I spent 2 years and countless hours of testing Chipotle’s sofritas to get the perfect flavor and texture so you never have to worry again! This easy, one skillet sofritas recipe will satisfy the craving every time!
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If you’ve ever craved the bold, smoky flavor of Chipotle’s sofritas but struggled to recreate that perfect texture and spice at home, you’re not alone.
I know how frustrating it can be to get tofu to soak up all those rich, smoky flavors while still having the right bite with each mouthful—trust me, it took me years of trial and error to nail it down.
As someone who’s been vegan for six years, I’ve learned how to transform everyday ingredients into dishes that satisfy both vegans and non-vegans alike, as this sofritas recipe captures the magic of Chipotle’s version, with a homemade twist that’s simple and less expensive to make while just as satisfying–if not more!.
Add it to a burrito bowl, over a bowl of rice, or even use it as the filling for a vegan gordita crunch.
What are Sofritas?
Sofritas is a popular protein option at fast-food chain Chipotle. It is tofu that has been braised in a blend of spices, chipotle chilies, tomatoes, onions and peppers! The option is a hit among vegans and vegetarians alike as they are able to add it to their burritos, tacos, and bowls at the popular restaurant. Here, we show you how to make a similar version at home.
It’s important to note that Chipotle sofritas is not sofrito, which is an aromatic blend of ingredients used in many cultures as a sauce, especially Puerto Rican food.
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love These Chipotle Sofritas
- Same texture – it’s so easy to replicate sofritas at home and get that smoky, spicy flavor and meaty texture that will actually make you love tofu!
- Easy – One skillet, 14 ingredients (mostly spices and pantry staples)
- Better than takeout– we love eating out, but not the strain on our budget so we love making copycat restaurant meals! You’re going to love this one!
- Meal Prep Friendly – this recipe only gets better as it sits and allows the flavors to merry together.
Chipotle Sofritas Ingredients
Gather your ingredients! See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
- Tofu – For a great meaty texture like Chipotle’s, we prefer to use extra firm tofu.
- Tofu Varities: Super Firm is a great substitute if you want to bypass the freezing, thawing, and pressing. You do not have to do that with super firm, but it’s harder to find and, in our opinion, doesn’t soak up the marinade fully as well. Firm tofu will also work, but will need to be frozen, thawed and pressed as well.
- Tofu substitute: If you can’t or don’t do soy, try Pumfu or Chickpea tofu instead
- Do not use: silken, soft, or tofu puffs for this recipe. You will not get the right texture.
- Onions and garlic – the base of our dish, these are our aromatics. We highly recommend using fresh garlic and then we are using sweet onions
- Substitute: Yellow or white onions can be used in stead of sweet. For the garlic, you can replace with 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo – these are smoked and dried jalapenos that have been canned inside of a sweet and tangy tomato puree with some other ingredients. You don’t need a lot because just a little kicks up the spice level a ton
- Substitute: Swap with pickled jalapenos. You could also do a combination of green bell pepper or poblano pepper with smoked paprika and ancho-chili powder mixed together.
- Vegetable broth – we prefer to use a low-sodium vegetable stock for this recipe
- Substitute: Try vegan chicken or beef broth or vegan bouillon
- tomato paste – you get a deep, rich flavor without excess water from using fresh or canned tomatoes which impacts the overall dish
- Substitute: if you only have fresh or canned tomatoes, you will want to swap out the tomato past for 6 tbsps minimum of the fresh/canned. We’d also recommend that you reduce the vegetable broth since you are adding liquid from tomatoes if you go this route
- Maple syrup – yes, a touch of sweetness is added to the dish. You don’t need much, but it does help it go a long way and balance out the acidity of the tomatoes as well
- Substitute: agave, date syrup would be our first swap recommendations, but granulated brown or coconut sugar could also work
- Spices – this blend of spices that we have put together works to get this sofritas recipe as close to the original Chipotle recipe as possible with ingredients that are easily accessible to the everyday cook
Any substitutes will change the original dish from being the best Chipotle sofritas copycat to something still tasty but slightly different.
How to Make Sofritas, Chipotle Style
Step 1: Press out your tofu. This gets all the excess water out and allows the sauce to be absorbed better for more flavor. You should press your tofu for at least 30 minutes, but you can do this up to 2 days in advance so it’s ready when you need it.
Step 2: Place the pressed tofu on a plate and then use the back of a fork to crumble it completely.
Step 3: Add all the ingredients for the sauce into a blender or a food processor. We like using our small blender since it’s easier to clean.
Step 4: Blend until smooth. Set aside.
Step 5: Saute your onions until softened in a medium skillet.
Step 6: Add your tofu crumbles and allow browning to develop over 8-10 minutes.
