Chipotle Sofritas (Copycat Recipe) (2024)

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Are you a fan of Chipotle sofritas? If you are looking for ways to increase your Chipotle consumption, but want to reduce your spending and eat healthier, consider learning how to make this quick and easy version at home.

Interested in other protein sources for your burrito bowl? Try our Chipotle barbacoa and our Chipotle steak. You'll also love our crispy baked teriyaki tofu.

Chipotle Sofritas (Copycat Recipe) (1)

Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Serve
  • Store
  • Expert Tips
  • Other Copycat Chipotle Recipes
  • Recipe
  • Comments

Ingredients

Chipotle Sofritas (Copycat Recipe) (2)

We use a mix of fresh ingredients and pantry staples to make this copycat Chipotle sofritas recipe as simple as possible without compromising on taste. Some of the key ingredients are:

  • Tofu: organic, super firm, vacuum packed, non-GMO
  • Vegetable: roasted poblano pepper
  • Canned goods: chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chunky salsa
  • Spices: cumin, chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, salt
  • Umami: nutritional yeast

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make

Gather the ingredients for the Chipotle sofritas.

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  1. Wash the poblano pepper, then brush it with oil and place it on a small baking tray.
  2. Broil it for 15 minutes, turning halfway through. Discard the stem and cut into a few smaller pieces.
Chipotle Sofritas (Copycat Recipe) (4)

3. Press the tofu for 30 minutes. We like to wrap the tofu in paper towels and use a cast iron skillet filled with cans or a bag of sugar to weigh down the tofu.

4. Break off chunks of tofu from the block and crumble into small pieces.

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5. Make the sofrito sauce by blending all the sauce ingredients together in a food processor until smooth.

6. Slowly pour in the olive oil while the processor is running. The sauce should be thick and relatively smooth at this stage.

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7. In a large skillet, heat up 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and brown the crumbled tofu over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

8. Mix the sofrito sauce into the browned tofu and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. If the sofritas look dry, add ¼-1/2 cup of water.

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9. Serve warm with a squeeze of lime juice. In the picture, we served it in a bowl with cilantro lime rice, Chipotle fresh tomato salsa, guacamole, and a small sprinkle of cheese.

Recipe FAQs

What are sofritas at Chipotle?

Chipotle describes them as the following: "Sofritas are organic, shredded tofu braised in chipotle chiles, roasted poblano, and a blend of aromatic spices." They are one of two meat-free menu options at this popular restaurant.

Are Chipotle sofritas vegan?

Absolutely! There is no meat, dairy, lard, or honey mixed in with the organic tofu, so it's perfect for vegans, vegetarians, and anyone else who wants to add more plant-based proteins into their diet.

What are sofritas made out of?

The main ingredient is organic tofu, but they also have oil, aromatics, and a unique blend of spices. Adobo sauce, chipotle peppers, and chipotle chili powder give this copycat recipe some heat and an awesome Tex Mex Southwest flavor. Chipotle Mexican Grill does add sugar and salt to theirs, but if you make your own you can omit the sugar and lower the sodium.

What exactly is sofritas?

Sofrito means "gently fried" in Spanish, and it is a popular cooking base for braised meat and stews in Spanish and Latin American countries. The main ingredients are uses garlic, onions, peppers, and tomatoes which are chopped and braised in oil.

Serve

Looking for other Chipotle recipes to serve with sofritas? You'll definitely want to try our recipes for Chipotle black beans, Chipotle pinto beans and Chipotle cauliflower lime rice. Add some color and flavor with these Chipotle fajita veggies.

Top your burrito bowl with our Chipotle corn salsa, Chipotle fresh tomato salsa, or Chipotle tomatillo-green chili salsa. You can also try a drizzle of this Chipotle honey vinaigrette for extra flavor. Round out your meal with these crispy, lime-flavored Chipotle tortilla chips.

Store

Make Ahead: This whole recipe can be made the night before, covered and stored in the fridge in an airtight container. Note that the tofu does absorb some of the spicy heat from the peppers when it sits in the fridge, so it will be less spicy the next day.

Leftovers: Any remaining sofritas should be covered and put in the fridge and are good in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Reheat: Reheat leftovers in a skillet over medium heat until heated through. If necessary, add a tablespoon of water to moisten.

Expert Tips

  • Want to save time? Use super firm vacuumed packed organic tofu; you can skip the 30 minutes of pressing time.
  • Want it sweeter? Add a bit of sugar to taste.
  • Want more umami flavor? Make sure to use nutritional yeast.
  • Want it more spicy? Replace the poblano with a jalapeno, serrano or habanero pepper.
  • Want it to have the best flavor? Make it spicy, as the spice will be leveled out when you add rice, guacamole, and pico de gallo. Sofritas taste less spicy the next day.

Other Copycat Chipotle Recipes

  • Copycat Chipotle Steak Recipe
  • Chipotle Fresh Tomato Salsa (Copycat Recipe)
  • Chipotle Barbacoa (Copycat Recipe with Video)
  • Chipotle Tortilla Chips Copycat

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Recipe

Chipotle Sofritas (Copycat Recipe) (12)

Copycat Chipotle Sofritas

This quick and easy recipe shows you how to make sofritas that taste better than Chipotle's. Learn how to make this plant-based copycat meal into a spicy burrito bowl to please all your vegan and gluten free friends.

5 from 3 votes

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Course: Supper

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 3 cups

Calories: 189kcal

Author:

Ingredients

  • 14 ounces organic tofu, super or extra firm, drained
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 1 poblano pepper
  • 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
  • 2 tablespoons adobe sauce
  • 6 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup chunky salsa
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • ¼ cup filtered water
  • 2 limes, cut in wedges
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional)

Instructions

  • If you use super firm, water drained tofu that's been vacuum packed, you don't have to press it; just drain any excess moisture from the package. If you use extra firm tofu that is water packed, drain the water, then press it for 30 minutes between layers of paper towel. A weighted down cast iron skillet works perfectly for this. Once it's pressed, crumble the tofu into smaller pieces with your hands and place it on top of a paper towel-lined cutting board.

  • Raise the oven rack to the second highest position and turn the broiler on high. Using apastry brush, brush the poblano pepper with olive oil and place it on a small baking tray. Broil for 15 minutes, turning halfway through. Once it's blistered, remove it from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes. Remove the stem and discard, then chop it into large chunks, keeping the seeds.

  • Place the charred poblano, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic, spices, apple cider vinegar, salsa, salt, and nutritional yeast in a food processor. Puree for 30 seconds, then slowly pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil while the processor is on and keep blending until it's smooth. This recipe makes 1 ½ cups of sauce.

  • Heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a largecast iron skilletover medium high heat for 2 minutes. Dump in the crumbled tofu, then lower the heat to medium. Pan fry the tofu for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's golden brown. Add more olive oil if necessary to keep it from sticking.

  • Add the sauce to the tofu and stir with a largewooden spoonuntil well combined. Pour in the water and stir. Bring to a light boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add a bit more water, if necessary, to make it saucy. Serve with lime wedges and other Chipotle copycat recipes.

Notes

  • Want to save time? Use super firm vacuumed packed organic tofu; you can skip the 30 minutes of pressing time.
  • Want it sweeter? Add a bit of sugar to taste.
  • Want more umami flavor? Make sure to use nutritional yeast.
  • Want it to have the best flavor? Make it spicy, as the spice will be leveled out when you add rice, guacamole and pico de gallo. Plus, sofritas taste less spicy the next day.
  • Want it more spicy? Replace the poblano with a jalapeno, serrano or habanero pepper.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 189kcal (9%)Carbohydrates: 6.7g (2%)Protein: 7.7g (15%)Fat: 12.9g (20%)Sodium: 331.1mg (14%)Fiber: 1.4g (6%)Sugar: 2.2g (2%)Vitamin C: 17.1mg (21%)Calcium: 218.4mg (22%)Iron: 2mg (11%)

Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.

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Chipotle Sofritas (Copycat Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What is the chipotle sofritas made of? ›

Sofritas is Chipotle's answer to plant-based protein. It's a fabulous taco, burrito, or quesadilla filling made from crumbled tofu that's been simmered in an aromatic sauce made from poblano peppers, chipotle peppers, tomatoes, and spices.

