I don’t visit Chipotle as much as I did during my college days when their bowls and burritos sustained me through late night study sessions. But when they added sofritas, a tofu-based protein option, I had to try it. I don’t eat much meat and I genuinely love tofu—plus, most fast-casual chains don’t offer much in the way of vegetarian options. Now, it’s my favorite menu item.
Sofritas is made up of crumbled, meaty tofu in a lightly spicy chipotle pepper sauce. With savory flavor and a satisfying texture, I don’t find myself missing meat when I order my burrito or bowl with sofritas.
While enjoying an order of sofritas one day, I decided I wanted to recreate the dish at home. After some trial and error, I’ve arrived at a very similar copycat recipe that is just as satisfying, affordable, and incredibly easy to make.
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
How to Make Copycat Sofritas
To make this copycat recipe, firm tofu is frozen up to a month beforehand and then thawed for the best texture (more on that below). It’s then briefly dry-fried in a skillet to give it a satisfying meatiness. Sautéed onion, pepper, and garlic add flavor and a little texture, while finely chopped canned chipotle peppers and adobo sauce give its signature spice. A little tomato paste, cumin, and fresh lime round everything out.
After freezing and defrosting the tofu, copycat sofritas are ready in about 20 minutes, making it an ideal recipe for a weeknight dinner. The leftovers reheat well, too, and can be repurposed to make a variety of dishes.
Freeze Your Tofu
I call for freezing and defrosting the tofu before cooking. During this process, the water in the tofu freezes and then drains away, leaving behind small holes. It gives the tofu a meatier texture without the need for pressing or frying. There’s no need to press the tofu after defrosting—any remaining water helps create a sauce in the pan.
While this recipe takes a bit of forethought, it yields the best texture and decreases the hands-on prep and cook time. I tend to keep a package of firm or extra-firm tofu in the freezer at all times so I can make sofritas or vegetarian chili whenever I like.
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
Forgot to Freeze? Try This Instead
If you forgot to stick tofu in the freezer, don’t worry. You can still make sofritas using this dry fry method, though the texture will be slightly different.
Drain the tofu and slice into 1/2-inch slices. Space out on top of 2 layers of paper towels and top with more paper towels. Use a flat surface like a baking sheet to gently press the tofu from the top, extracting most of the water.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a batch of tofu in a single layer. Cook until browned, then flip and brown the other side. Repeat with the remaining tofu. Let cool a few minutes, then crumble and proceed as written.
Adjust the Heat to Taste
This recipe makes medium spicy sofritas, much like the kind you’ll find at Chipotle. Since you’re making your own version at home, you can make it as mild or spicy as you like.
- For milder sofritas, use a poblano or bell pepper instead of jalapeño pepper. You can also use one chipotle pepper instead of two.
- For extra spice, add an extra chipotle pepper or two and/or leave the seeds in the jalapeño.
How to Serve Sofritas
Use sofritas to top a burrito bowl, fill a burrito or tacos, or sprinkle onto nachos. Anywhere you’d normally use a Tex Mex-style meat like chicken, pork, or beef, try adding sofritas instead.
Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe