve to release) will cause the meat to be tough. So they do a fresh flour tortilla, a little cheese, cilantro rice (recipe is on my blog as well as the cafe rio tomatillo dressing), beans of choice, meat, lettuce, salsa, guacamole, and the special dressing with crisp tortilla strips. Set it and forget itthats why we love that slow cooker! Add garlic, salt, and pepper. No Cafe Rio?!! Its a great alternative to eating out! Can you please tell me how many this recipe will feed? Here is the link https://abountifulkitchen.com/favorite-cafe-rio-copycat-recipes/, I have used this recipe several times, most recently for New Years Eve. I love the pork Barbacoa burrito and have not been able to recreate it or find some thing close to it here in Texas until this recipe thank you for posting this. Its not listed in the ingredients. Otherwise will try again when I have more time. In a food processor or blender, blend can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste). Cook the pork in a slow cooker for 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high. Hope this helps and thanks for asking! This unique cookbook guides the way through every step, including meal lists and easy-to-follow recipes, and features dollops of heartwarming family stories. We've perfected the Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Copycat Recipe! Discard any large pieces of fat and then shred. Thanks for sharing, -Thicken sauce with cornstarch after cooked. Is it a powder or liquid and where have you found it? xo Prepare a large crock pot by spraying the inside with cooking spray. Hi Cristi, It was a TIE. My neighborhood would go crazy without one. Some say Dr. Pepper. I made this today for dinner, and my husband said if he closed his eyes he would not be able to tell the difference between Cafe Rio or Costa Vida or what I made. Thanks so much! You can just turn it on and walk away! Cover and heat until warmed all the way through and the meat has absorbed the sauce, about 1 to 2 hours on LOW heat. xo What size of cut did you use? xo, I was SO tempted to make a taco at almost midnight because it smelled so good as I was finishing it. Thank you, Si! Once it finishes and steam is released I drain liquid, shred with two forks, then add the enchilada sauce mixture and just incorporate together until hot. I love making meals in the crock pot and this is no exception. I love Cafe Rios pulled pork. Shred the meat well, discarding large pieces of the fat pad. What was the other recipe that called for the elusive sauce packet? There are lots of different sweet pork copycat recipes out there in the blogosphere and I have experimented with a lot of them. We've perfected the Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Copycat Recipe! If you are trying to lose weight, pork is a better choice than beef, because pork is lower in calories. Oh, I already know I am going to love this week over here!! Cilantro Lime Dressing, Oh. Thank you! I would also place the trivet at the bottom of the instant pot before you put the roast in. Its a tender pulled pork recipe with a coke or dr pepper sauce that Utah loves! XO I have made this recipe all the same prep steps and ingredients with a few tweaks to use an instant pot : 3 lbs of pork tenderloin cut into chunks for 55 minutes on manual (with the grate that lifts the meat mostly off the bottom of the pot. Allowing the pressure to naturally release results in a moist and tender finished product, similar to slow cooking the meat for 8-10 hours! He, Cinnamon Swirl Bread with Sweet Cinnamon Butter! 2 pounds pork (we use boneless pork ribs) 36 ounces Coke (3 soda cans) NOT diet 1/4 cup brown sugar dash garlic salt 1/4 cup water 1 can diced green chilies 10 ounces red enchilada sauce (Old El Paso brand is gluten free, I like medium spiciness but any will work) 1 cup brown sugar Instructions Put the pork in a heavy duty ziploc bag to marinate. Cook for the 6 hours, then an additional 2! I need guidance. xo, This is my favorite cafe rio pork recipe. Soooo good. Hi Megan, thank you for pointing that out, the cook time should be about and hour and a half. Thanks for reading ABK and thanks for your help. Wouldnt you know it, this is now my familys favorite. Ive read those books and enjoyed them except for the ending of the Giver. This looks so good! I hope the store doesnt stop carrying them! Youll have to try ours and see how it compares in taste! The nearest Cafe Rio is 1200 miles away and we miss it as much as we miss The Mandarine.which is a lot!!! Maybe 5 minutes longer? Drain the marinade, and sprinkle