If Cafe Rio Sweet Pork is your family favorite, you’re going to love this recipe! Instant Pot Cafe Rio Sweet Pork is an updated version of my original recipe made in the oven or slow cooker, which takes up to 12 hours to cook. This new IP recipe takes about two hours start to finish, with most of the time spent in the Instant Pot, cooking the meat!
What is Cafe Rio and the complete list of make at home recipes…
Cafe Rio is a popular fast-casual Mexican style restaurant with headquarters in Utah. If you’ve ever even had a flight layover in Utah, you’ve probably eaten at Cafe Rio (thanks to the airport location)! Years ago, I posted a slow cooker or oven version of Cafe Rio Sweet Pork, along with a complete menu of recipes. This updated recipe allows cooking of the sweet pork in a fraction of the original 5-12 hour time. The at home version of Cafe Rio recipes includes: sweet pork, black beans, cilantro lime rice, pico, guac, and of course the most important part of the meal, the dressing! All of the recipes are linked below. I’ve 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. We love to eat this dish when we are at our cabin. I make everything ahead and then we simply chop up lettuce and tomatoes and grill fresh tortillas for a homemade Cafe Rio style feast!
- Cafe Rio Style Sweet Pork
- Cafe Rio Style Black Beans
- Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Rice
- Cafe Rio Style Pico
- ABK’s Ultimate Chunky Guac
- Cafe Rio Style Cilantro Dressing
- Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup
Not all pork created equal
There are many different cuts of pork sold in the grocery store and at big box stores, such as Costco. One caution, not all cuts of pork work well in this recipe! I’ve had readers tell me they didn’t get the desired finished product when making Cafe Rio Sweet Pork. When we boiled it down (no pun intended) I found they used a cut of meat OTHER THAN the cuts I recommend. I know the huge Pork Loin Roast at Costco is ridiculously inexpensive, and hardly has any fat on it, so not much waste as far as discarding fat goes. I get it. But here’s the deal. If you buy lean cuts of pork, your Instant Pot Cafe Rio Sweet Pork will not taste like Cafe Rio’s Pork. And you’ll wonder why. Pork tenderloin and pork loin roast are not good choices for this recipe. Neither has a high enough fat content to make the fall apart finished product you’re looking for.
I experimented with pork loin, Boston butt and pork shoulder for Instant Pot Cafe Rio Sweet Pork. After trying a few different cook times and water levels and also marinating vs not marinating, I found pork loin to be too lean. No matter how it was cooked, it was too lean to achieve the fall apart texture I was looking for. It often turned out dry tasting no matter how little the cook time. Boston butt and pork shoulder, technically from the same part of the pig or hog, are from the top portion of the shoulder area. Interesting fact- the name Boston butt originates from 18th century New England when pork was packed in barrels (which were also known as butts) to store and ship meat. So, it’s actually not the butt at all, but the shoulder. Maybe we still call it butt because butt is more fun to say than shoulder? The butt is usually sold without bone and the shoulder almost always is sold with a large bone-in. When purchasing the shoulder cut pork, I ask my grocery butcher to trim it off, along with the thick piece of fat that accompanies it. You can also use Boneless Pork Rib meat, which is basically the same thing as the shoulder, without the bone. All of this info was compiled from various butchers and online sources. In the end, your best bet for tender fall apart meat is either Pork Shoulder, Boneless Pork Ribs or Boston Butt. My preference is Pork Shoulder or Boneless Pork Rib meat!
timing is everything
The cook time in the Instant Pot will vary according to the cut of meat used. I tried several different cook times, from 30-75 minutes. Thirty minutes did not give the meat enough time to tenderize while 75 was too long. I found the best time combination was 50 minutes at high pressure and then a 45+ minute natural pressure release, which means no touching the valve that allows pressure to release from the pot for at least 45 minutes. This time combination allowed the meat to cook for the proper amount of time, breaking down almost all of the fat so it melted back into the meat when using a pork shoulder. During the natural pressure release time, the meat continues to cook with the residual heat in the pot, the pressure is slowly released and the juices stay in the meat instead of escaping out of the pan (or pot). Many pressure cooking experts agree that releasing the pressure manually (turning the pressure valve to release) will cause the meat to be tough. Allowing the pressure to naturally release results in a moist and tender finished product, similar to slow cooking the meat for 8-10 hours! If you want to start the meat at 3:00 pm when you leave to start driving carpool, go ahead, the meat will be fine in the Instant Pot for hours. You can turn on the ‘keep warm’ feature and the meat will stay on a low temperature for hours and be ready to eat later in the evening without overcooking.
