This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Beneficial Bento!
Tender, juicy pork infused with smoky, sweet, and spicy flavors - this Cafe Rio copycat tastes like it simmered all day, but is so quick to pull together when you use an instant pot.
This Instant pot shredded sweet pork recipe checks all the boxes: it's tender, juicy, full of flavor, and quick. No refined sugars or canned soda in this recipe, just clean, well-balanced ingredients delivering a taste that's pretty darn close to your favorite restaurant's sweet pork.
The best part is that it comes together super fast using your instant pot, but it tastes like it's been simmering all day. It's got sweet, savory, and smoky notes that sink right into the meat. Do you want to learn more? Let's dive in!
Jump to:
3 Reasons Why You'll Love this Copycat Café Rio Recipe
🌮 Deep bold flavors: This recipe blends sweet coconut sugar with zesty apple cider vinegar and smoky paprika, creating a savory and tangy flavor combo that feels layered and SO satisfying.
⏲️ Fast and easy, but has that cooked-all-day feel: you get the tender, juicy texture that usually takes hours in a slow cooker, but thanks to our friend the instant pot, it can be pressure cooked to tender perfection in under an hour.
✨ Meal prep magic: It stores, freezes and reheats like a champ, which means you can make a big batch and feast on it all week long. That's why I keep this one on rotation - easy prep, amazing flavor, and comfort food vibes without too much work. It's perfect for salads, burritos, tacos, and bowls.
Here's Our Lineup
- Pork tenderloin - this lean cut cooks relatively quickly and absorbs flavors beautifully. If you want a more budget-friendly option, boneless pork shoulder or pork butt roast work just as well, but are super fatty (but super tasty!)
- Broth (beef or chicken) - the broth adds needed moisture to the pork tenderloin as it cooks, making a rich, savory cooking liquid. Either beef or chicken works depending on what you have on hand. Both contribute some nice, umami notes.
- Salt - salt is essential for tenderizing the pork. When you salt the pork and chill it in the fridge (the longer the better), the fibers in the meat break down and soften, making it super juicy as it cooks.
- Apple cider vinegar - ACV brings that tangy edge that balances the sweet and the smoky flavors perfectly.
- Oil - the oil is for browning the pork tenderloin, which is typically really lean. If you are using a fattier cut of pork, you may need less oil.
- Garlic powder - an essential part of the spice rub
- Taco seasoning - adds the perfect spicy flavor to the dry rub. My homemade taco seasoning recipe is what I use.
- Coconut sugar - I was looking for an ingredient to add sweetness, but didn't want to use processed brown sugar. And no Dr. Pepper or Coca Cola in this recipe! Coconut sugar is a clean, unprocessed sweetener that's perfect for a dry rub. It's dry and grainy, blending right in with the spices. I use this in my Juicy Air Fried chicken recipe too.
- Smoked paprika - plain old paprika will not do here, it has to be smoked paprika to give the pork that bold, smoky flavor that it needs to compete with the Costa Vida or Café Rio versions.
Spice Things Up a Little!
🌶️ Add some heat: If you like a little kick, toss in some red pepper flakes, chopped jalapeños or other chopped green chiles before cooking.
🥗 Make some taco salads: serve the shredded pork over a bed of romaine lettuce and top with some black beans, corn, and cilantro lime dressing for a memorable meal.
🌮 Turn it into tacos: Pile the pork onto a fresh flour tortilla or corn tortilla and add your favorite toppings like tomatoes, cilantro, cheddar or cotija cheese, and sour cream for a fun taco night.
🥘 Oven finish: After pressure cooking, spread the pork on a baking sheet and broil it on high for a few minutes to really crisp up those edges even more. This is optional, but adds some delicious flavor if you've got the time.
You'll Need an Instant Pot
If you're planning on making this recipe, you'll need an instant pot. I pull out my instant pot several times a week. It makes the most delicious pot roast, and is the very best way to cook steel cut oats. Check out my Best Gluten Free Instant Pot recipes for more ways to use it. It you're in the market for an instant pot, here's the one I have used and loved for the past few years 👇
My Favorite Instant Pot
Buy Now → Let's Get Cooking!
Here's the quick overview of how this recipe is made. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and all the nutrition facts.
Step 1. Cut pork into large chunks that will fit in the instant pot. Salt pork and chill in the fridge, uncovered, for an hour or more.
Step 2. Heat oil in the instant pot using the Sauté setting. Brown pork on all sides. Turn off the instant pot.
Step 3. Meanwhile, combine spices and sugar for the dry rub.
Step 4. Sprinkle over all sides of the meat. Add apple cider vinegar and broth.
Step 5. Choose meat/stew setting for 45 minutes. After it beeps, do a quick release or let the pressure come down on its own (natural release).
Step 6. Remove pork from the instant pot. Shred the pork, and pour cooking liquid over it to keep it moist until serving.
Pro Tips 👇
#1 Salt the pork and chill it
Salting the pork ahead of time and letting it rest in the fridge until the meat fibers break down and soften is THE secret to making the pork more flavorful and tender. It's a small step that pays off as a giant leap forward in juicy, delicious meat.
#2 Don't skip searing the pork
Browning the pork in the Instant Pot before pressure cooking seals in the dry rub flavors and creates those caramelized edges we all love. This step adds a savory depth that you won't get by just dumping everything into the pot.
#3 Use the meat/stew setting for pressure cooking
This setting helps create the perfect environment for a tender, juicy outcome. Stick to 45 minutes, then let the pressure come down naturally (if you're not in a rush) for the best results.
#4 Save the cooking liquid
After shredding, pour a little of that luscious liquid back over the pork. It's the best way to avoid dry meat, especially when reheating it later.
Healthy Instant Pot Sweet Pork (Cafe Rio Copycat)
Tender, juicy pork infused with smoky, sweet, and spicy flavors. This Cafe Rio copycat tastes like it simmered all day, but is so quick to pull together when you use an instant pot.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: dinner
- Method: instant pot
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. Pork roast such as tenderloin or pork loin, cut into large chunks that will fit in the instant pot.
- 2 tablespoons oil, for browning
- ¼ cup beef or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 3 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons taco seasoning *see Notes
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
Instructions
- Cut pork into large chunks that will fit in the instant pot. Salt pork and chill in the fridge, uncovered, for an hour or more
- Heat oil in the instant pot using the Sauté setting. Brown pork on all sides. Turn off the instant pot.
- Meanwhile, combine spices and sugar for the dry rub.
- Sprinkle over all sides of the meat. Add apple cider vinegar and broth.
- Choose meat/stew setting for 45 minutes. After it beeps, do a quick release or let the pressure come down on its own (natural release). If your instant pot doesn't have that setting, you can select Manual, high pressure, for 45 minutes.
- Remove pork from the instant pot. Shred the pork, and pour cooking liquid over it to keep it moist until serving.
Sweet, Shredded Pork - Perfect for Meal Prep
How to store, freeze, reheat: store this pork in an airtight container, or portion sized food prep containers once it has cooled. Include a little of the cooking liquid. This important step will keep the meat moist and juicy for about 5 days in the refrigerator.Freeze in freezer safe containers for 3 - 5 months.
My favorite way is to freeze it in single serving containers along with some of my Lime Cilantro Rice and some pinto beans or black beans. That combo is fantastic together, and reheats in the microwave very well. ⤵️
More Mexican Style Recipes
Roundup! 🤠🐎
Did you know this recipe is part of my Best Gluten Free Low Carb Recipe roundup? Come by to see all the delicious recipes - you might find some new favorites!