It helps when you allow this to sit for a few minutes at a time without stirring, but you need to be careful that it’s not burning or sticking to your skillet.
Step 7: Add in the sauce you made from steps 3 and 4.
Step 8: Stir sauce together and allow to cook just until heated. Sofritas is meant to be saucy.
How can I use copycat Chipotle sofritas?
There are so many ways to use sofritas. However, the obvious best answer is to make your own copycat Chipotle sofritas bowls.
Inside, we give recipes for copycat versions of Chipotle’s cilantro lime rice, saucy black beans, roasted corn salsa, and guacamole. You can truly make your own Chipotle style bowls or wraps, all in your own home.
Here’s some other recipes for you to try it with sofritas:
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Chipotle Sofritas (Vegan Recipe)
Ingredients
- 14 oz extra firm tofu, pressed (400g)
- 1 cup vegetable broth (225g)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo
- ½-1 tablespoon chipotle adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium sweet onion, finely diced (about ¾ cup or 105g)
Instructions
- Press out the tofu to remove excess water for 30 minutes or overnight. Pat dry. Place on a plate and using the back of a fork, crumble into pieces.
- In a blender, combine all ingredients from vegetable stock to smoked paprika. Blend until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add in the onion and tofu chunks and stir to combine. Spread it into an even layer and let sit, without stirring, for about 2 minutes. Stir and repeat this a few times (cooking for a total of about 8-10 minutes). You want to get the tofu nice and browned but watch that it’s not burning at all. Turn down the heat if it’s starting to burn. If needed, add a splash of stock to prevent sticking too much.
- Add in the sauce and stir to combine. Continue to cook until sauce is heated through. Sofritas is saucy so do not let the sauce evaporate.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions:
Sofritas is soy based – made from tofu. However, you could use Pumfu instead in order to make this dish Top 8 allergen free. Besides the soy, there are no other known Top 8 allergens in the ingredients that we included.
Whether for allergies or personal preference, we understand that not everyone does tofu (soy) products. While your easiest option would be to swap with a pumpkin or chickpea based tofu, there are still other options.
Beyond that you are going to get into a lot of texture differences.
Things like chickpeas, mushrooms, jackfruit, seitan, and lentils would all be things that you could swap with.
We do recommend using olive oil for the recipe; however, you could use some more vegetable stock or even water.
Please note that making this swap, will alter the taste of your dish.
This vegan sofritas recipe will last 3-5 days in the fridge. You can make a half batch if that is better for your needs.
You can freeze copycat Chipotle sofritas once completely cooled. To freeze, store in an air tight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
It’s always best to add less spice to start, then add more spice as desired. But if this happened to you, let’s get you fixed!
If it’s just a little spicy, top with lots of avocado cubes or guacamole.
You can add add in a small amount more of acid and sweetener – so another teaspoon to tablespoon of lime juice and maple syrup, while also adding more stock and allowing to reduce a bit longer.
Another option is to make another batch without spice and then mix the two together. Then it’s a great balance and you have meals ready all week or you can freeze for the next time!
We prefer extra firm tofu for this recipe and would highly recommend using that. This recipe will also work with firm tofu if needed.
We do not advise using silken or soft tofu or tofu puffs for this recipe.
Freezing tofu gives it a more meat-like texture. While this isn’t a requirement, we highly recommend doing it this way.
Freeze the tofu in the store packaging. Then remove and let thaw completely. Open the package and drain any water out, then add tofu to a tofu press to remove all excess liquid.
The easiest way to press out tofu is to use a tofu press. We use this tofu press because it’s easy to use and works great.
However, if you don’t have a tofu press then you could wrap the block of tofu in a kitchen towel, place it on a plate, and then put something heavy on top like a cast iron skillet.
These were so tasty! I love finding new ways to cook tofu!! Definitely spicy but so good with pinto beans and avocado!
so glad you enjoyed them!
I really appreciate that you always suggest substitutes for ingredients. don’t have the chipotle peppers or adobo, but I’m going to wing it with jalapenos and smoked paprika. Fingers crossed!
you got this!
This was very good in a burrito bowl. Next time I’ll cook the tofu and onion longer to get a better brown/more texture on the tofu. The spice level was just right. And, it all came together easily.
glad that you enjoyed it!
This was even better than I imagined it would be! I used 1 1/2 chipotle peppers in adobo because I was worried it might end up too spicy, but I definitely could have used the full amount. Loved the little bit of sweetness. I made vegan cheesy sofritas fries with it, using a potato/carrot cheese sauce and a cashew sour cream. Delicious!
Love it!
Yes! You can customize this recipe with any toppings you have on hand. Now that Chipotle released their vinaigrette recipe, this is the go-to dish for sure
Love it!
These were delicious! I haven’t had Chipotle in years, but this flavor is everything I remember. Thank you!
YAY!