Just as good as the original—this copycat Chipotle Sofritas Recipe is saucy, spicy, and loaded with mouth-watering flavors! It's easy to make—just pan-fry the tofu, then simmer in the smoky sauce.
Before sofritas debuted at Chipotle Mexican Grill, I would order a rice bowl with beans, lettuce, salsa, guacamole, peppers, and onions. It was really good, but when they came out with sofritas it was a total game-changer. The spicy flavors and meaty texture added the oomph that my ordinary rice bowl needed.
The only downside is that it's very high in sodium, so it's not something I can order too often. So, I make it at home and my family goes crazy for it. It's not missing a thing!
I make it for taco night or meal-prepping, and I always have some in the fridge for late-night snacking, too. It's addicting!
Plus, this Chipotle Sofritas Recipe requires minimal prep and simple ingredients. Check it out!
What ingredients do I need?
(FULL AMOUNTS IN RECIPE CARD BELOW)
To make this Chipotle Sofitas recipe, you’ll need extra-firm tofu for the main ingredient. For all the delicious flavors, you'll need chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, red onion, green bell pepper, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, granulated garlic, avocado oil, garlic, tomato paste, agave nectar, smoked paprika, dried oregano, ground cumin, vegetable broth, lime juice, and salt.
How to make it
- 1 - Whisk the adobo sauce, vinegar, granulated garlic, and salt together in a large bowl.
- 2 - Crumble the tofu and add to the bowl. Toss to coat well and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.
- 3 - Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the tofu and let it sit undisturbed for 2-4 minutes so it can brown. Stir and let it sit again. Place the tofu in a bowl, set aside, and wipe out the pan.
- 4 - Add the tomatoes, chipotle peppers, garlic cloves, agave, tomato paste, oregano, smoked paprika, cumin, and salt to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- 5 - In the same pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. When shimmering, add onion and pepper. Sauté until softened.
- 6 - Pour in the tomato mixture and lightly simmer for 2-4 minutes until it thickens slightly.
- 7 - Add the tofu and broth. Gently simmer until liquid is mostly reduced. Remove from heat and squeeze in the lime. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed.
Success tips for cooking tofu
I use vacuum-packed tofu because it doesn't have to be pressed and it's ready to go. Also, it yields more tofu. I've found various brands at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Walmart, Sprouts, and Target.
You can use water-packed tofu, but you'll need to press it for 20-30 minutes. Don't know how? Here's an easy method to press tofu. I recommend using 1 ½ - 2 blocks of water-packed tofu to replace 1 block of the vacuum-packed variety.
For successful browning, I recommend using a non-stick skillet or a well-seasoned cast iron pan to brown the tofu. It sticks easily and can burn. If you use a stainless-steel pan, just make sure the pan is well heated and oiled before beginning. Watch carefully and stir often.
Instead of frying, you can bake the crumbled tofu at 375 F (190 C) for 20-30 minutes until browned. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper and spray with oil. Move the crumbles around every 7-10 minutes for even browning.
Is it spicy?
The spice level is on the higher end of medium, but it's easy to adjust to your preference. To make it less spicy, you can reduce the amount of adobo sauce or you can omit it altogether.
To replace the spicy marinade for the tofu, use 2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari, 2 teaspoons liquid smoke (sub with 1 teaspoon smoked paprika), and ½ teaspoon each of chili powder, granulated garlic, and granulated onion. The instructions are the same as the written recipe.
If you want it spicier, you can add another chipotle pepper to the sauce. This also adds more salt, so you may want to reduce the amount in the written recipe.
How to serve sofritas?
You have SO many options! You can use it for vegan burritos, tacos, vegan nachos, enchiladas, burrito bowls, and salads, or you can just grab a bag of tortilla chips and dig in!
More spicy recipes to enjoy:
I love to hear from you
If you make this Chipotle Sofritas recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
Chipotle Sofritas Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces extra-firm tofu , vacuum-packed (see note)
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce + 2 tablespoons sauce
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- ¾ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ¾ teaspoon salt , divided (more to taste)
- 2.5 tablespoons avocado oil , divided (or preferred oil)
- 2 medium tomatoes , quartered
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar or any sweetener
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 small red onion , finely diced (sub yellow)
- 1 small green bell pepper , diced
- ¾ cup vegetable broth , low sodium
- 1-2 tablespoons lime juice , fresh-squeezed (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the adobo sauce, vinegar, granulated garlic, and ¼ tsp salt together. Using your hands, gently break up and crumble the tofu into small pieces and add to the bowl. Gently toss to coat well and let it sit for 10-15 minutes (you can chop the veggies while it marinates).
- Heat 1.5 tablespoons oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. When shimmering, add the tofu. Let it sit undisturbed for 2-4 minutes so it can start to brown. Stir and let it sit again for 2-4 minutes. Repeat until the tofu is lightly browned but still soft in the middle. Place the tofu in a bowl and set aside. Wipe out the pan.
- Add the tomatoes, chipotle peppers, garlic cloves, agave, tomato paste, oregano, smoked paprika, cumin, and remaining salt to a blender. Blend on high until smooth. Set aside.
- In the same pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. When shimmering, add onion and pepper. Sauté until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Pour in the tomato mixture and lightly simmer for 2-4 minutes until it thickens slightly. Turn down heat if needed.
- Add the tofu and broth. Stir to combine and raise heat to bring to a high simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to maintain a mild simmer. Cook until liquid is mostly reduced. About 6-8 minutes.
- Remove from heat and squeeze in the lime. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed.
Elsa
This dish tastes good on me. I tried it yesterday and I had a great meal. It is both delicious and nutritious. Everyone loves it. I have added more tomatoes than yours. Is that okay?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Elsa, I'm so glad you liked it. I think the extra tomatoes should be fine, as long as it doesn't make the dish too watery. If that happens, you can always simmer it longer to reduce. I hope this helps. 🙂
Julia keep
Delicious and so easy to make!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Julia, I'm so glad you liked it. Thank you so much! 🙂