Instant Pot Cafe Rio Sweet Pork- Spice and Sauce
After eating more than my share of Cafe Rio meals, I came up with this oven or slow cooker recipe back in 2011. Cooking in the Instant Pot is totally different than cooking in a slow cooker. The IP cooks at such a high temperature and pressure for a small amount of time, while the slow cooker is the complete opposite. The IP tends to release a higher volume of liquid from ingredient in the pot, which can dilute sauces. For this reason, when cooking in the IP, I often make the finished sauce after the main dish has been cooked. During early experiments with this recipe, I cooked the pork in the sauce but found the sauce ingredients to be so diluted (even without adding water) and the sauce so runny that it was better to drain off some of the sauce and start over after cooking.
I decided the best way to flavor the pork, without wasting the sauce was to coat the pork in a seasoning mix which you can make on your own, or purchase for less than $2 at your grocery. I used Menudo Spice mix, which is a combination of Chili Pepper, Onion, Garlic and “spices”, sold in the Latino section of any grocery store. Making your own Menudo mix at home is simple- just combine the following in a dish: 2-3 tablespoons chili powder, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1 tablespoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon oregano 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon finely ground pepper. Mix together and store in a ziplock bag or small container. After seasoning and browning the meat (not required), I simply pour water around the edges of the meat and cook as directed. Also, to clarify, I do not marinate the meat in a sauce or mixture of spices before cooking. I didn’t find much of a difference in flavors when marinating in the sauce. If you are organized and plan ahead, coat the meat with the spices a day or two before cooking this will only enhance the flavor of the meat!
Secret tips from former employees …
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. I think a few are helpful. A few I use, a few I do not. What better place to share tips for making the best sweet pork, than on a recipe for Instant Pot Cafe Rio Sweet Pork?! Here are the tips and secrets, all in one place for you to sift through and decided if you want to incorporate any into your recipe…
Tips and Secrets for perfect Cafe Rio Sweet Pork!
-Pork is marinated in Coke, full strength, not Diet Coke. Some say Dr. Pepper.
-Only use pork butt or shoulder.
-Simmer pork in a pan with cut up yellow onions, serrano peppers and chopped carrots. Remove the peppers and carrots after cooking.
-Use a spice blend of garlic powder, dried oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.
-Make red enchilada sauce from scratch. My favorite homemade red enchilada sauce is found here.
-Use a canned red enchilada sauce. Las Palmas brand used at Cafe Rio.
-Cook onions in a pan with oil until caramelized, add to cooked pork and enchilada sauce.
-Thicken sauce with cornstarch after cooked.
-Shred pork after cooked and let sit in a ziplock bag overnight with sauce made fresh after pork is cooked. Warm in a slow oven or stovetop. Pork is best served the day after it is cooked completely and sauce is made.
I’d love to hear your comments and suggestions for cooking Instant Pot Cafe Rio Sweet Pork at home. Please share below and rate the recipe after you’ve given it a try!
Instant Pot Cafe Rio Sweet Pork

Ingredients
- 4-7 lbs boneless pork shoulder, butt or boneless pork rib meat*, cut into large chunks, large visible chunks of fat removed
- Menudo spice mix, or make your own (see post for instructions)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups cold water
- for sauce
- 3/4 to 1 cup brown sugar light or dark to taste
- 1 - 16 oz can red enchilada sauce*
- 1 4 oz can chopped green chiles, not drained
- 1 -12 oz can Coke, Pepsi or Dr Pepper
Instructions
- Place 3 tablespoons spice mix in a large gallon size Ziplock bag. Shake until meat is coated.
- Turn Instant Pot to Saute mode.
- Add one tablespoon olive oil.