the pork all over with garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper. You can also use the meat in tacos, enchiladas or burritos. Cafe Rio pork is my fav! Discard any fat. Cafe Rio is a Utah based restaurant which has now spread into other states. Sweet and tender shredded pork just like the one from Caf Rio. . My hubby is the biggest sweet pork fan. I have both a 6 nd 8 quart, I most often use the 6 quart unless Im cooking for a big crowd or cooking two dishes at once in the IP. I actually found a sauce packet at Walmart that I made it with, and it was AMAZING!!! Pour the remaining 1 cup of Dr. Pepper, green chilies, enchilada sauce, and brown sugar into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. My family loved it! We also made your Tomatillo Sauce/Dressing and its perfection. At what point in the recipe do you add these vegetables? Yes, you can freeze the pork and sauce easily in gallon ziplock bags, remove from freezer in the morning, let thaw several hours and then heat on the stovetop or in a slow oven (300-325*) with foil wrapped over the pan. My son took some left-overs back to college with him and texted me to let me know that everyone loved it there as well. Im excited to give this a try! Hence, 4 out of 5 stars. Ive tried it and it still turns out amazing! Place the meat in a warming oven with tin foil over it until ready to use or for at least 20 minutes to let the meat soak up the sauce a bit. Also, should I double the sauce? Ive had dozens of readers email and leave comments regarding the at home version of this recipe and reported back huge success in making Cafe Rio Sweet Pork for family reunions, weddings, girls camp, and youth conference gatherings to name a few. I always hope my replies are seen, but Im never sure as spam loves to take my emails. Thanks for asking and for reading ABK, Frontera Red Chile with roasted tomato and garlic Enchilada Sauce. Place shredded pork back in crock pot. Im eating leftovers for lunch with my 5yo and 2yo and they also approve. If so would you put the sauce on before your freeze it or wait until you serve it? I am so excited to use it for years to come. Cafe Rio Sweet Pork {Copycat} Recipe [+ Video]. Filed under: Dinner, Family Reunion Food, Mexican, Pork, Slow Cooker and Instant Pot, Videos. xo I love this recipe and cant find any sauce either. Yes, I have a slow cooker or oven version of this recipe as well! xo, The sweet pork also makes a perfect topping for nachos. We just tried this and it was AMAZING! Cook on low for 8-9 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. Maybe we still call it butt because butt is more fun to say than shoulder? When we go to Cafe Rio, I pretty much always get the salad to split (this is quite rare as the hubs DOES NOT split anything. Shake until meat is coated. thanks for reading ABK, Help!!! Turn the roast over and use the other half of the seasoning mixture to do the same on the other side. This new IP recipe takes about two hours start to finish, with most of the time spent in the Instant Pot, cooking the meat! The fat will need to be removed and discarded.-I use both homemade and canned red enchilada sauce for this recipe. I love the pork dont get me wrong, but I have a ton of frozen chicken I need to use and Ive been craving the sweet pork so Im hoping I can still get the flavor and use up the chicken (we are moving in a few weeks so Im trying to use up our food)! This hot thw spot, so easy and incredibly yummy! How long did you pressure cook it for? We like to eat it with a tortilla on a plate then topped with lettuce, black beans, rice and cilantro ranch dressing! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Our family doesnt like pork, but we love the beef. . I am planning a large event and want to make sure I have enough. I make everything ahead and then we simply chop up lettuce and tomatoes and grill fresh tortillas for a homemade Cafe Rio style feast! By taco seasoning mixes and the Spanish rice. Ive made this once before and my husband and I absolutely loved it! Have you made this recipe yet? xo Thirty minutes did not give the meat enough time to tenderize while 75 was too long. Have you made this and froze it for use later? This recipe for Cafe Rio Sweet Pork is the real deal. Its THAT good! Has anyone tried it? Im so glad youre trying this recipe, I know youll love it! Its in a yellow liquid sauce packet. I love your variation and thanks for sharing, Joana! Im actually so excited about this that Im going to make it as a crockpot freezer meal for my freezer exchange group, too! Thanks, The