What is sofrito made of chipotle? ›

Sofrito is an aromatic sauce made with tomatoes, onions, garlic, and peppers that's popular in Spanish and Latin American cuisine. It can be used as a cooking base or as a condiment, and it's what gives Chipotle sofritas its unique flavour.

Is Chipotle Sofritas plant based? ›

VEGAN & VEGETARIAN OPTIONS

Our Sofritas is vegan and vegetarian approved. Vegans should avoid our meats, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, queso, sour cream, and chipotle-honey vinaigrette. Our tortillas, vegetables, rice, beans, salsas, chips and guacamole, are vegetarian and vegan.

Are sofritas healthy? ›

For the main protein event, opt for chicken or sofritas (shredded tofu braised in spices). “Both are lower in saturated fat than red meat,” says Sofia Norton, RD at Kiss My Keto. Sofritas clock in at 150 calories, 8 grams of protein, and 1.5 grams of saturated fat per serving.

Where does chipotle get their sofritas? ›

Chipotle to roll out tofu-based filling nationwide

First tested last February in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sofritas is made from organic tofu made by Hodo Soy Beanery in Oakland, Calif., and flavored with tomatoes, chiles, cumin and other spices.

Did chipotle invent Sofritas? ›

According to this article, they originated as a collaboration between Chipotle and Hodo Foods, a company that makes really awesome tofu in Oakland, California.

Is recaito the same as sofrito? ›

Recaito (sometimes called sofrito) is a Puerto Rican cooking base made with recao, cilantro, oregano, garlic, onion, and bell peppers. Use it in soups, stews, rice, and more.

Why is it called Sofritas? ›

“Sofrito” means “to lightly fry” in Spanish but it's used to reference a basic aromatic vegetable preparation found in a variety of cuisines around the world. In Latin American cuisines, it usually contains garlic, onion, and peppers cooked in oil.

Does Chipotle sofritas have onions? ›

Sofritas is a dish made with chopped (or scrambled) firm tofu braised in a sauce made with onion, bell pepper, tomato, garlic and chipotle chilies in adobo sauce.

Is Chipotle Sofritas bowl healthy? ›

Sofritas (a plant-based protein) are cooked with added sugars, and the carnitas are higher in saturated fat than steak or chicken, according to our pro, making these seemingly healthy options less nutritious than Chipotle's other proteins.

Can vegans eat Sofritas? ›

Chipotle's vegan option is Sofritas, which is seasoned tofu that's really tasty and just a little bit spicy. Or you can always opt to do just veggies if you don't want tofu.

What oil does Chipotle use? ›

Rice bran oil is our primary cooking oil at Chipotle.

What is the healthiest chipotle meat? ›

If you're looking for a healthy balance of fat, protein, and carbs, your best meat options would be plain grilled chicken, steak, or barbacoa. Between those options, they include no more than 7 grams (g) of fat, at least 21g of protein, and no more than 2g of carbs.

Is sofritas good for weight loss? ›

Like other fillings, sofritas can be added to burritos, tacos, burrito bowls, and salads with other ingredients, and at 145 calories and 1.5 grams of saturated fat per 4-ounce serving, they sound pretty good for you.

Is Chipotle Sofritas healthier than chicken? ›

If you really want rice, ask them to go light on the brown rice,” Leonard says. Sofritas (a plant-based protein) are cooked with added sugars, and the carnitas are higher in saturated fat than steak or chicken, according to our pro, making these seemingly healthy options less nutritious than Chipotle's other proteins.

Can vegans eat sofritas? ›

Chipotle's vegan option is Sofritas, which is seasoned tofu that's really tasty and just a little bit spicy. Or you can always opt to do just veggies if you don't want tofu.

What is Chipotle's plant-based meat made of? ›

Made in-house, the vegan-certified meat option was made with a base of pea protein that was flavored with ancho chilies and chipotle peppers, tomato paste, crushed garlic, Spanish smoked paprika, and extra virgin olive oil.

Is Chipotle Sofritas made of soy? ›

What do Chipotle Sofritas taste like? The star of this dish is Tofu, a soy-based protein, which adds an overall chunky texture.

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