- Place meat in pot when hot and brown on both sides. If you are in a hurry, skip this step and omit the oil in the pot.
- When meat is browned on both sides, Add water around sides of meat.
- Place the lid on the top of the pot (make sure the sealing ring is in place inside of the lid) and lock into sealing position. Turn the setting to Manual or High Pressure and set the timer for 50 minutes. Make sure the lid is set to the Sealing position.
- After the timer goes off, allow the pot to naturally release the pressure for at least 45 minutes.
- Carefully remove the lid from the pot when all of the pressure is released.
- Remove the meat and set on a cutting board. Allow to cool for a few minutes. When cool enough, pull any remaining visible fat off of meat and set aside. Discard any fat. Shred meat with a fork.
- Remove the remaining juice from the pan and place in a small bowl.
- Whisk the enchilada sauce, chopped green chiles, brown sugar and one can of soda together in the Instant Pot. Place the shredded meat back into the Instant Pot and turn the setting to Saute. Heat just until sauce boils and the meat is heated through, then turn the setting to keep warm mode.
- If you would like to thicken the sauce a bit, whisk one tablespoon of cornstarch into a cup of the liquid removed from pan after the meat was cooked and add back to the Instant Pot with meat and enchilada sauce. Continue to heat up until thickened.
- Serve on top of tortilla chips, tortillas, or a bed of rice. All Cafe Rio style recipes listed and linked on post.
Notes
-I use both homemade and canned red enchilada sauce for this recipe. I believe homemade is best, but it's very difficult to taste the difference between homemade and canned when the brown sugar and green chiles are added! The link for my homemade sauce is on this post under the last paragraph "Tips and Secrets for Perfect Cafe Rio Sweet Pork". It takes about 5 minutes to make.
-As stated in the post, I did not marinate the pork in the sauce before cooking. My slow cooked method posted previously recommends marinating, but this recipe does not.
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to leave a comment and rate this recipe! I’d love to see a photo, tag @abountifulkitchen on Instagram!
Gail Brimley
Why is one of the ingredients “for sauce”?
Jillian
Hi Gail!
That is just an error on our part. Thank you for finding that and letting us know!
Best,
Jillian @ABK Team
Marie Tan
I am so glad you made this into a instant pot version. Makes it so much quicker and delicious! Make it for a friends get together and everyone loves it! and definitely will be making it again.
Alysha Huntsman
My family is obsessed with this recipe. Living outside of Utah we really missed Cafe Rio sweet pork and this recipe taste exactly like it!
Kiersten Nelson
I need to make this again ASAP! It was so yummy and a perfect copycat for the famous Cafe Rio sweet pork. Cafe Rio is one of the things I miss most about living in Utah, but thankfully these recipes will help satisfy the craving!
Jessica
A quick simple go to recipe on those busy sports nights. We use it in tacos or salad or enchiladas no complaints from 4 boys
Amy Asper
The instant pot pork makes making dinner so much easier. We love Cafe Rio, but there are so many elements to get everything on the plate. This was easy and super yummy!
Erica S
We live about 7 hours away from the nearest Cafe Rio, and having a copycat recipe is LIFE! I had a favorite for many years, but decided I wanted to try this one in the Instant Pot. It is now my ride or die when I’m craving Cafe Rio Pork!! I’m fixing up a big batch this weekend for a Cinco de Mayo block party and can’t wait to introduce our neighbors to this goodness. I really love how you have the note explaining cuts of meat to use for this, as it helps me prep and budget. I love using the pork country ribs, and I always freeze the leftovers so I can enjoy more Cafe Rio later!
Erika hardy
So simple and delicious! Great in a salad, burrito, or tacos! The Fiesta menudo spice mix makes a huge impact on flavor. My favorite copy cat cafe Rio Pork recipe by far!
Whitney
This is our favorite Cafe Rio pork recipe! We live hundreds of miles from the nearest Cafe Rio so we love that we can have a homemade version!
Jessie p
Such a great recipe and it feeds a crowd!! So delicious and even better than cafe rio!
Chelsie smith
This is probably the best cafe Rio pork copycat recipe!! I have tried several different ones, but this recipe is so yummy and has the best option when I don’t have time to let my pork sit all day!!