recipe calls for a 4-7 lb roast, and you are using a 7-8 lb roast, so the cook time should be close to the same. Use this pork to make giant burritos smothered with Cilantro-Tomatillo Dressing, or an amazing pork salad. After eating more than my share of Cafe Rio meals, I came up with this oven or slow cooker recipeback in 2011. The cook time was perfect. Karis Garden Salsa - Pork recipe is made with pork shoulder (Boston pork butt), pantry Do you think canned enchilada sauce would work instead of the cooking sauce? That would be amazing! It is a bundle of aromatic herbs and sometimes vegetables that are used to enhance the flavor of soups, stews, stocks, poaching liquids and even braised dishes. I forgot to take that out of the instructions. The Dr pepper moistens the pork incredibly. Haha I know! Take the pork out of the slow cooker and place it on the chopping board. So if you are cooking a 7 lb roast, about 3.5-4 lbs of meat left if using a pork butt or shoulder. Hi Tamara, I usually just simmer the pork in a pan with cut up yellow onions, serrano peppers and chopped carrots, then remove the peppers and carrots after cooking and do not use the peppers and carrots in the sauce. Well, Ive tried my fair share of these recipes in the pastbut since I strongly dislike colas (yes, all of them) I found that I did not like those recipes that included them! ! Jared, We love, love, love this recipe! Or would you recommend using your older recipe? I love Cafe Rio! The pork is marinated and slow-cooked to perfection in some surprising ingredients! Rub the dry seasoning all over the pork roast. To the slow cooker, add in the garlic, onion, chili powder, water and cola. Add the pork to a gallon-sized ziplock bag and add cup brown sugar and 2 cups Coca-Cola. . I have an 8 quart instant pot. Ive never heard of this old el paso sauce packet. When cool enough, pull any remaining visible fat off of meat and set aside. My family said it tasted just like cafe rio. Changing the amount doesnt change the time when using the IP. Delicious sweet pulled pork perfect for your favorite Mexican food dish. I just love that theres a quick version! Remove the fat before shredding the pork. I always have used the old recipe and I used the frontera red Chile enchilada sauce packet and still love how it turns out. Or should I do it in the oven? Cafe Rio {Copycat} Creamy Tomatillo Cilantro Ranch Dressing [+ Video], Cilantro Lime Rice Cafe Rio {Copycat} [+ Video], Crock Pot Cafe Rio {Copycat} Chicken [+ Video], Smothered Cafe Rio {Copycat} Chicken Burrito. So so good and so easy. Im having a hard time finding the spice packet. Remove Chipotle chilies and shred meat. Its really quite fun. I was referring to your homemade spice mix. 3- Cover and secure the lid, and set valve to seal. I love seeing what you made. Im feeding 5 men tomorrow and was hoping to freeze the extra cooked meat, but now Im worried I wont be able to get 9lbs cooked to fork tender. xo Just halved all ingredients for the sauce after it cooked. Make sure the lid is set to the Sealing position. Put pork, can of Coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot and cook on high for about 3-4 hours or on low for 8 hours. Id love to know if this turned out well for you! Thank you for bringing that to my attention! Shred pork with two forks, and remove any fat. Cut pork loin into three to four large chunks and add to crockpot. For this reason, when cooking in the IP, I often make the finished sauce after the main dish has been cooked. Hi I'm Kari. Here, you can pin off of this link, http://www.pinterest.com/pin/157555686939072946/, Ive gone to three grocery stores and cant find el paso sauce packet WITH roasted garlic. Thank you. The extra two hours gives the shredded meat a chance to soak up more of the marinade. Keep warm until ready to serve. Hi Melissa, you can cook it for the same amount of time, 50 min. Do you have a good suggestion to replace the sauce packet since they arent sold anymore? Lettuce Xo This is the perfect mix of savory sweet and will find its way into our regular taco Tuesday rotation. Add your pork to a large zip-top bag, bowl with a lid, or other container with one cup of coke, and 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Christine, (Old El Paso brand is gluten free, I like medium spiciness but any will work). Place roast inside slow cooker. Chopped pork. I so look forward to trying some of your recipes. Maybe they will give me a hint. Every time I eat it, its like a warm homey feeling comes over me. Kamie, I had my doubts because the ingredients