Over the years I’ve posted several of my Cafe Rio Copycat recipes which are favorites for many of you on ABK. To make it as easy as possible for you (and me) to find and prepare our favorite Cafe Rio menu items, I’ve rounded up all of our favorite Cafe Rio Copycat Recipes recipes into one post!
Favorite Cafe Rio Copycat Recipes
Cafe Rio is a favorite of many in the state of Utah, up until a few years ago Utah was the only place to have Cafe Rio restaurants. Now they are in multiple states spreading love to many living outside of Utah! If you’ve searched but haven’t found a Café Rio near you, you’ve come to the right place. The restaurant basically serves the same 25? Prepared dishes like black beans, lime rice, sweet pork, homemade tortillas, lettuce, and creamy cilantro dressing in a variety of ways: burritos, salads, soups, enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, etc. The ingredients are freshly made on-site and the portions are huge. A winning combination. Cafe Rio has become a Utah institution and a place most families love and are more than familiar with. Making our favorite Cafe Rio recipes at home is a fun way to bring the dishes we love at Cafe Rio to a family gathering without breaking the bank! Here are all of our favorite Cafe Rio Copycat recipes so you can serve your family or a crowd…
First up is the sweet pork. You can’t do Cafe Rio without the sweet pork. I have two ways to make it – in the Instant Pot or slow roasting in your oven. Either way, you can’t go wrong. This pork goes great with so many different Mexican dishes. Enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, nachos, salads, you name it! If you don’t like sweet pork, try this Instant Pot Chile Verde recipe.
Instant Pot Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
Cafe Rio Style Sweet Pork Salad – this is the one oven-roasted variant.
Cilantro Lime Rice
Next you must have the cilantro lime rice. It’s the perfect accompaniment to all Cafe Rio tacos, burritos, and salads. It’s a little spicy, fluffy and full of flavor. I like this recipe better than the restaurant version and I think you will too! Also suitable as an accompaniment to any dish.
Creamy tomatillo salad dressing, Café Rio style
Creamy Tomatillo Salad Dressing is a must when making Cafe Rio Salad. It’s my favorite dressing in the world. It’s creamy, flavorful and a bit spicy. Everything you want in a dressing. You can also adjust the heat level of the dressing. At Cafe Rio, the dressing is pretty spicy. I like a little more milk, so I pit the jalapeños and just leave a few pits in the dressing for a little kick. This recipe makes a massive batch, so you can serve it with everything from salads to fish tacos throughout the week…or easily halve the recipe. Oh, and a big bonus, the dressing is one of the most expensive items at Cafe Rio (if you’re buying dressing for a crowd) and one of the easiest menu items to make at home!
Pico de Gallo
Pico de gallo is the icing on the cake of Mexican food. It completes so many Mexican dishes. You can also just eat it with fries and you’re done. I love to make this recipe at home and then enjoy it all week long!
The ultimate chunky guac from ABK
Don’t leave me with a bowl of guac and a bag of chips. It’s my weakness and I could eat it faster than you can say guacamole. This chunky guac is amazing. It’s seasoned just right and even has chopped tomatoes in it, which I love! Also, I love this recipe more than Cafe Rio’s guac. Where’s my don’t say it emoji??
Who doesn’t love warm, cheesy queso and fries when there’s a family reunion? Our Amazing Cafe Rio Queso Copycat is quick, easy, and a great way to keep the family happy while prepping dinner!
Café Rio style black beans
What’s Mexican food without the black beans? These homemade black beans taste just like the ones at Cafe Rio. A little cumin, a little coriander and a can of black beans are usually enough to conjure up these. This recipe also includes measurements for making a HUGE pot of beans as well as a family recipe.
Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup
I love when the weather cools enough to mix up this Chicken Tortilla Soup. This is the closest thing to the Cafe Rio version without having to buy it. So delicious and a recipe everyone in the family will love. It takes less than 30 minutes for the table to start. Make it alone or as a side, and serve in a crock pot for an easy way to keep warm at a gathering!
So there you have it – all of our favorite Cafe Rio copycat recipes in one post. Save or Pin this post to your favorites so you can come back to it whenever you fancy some Cafe Rio!