Greg H
10/10! Amazingly easy and so delicious. Thank you for such a great recipe!!!!
Krista
Question: I am making this for girls camp. We have a smaller group, of about 30. How would it taste to make this completely through, and then freeze it? How would you suggest I heat it up once at camp? We will have ovens, or I could bring a crockpot to reheat? I’d love your suggestions. And also I’m loving your post about cooking for a crowd, girls camp and such! Thank you!!
Si Foster
Krista,
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. Enjoy your girls camp!
xo,
Si
Jill
Tastes great! It really is better the next day as it sits in the juice or from the freezer. Do you think a 7 pound pork would be enough for a family of 12 adults and seven little kids?
Si Foster
Hi Jill,
Usually, after cooking, you will have approx a little over half of the meat left in weight. So if you are cooking a 7 lb roast, about 3.5-4 lbs of meat left if using a pork butt or shoulder. For kids, Id recommend 1/3 lb per person if they are young. But for adults, 1/2 lb perversion (before adding the sauce). Hope this helps!
XO
Si
Tanya
I have used this recipe several times, most recently for New Years Eve. It is so yummy! 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. It is great as a salad, burrito, or nachos. (And Si is one of my favorite “imaginary” friends on instagram…I’d love to actually meet her.)
Si Foster
Hi Tanya!
Thank you so much for your review! I love my Instagram friends <3
xo
Si
Cristi A.
Can I make this is in the crockpot or oven. I have a 7lb pork butt and I don’t want to chance it in my instant pot.
Si Foster
Hi Cristi,
Yes, I have a slow cooker or oven version of this recipe as well! Here is the link… https://abountifulkitchen.com/favorite-cafe-rio-copycat-recipes/
Rebecca
This was amazing! Living in Midwest we have to make our own Cafe Rio and I have made versions often. I wish I had looked for an instant pot recipe earlier!! The recipe for the spice rub was a bonus, flavoring the pork beautifully. Someone sneaky got into my cans of Coke I keep stored only to make Cafe Rio pork (we drink diet on a regular basis) and therefore I made this without it. Wouldn’t you know it, this is now my family’s favorite. We had our friends from Guatemala over and they RAVED, exclaiming it tasted extremely authentic. Thank you!
Si Foster
If you friends from Guatemala loved it then it’s a winner! Thanks for sharing,
xo
Si
Marjean Caresia
I made this Instant Pot Cafe Rio for our RS Birthday dinner which was right before the Covid shutdowns. It was AMAZING! I followed the recipe to a T, also making the ABK homemade menudo dry rub and the ABK Homemade Enchilada Sauce for the simmering meat. I tried the recipe with both boneless pork ribs and boneless pork shoulder. I preferred the finished consistency of the shoulder meat. My “sample” batch was with the ribs and I froze that batch ahead of time. The finished consistency of the frozen recipe was not nearly as good (obviously) as the fresh made night before and day of batches. I am getting windy, but the Instant Pot version of CRP is amazing. I did 30 pounds of pork and it went so smoothly and quickly!
Thanks for ALL of your great Cafe Rio copycat recipes, Si! It makes it easy to scratch our itch for CPK so far away from Utah. In fact…I find these recipes to be actually BETTER than the “real” versions.
😊
Marjean Caresia
And of course I meant “CRP” not “CPK”…🤦🏼♀️
Si Foster
Thank you so much for your detailed review! It is SO helpful to read about your experiences making this a few different ways and also your opinion about the best cut of meat and making ahead vs fresh! I agree the IP version is my favorite and I also love using the shoulder cut.
Thanks again!
xo
Si
Sara Cooper
Oh no…the recipe says the total time is 10 min. So I thought it was a quick dinner. So ive been following the steps as i make it and just got to the part that says set timer to 50 min. And then release for 45 min. Shoot. My husband is leaving in 1.5 hours 🙁
But btw i love all of your recipes. I cook a recipe from your blog at least 3x a week 🙂
Si Foster
Oh no Sara, I’m sorry! I will update that ASAP, thank you for letting me know.
xo
Si