seem so random, but we love this recipe and have done it with and without marinade several times. How much of the mix do I add for this recipe if it makes more than I need? Would I be able to reduce the amount of cooking time in that case? Continue to heat up until thickened. But heres the deal. I have a 7lb pork butt and I dont want to chance it in my instant pot. boneless pork (carnitas, shoulder etc) 12 oz Coke (1 can) 1/4 cup brown sugar 10 oz. . You are amazing!! Walmart. Try this Creamy Cilantro Dressing to pour over the top. Its a little scary making a meal for a group when youve never tried the recipe before! All of this info was compiled from various butchers and online sources. Can I sub beef for this or do you have the cafe rio shredded beef recipe? If you've ever been to Utah you've probably had Cafe Rio, specifically Cafe Rio Sweet Pork. We have made it for several years now and it surely is a treat! Here is the old recipe: Im going to have to try and find that sauce packet!! Step 1: Place pork in a zip lock bag. The pork is tender and juicy, with the perfect amount of sweetness. This recipe looks delicious! You can put this sweet pork into a salad, in a burrito, in enchiladas, on top of nachos, in a rice bowl, or in a quesadilla like we already discussed above. Si. Im sorry! How do you make the dressing/sauce that is on top? ), Hi Tanya! Cuts of pork are not created equal! Thanks for reading ABK. Wonder what the Coke does? Maybe closer to 35lbs if you are feeding hungry lacrosse players! Drain the marinade and add the pork to a 5-quart slow cooker. God! There are a lot of Sweet Pork (Cafe Rio Copycat) Recipes out there. Now I really have a hankering for a Cafe Rio pork salad. Turned out fabulous. Im with you Natalie! Thank you so much for sharing, Josee, Im so glad you enjoyed the recipe! See our disclosure policy. The difference was, they would warm theirs up for dinner the next night. Thanks for sharing a fantastic recipe, cant wait to make it again! This is my go to sweet pork recipe. that all work together. Its a fun series of futuristic fairy tale stories with a twist tastes amazing leftover too!!!! I have about four hours. Served ot with spanish yellow rice and black beans. When we boiled it down (no pun intended) I found they used a cut of meat OTHER THAN the cuts I recommend. It is so sweet, so delicious. The result was excellent! I would totally make this again. I usually order the fire-grilled chicken, but I always seem to ask Kale if I can have a bite of his! Complete fail and waste of a lot of money. Does thefood blogworldreally need another Caf Rio recipe? Is it 10 hours total on low? Not only that this pork sounds deeelicious, I absolutely LOVE that serving bowl! So today, I am going to share with you my mothers recipe for Sweet Pork. In fact, I pinned it to make sure. Also, the sauce is actually called roasted garlic and chile or something like that. Blend until smooth. Hi, in step 10 it says to put the the remaining juice aside in a small bowl. We will definitely look into that! Join our family as we cook, bake, and enjoy time together in the kitchen. Do you think it will be enough? They have pics on their website so you can see it there. That is so exciting! Go ahead and make this recipe as written. Pour half of the can of soda around the roast in the slow cooker. This recipe will serve 8-10 people. Ive never tried a recipe from you that Ive disliked. It always turns out tender and moist. then make sure you roast the garlic first and if possible roast your own tomatoes and then puree to the amount that the can normally is. Im glad you enjoyed the recipe, the IP makes all the difference. Here is the link to the cilantro-tomatillo dressing, but there are also links to my guacamole, black beans, rice and pico. Can you tell me what I maybe did wrong? Are you marinating it in the Coke before you add the spices and brown in the Instant Pot? Made it today. This process can't be rushed! Some unusual ingredients are used to marinate and slow-cook the pork until it is just right. 3 lbs. Its is good any way, shape or form! ? I am so sad the Old El Paso sauce is no longer available. * Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Mention @favoritefamilyrecipes or tag #favoritefamilyrecipes! So Ive beenexperimenting withdifferent versions and this one is the one we feel tastes closest to the real thing. Dont like the one she posted? Add coke and brown sugar and seal bag. Remove the peppers and carrots after cooking. I love all your copy cat recipes but cant seem to find one for the spicy pork!