Sweet Pork Barbacoa

Sweet Pork Barbacoa made in the slow cooker. If you love Cafe Rio’s pork, you’ll love this insanely easy crockpot recipe. It’s a fave for dinner any night.

Some of the best dinners start in the slow cooker. Sweet Pork Barbacoa is my all-time favorite food!!

If you love Cafe Rio’s pork, you’ll love this recipe. It’s beyond easy to make & incredibly DELICIOUS!

Pulled pork is the one thing I absolutely can’t get enough of. All by itself or in some bbq sauce or in a burrito – I could eat it ALL DAY every day for the rest of my days on earth.

When I first tried Sweet Pork Barbacoa for the first time and I swear my eyes rolled to the back of my head.

I was in sheer heaven & I knew that I would have to figure out how to make my own. After a few attempts, I finally have this one perfected and it’s INCREDIBLE!

Sweet Pork Slow Cooker Recipe

This Sweet Pork Barbacoa is to die for! I make this as often as I can around here.

I actually have 2 cookers going when I make this. One is this barbacoa and the other is my standard carnitas for the boys.

They like it spicy – not sweet. But for us girls – we love love love the sweet pork. That’s fine – less I have to share which makes me grin from ear to ear.

Here are some commonly asked questions

Where do you find pork sirloin roast?

I pick mine up at Costco. But if you can’t find the sirloin, you can pick up any pork roast. I prefer the sirloin whenever I can get it because it is just trimmed a bit leaner and the quality of the meat seems a bit better.

That seems like a lot of sugar. Can I reduce it?

Yes, in fact, I do that often. The girls & I prefer this recipe to match what we get from Cafe Rio, which is why there is so much sugar added to this recipe.

However, when I only have enough pork to make one batch for the whole family to share (meaning the boys will be eating the same pork – instead of their own spicier version) I reduce both the sugars by 50-75%. It is still good and has a hint of sweetness, but better for the boys.

HOW DO YOU MAKE Sweet Pork Barbacoa?

1. Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray.
2. Combine the pork & Dr. Pepper in the cooker & cover – cook on high about 4 hours.
3. After 4 hours have passed, combine green enchilada sauce, granulated sugar, brown sugar, minced garlic, granulated garlic, dry mustard, cumin and chili powder in a large bowl & whisk to combine.
4. Add this mixture to your slow cooker & allow to cook an additional 2-3 hours.
5. *Note- after about 2 hours I kick the heat down to low just to let those flavors simmer a little longer but 2 hours is usually sufficient. You know when it’s done when the pork is falling apart as you try to remove it from the cooker.

I love making this in some soft tacos the day I cook it. Makes for quick & easy dinner & clean up. Then the next night we use any leftovers in enchiladas.

Oh man- 2 nights of this pork puts me in a very good mood. I love it just as much as I would having a giant chocolate cake for dinner.

Yep – and that’s saying something because my mom was a baker & I have a serious love for cake. But I definitely love this dinner just as much.

To make this recipe you will need…

• pork sirloin roast
• Dr. Pepper
• green enchilada sauce
• granulated sugar
• brown sugar – packed
• minced garlic
• granulated garlic
• dry mustard
• cumin
• chili powder

Can I use a different type of soda?

You bet. If you don’t want to use Dr. Pepper, you can sub in Coke, Pepsi, or Root Beer. Pretty much any dark cola will work – just make sure it isn’t the diet version.

Can this be made in the Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker?

There are some that caution against using carbonated beverages when pressure cooking. But I still use Dr. Pepper when making my BBQ pulled pork in the pressure cooker. So you can make this in the pressure cooker too.

Just add all of the ingredients in the pressure cooker. Set the timer to manual- cooking 20 minutes per lb for fresh, 30 minutes per lb for frozen.
Use natural release for 10 minutes. Quick-release & open the lid. Transfer pork to a large bowl & pull apart. Toss with a little bit of the juices from the pot before serving.

Seriously – I could eat this every single day! So good!

If you love this Easy Sweet Pork Barbacoa recipe, you’re going to love these other favorite dinner recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

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barbacoa pork recipe

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