featured 22264

Slow Cooked Sweet Barbacoa Pork Recipe

Sweet and spicy slow-cooked barbacoa-style pork flavored with brown sugar, cola, chipotle chilies, green chiles, cumin and warming spices. This tender, lightly sweet pork is excellent piled over cilantro lime rice and black beans or used in burrito bowls, tacos, and sandwiches.

Sweet and spicy slow cooked barbacoa pork sweetened with brown sugar, cola, chipotle chilies, green chilies, cumin and spices. Delicious over cilantro lime rice and black beans.

Slow Cooked Sweet Barbacoa Pork

This recipe began as a lighter copycat interpretation of a popular restaurant’s sweet pork. After testing a number of variations, this version emerged as flavorful, tender, and balanced—sweet with a smoky, mildly spicy finish. It makes a generous batch that reheats well and is ideal for meal prep: serve it in burrito bowls with cilantro lime rice, black beans, pico de gallo, avocado and a sprinkle of low-fat cheese, or simply spoon it over rice for an easy weeknight dinner.

Sweet and spicy slow cooked barbacao pork sweetened with brown sugar, cola, chipotle chilies, green chilies, cumin and spices. Delicious over cilantro lime rice and black beans.

Because the initial marinade liquid is discarded after the pork cooks, this recipe counts only part of the sugar and cola toward the final dish. Adjust the chili heat to your preference—this version delivers medium heat. Add more chipotle or chili powder for extra heat, or reduce them for a milder flavor. The slow cooker (Crock-Pot) is especially convenient on busy days: set it in the morning and come home to a kitchen that smells like dinner is ready.

Recipe Details

Yield: 10 servings (about 3 oz each)

Prep: 5 minutes • Cook: 5 hours (high) • Marinate: 2 hours (optional) • Total: ~7 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

For the Pork

  • 2.5 lbs pork loin roast, trimmed
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • Garlic powder, to taste

For the Marinade and Sauce

  • 3/4 cup cola (for the initial marinade)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, unpacked (for the initial marinade)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 cup cola (remaining, for the sauce)
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, unpacked (remaining, for the sauce)
  • 6 oz can sliced green chiles
  • 8 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1 whole chipotle chile in adobo (or 1 tbsp adobo paste), chopped
  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder (additional)
  • 1/8 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/8 tsp chipotle chili powder (or to taste)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper, to adjust seasoning

Instructions

  1. Season the pork roast evenly with salt, black pepper and garlic powder. Place the seasoned roast in the slow cooker.
  2. Pour 3/4 cup cola over the pork and sprinkle with 1/4 cup brown sugar. Cover and refrigerate to marinate for a few hours or overnight, turning the meat at least once during marinating for even flavor.
  3. When ready to cook, remove the slow cooker insert from the refrigerator. Add 1/4 cup water to the pot.
  4. Cook on HIGH for about 4 hours, or on LOW for about 8 hours, until the pork pulls apart easily with two forks.
  5. Carefully remove the pork from the slow cooker and discard the cooking liquid left in the pot. Using two forks, shred the meat into bite-sized pieces.
  6. In the empty slow cooker, combine the remaining 1 cup cola, the sliced green chiles, tomato sauce, chopped chipotle, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp cumin, chipotle chili powder, and the remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar. Stir to combine and taste, adjusting salt and pepper as needed.
  7. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, stir to coat in the sauce, cover and cook on HIGH for an additional 1½ hours to let the flavors meld.
  8. Serve hot over rice, with beans, or in tacos; garnish with chopped cilantro, lime wedges, diced avocado or pico de gallo if desired.

Notes and Tips

Because the initial marinade liquid is discarded, most of the sugar and cola that would otherwise remain in the cooking liquid are removed. For a lower-sugar option, choose a cola with less added sugar. If you prefer a spicier barbacoa, increase the number of chipotle chiles or add extra chipotle powder; for milder results, reduce these ingredients.

Make-ahead and storage: This barbacoa keeps well in the refrigerator for 3–4 days and freezes nicely for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water or broth to restore juiciness.

Nutrition (per 3 oz serving, approximate)

Calories: 202 • Protein: 26 g • Carbohydrates: 11.5 g • Fat: 6.5 g • Fiber: 0.5 g • Sugar: 10 g

About This Recipe

This slow-cooked sweet barbacoa pork is adapted from classic sweet pork recipes and streamlined for home cooks who want a satisfying, hands-off dinner. The combination of cola and brown sugar creates a warm caramelized sweetness that pairs beautifully with smoky chipotle and earthy cumin, producing tender meat that balances sweet and spicy notes for a crowd-pleasing meal.