Copycat Cafe Rio Pork: Sweet, Saucy, and Crock Pot Easy

If you’ve ever stood in line at Café Rio just for their sweet pork, this one’s for you. This Copycat Cafe Rio Pork recipe nails that tender, sweet, slightly smoky flavor — and the best part is, it’s made in the crock pot. No babysitting, no fancy steps. Just simple, saucy comfort food that’s perfect for tacos, salads, burritos, or straight out of the pot with a fork (no judgment here).

This recipe is one of those “everybody goes back for seconds” kind of meals, and it’s perfect for a crowd. We love serving it with cilantro lime rice, black beans, and all the fixings for a full-on Café Rio-style dinner at home. It’s also a great one to freeze or make ahead.

If you’re someone who likes it extra saucy (guilty), consider doubling the sauce. It’s sweet from the brown sugar, a little smoky from the enchilada sauce, and gets just the right punch from the green chilies. Here’s what you need to make this delicious copycat Cafe Rio Pork.

Ingredients:

For the Pork:

1. 2–4 lbs pork roast or loin
2. 2 ¼ cups regular Coke
3. ¼ cup brown sugar
4. Dash of garlic salt
5. ¼ cup water

For the Sauce:

1. ¾ cup Coke
2. 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
3. 1 cup red enchilada sauce
4. 1 cup brown sugar

Instructions:

1. Add pork, 2 ¼ cups Coke, water, brown sugar, and a dash of garlic salt to your crock pot.
2. Cook on low for 6–8 hours, until the pork is fully cooked and fork-tender.
3. Drain excess liquid, then shred the pork with two forks.
4. Blend together the sauce ingredients: Coke, green chilies, enchilada sauce, and brown sugar.
5. Pour the sauce over the shredded pork and stir to coat.
6. Let it sit on low until ready to serve.

Serving Ideas:

1. Stuff it in tortillas with cheese and guac for tacos.
2. Layer it over a bed of romaine, rice, beans, and pico for a full salad. We love using Our Best Bites Cilantro Lime Dressing.
3. Roll it into burritos with cilantro lime rice and melted cheese.
4. Or just eat it by the spoonful from the crock pot, it’s that good.

Meal Prep Friendly?

Absolutely. This pork stores well in the fridge and freezer and gets even more flavorful after a day or two. Perfect for busy weeknights, big families, or meal trains.

Enjoy!

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do. Some of our other favorite Mexican inspired meals are Johanna Gaines’ Classic Beef Tacos, Mels Kitchen Cafe Chipotle Chicken Tacos, and the Half Baked Harvest White Chicken Chili Burrito Bowls