Chipotle Sofritas (Copycat)

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This Chipotle Sofritas copycat recipe tastes just like the original! Shredded tofu braised in spices makes a great vegan option for burritos, tacos, and salads.

Chipotle sofritas in a white bowl with rice.

To all my meat-eating friends: This recipe tastes better than you think it does. If you took a bite right now, you’d nod your head in puzzled agreement and say, “Huh, this DOES taste really good!”

And to my plant-based friends, I see you! We all need more delicious, vegan options for healthful, homemade meals. This recipe is easy to make at home so you can skip the lines at Chipotle (and it’s always more economical to make it at home, anyway).

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for Chipotle Sofritas.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient notes

  • Oregano: Chipotle uses Mexican oregano, but you can use Italian oregano if that’s all that you have. They have different flavors (Mexican oregano tastes more like marjoram) but both taste great in this recipe.
  • Olive oil: Chipotle uses rice bran oil, but olive oil is more widely available (and probably already in your pantry).
  • Tofu: Start with extra-firm tofu and squeeze it to extract as much liquid as possible. There are two easy ways:
    1. Wrap in paper towels and place in a dish. Set a heavy object on top such as a cast-iron skillet with cans on top.
    2. Use a handy-dandy super-slick fast-and-easy tofu press (this is the one I have and it works really well).
    3. Once you’ve pressed the tofu, slice it into 8 slices. If you your brick is really divided into 2 bricks, cut each slab into 4 slices. You’ll know what I mean once you start looking at tofu.
Slices of tofu on a white plate.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. In a food processor, combine bell pepper, tomato, onion, water, chipotle chilies and adobo sauce, garlic, red wine vinegar, ancho chile powder, cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper). Pulse until the marinade is slightly chunky and thoroughly combined. Set aside.
Sauce for Chipotle sofritas in a food processor.
  1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Working in batches if necessary, carefully place the tofu in the pan, flip occasionally, and cook until the tofu is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
Tofu slices being cooked in a frying pan.
  1. Roughly chop the tofu, or pulse the tofu in a food processor until the tofu is roughly in ¼ inch pieces.
Tofu in a food processor.
  1. Place in a bowl and add the marinade. Cover and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator.
Chipotle sofritas in a clear glass bowl before being cooked.
  1. To cook the tofu, heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the marinated tofu and any remaining marinade. Add ¼ cup water and bring to a boil.
Chipotle sofritas in a black frying pan.
  1. Reduce heat and simmer, adding additional water to desired consistency (I prefer additional liquid for serving). Cook until tofu is heated through, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Chipotle sofritas in a white bowl with rice.

Recipe tips and variations

Someone scooping Chipotle sofritas in a black frying pan.

Recipe FAQs

What are the sofritas at Chipotle?

Sofritas are a spicy, tomato-braised shredded tofu dish. They get their heat from chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and are 100% vegan.

How do you press tofu?

Start with extra-firm tofu and squeeze it to extract as much liquid as possible. There are two easy ways: 1). wrap in paper towels and place in a dish. Set a heavy object on top such as a cast-iron skillet with cans on top. Or, 2). use a handy-dandy super-slick fast-and-easy tofu press (this is the one I have and it works really well).

What can I do with leftover chipotle peppers and/or adobo sauce?

Transfer to a plastic bag, label, date, and freeze indefinitely for future Chipotle copycat recipes. Chipotle peppers are also delicious stirred into mayonnaise or salsa and are a key ingredient in Chicken Tinga (or Cauliflower Tinga Tacos) and Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers.

What is a substitute for adobo sauce?

To make a substitute for adobo sauce, whisk together 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon chipotle powder (or ½ teaspoon EACH smoked paprika and cayenne powder), ½ teaspoon ground cumin, and a pinch EACH of oregano, garlic powder, and salt.

Complete your Sofritas burrito bowl

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A white bowl with rice and Chipotle Sofritas.

Chipotle Sofritas (Copycat)

This Chipotle Sofritas recipe tastes just like the original! Shredded tofu braised in spices makes a great vegan option for burritos, tacos, and salads.
Author: Meggan Hill
4.98 from 177 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4 servings (1 cup each)
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Calories 128

Ingredients 

For the Marinade:

  • 1 medium green bell pepper (about ½ cup)
  • 1 medium tomato quartered
  • 1/2 medium onion quartered
  • 1/2 cup water plus additional water as needed for braising the tofu
  • 2 chipotle chilies plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano (see note 1)
  • ½ teaspoon Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the tofu:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or rice bran oil (see note 2)
  • 1 (16 ounce) package extra-firm tofu pressed, cut into 8 slices (see note 3)

Instructions 

To make the marinade:

  • In a food processor, combine bell pepper, tomato, onion, water, chipotle chilies and adobo sauce, garlic, red wine vinegar, ancho chile powder, cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste (I like ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper). Pulse until the marinade is slightly chunky and thoroughly combined. Set aside.

To make the tofu:

  • In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until shimmering. Working in batches if necessary, carefully place the tofu in the pan, flip occasionally, and cook until the tofu is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
  • Roughly chop the tofu, or pulse the tofu in a food processor until the tofu is roughly in ¼ inch pieces. Place in a bowl and add the marinade. Cover and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator.
  • To cook the tofu, heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add the marinated tofu and any remaining marinade. Add ¼ cup water and bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat and simmer, adding additional water to desired consistency (I prefer additional liquid for serving). Cook until tofu is heated through, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipe Video

Notes

  1. Oregano: Chipotle uses Mexican oregano, but you can use Italian oregano if that’s all that you have. They have different flavors (Mexican oregano tastes more like marjoram) but both taste great in this recipe.
  2. Olive oil: Chipotle uses rice bran oil, but olive oil is more widely available (and probably already in your pantry).
  3. Tofu: Start with extra-firm tofu and squeeze it to extract as much liquid as possible. There are two easy ways:
    1. Wrap in paper towels and place in a dish. Set a heavy object on top such as a cast-iron skillet with cans on top.
    2. Use a handy-dandy super-slick fast-and-easy tofu press (this is the one I have and it works really well).
    3. Once you’ve pressed the tofu, slice it into 8 slices. If you your brick is really divided into 2 bricks, cut each slab into 4 slices. You’ll know what I mean once you start looking at tofu.
  4. Yield: This recipe makes about 4 cups Sofritas braised tofu, enough for servings, 1 cup each.
  5. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  6. Make ahead: The tofu can be added to the marinade and refrigerated a day in advance.
  7. Freezer: The marinade can be frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding with marinating the tofu.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 128kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 10gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 88mgPotassium: 348mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 525IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 2mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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Comments

  1. The nutritional value can’t include the tofu. I added it into myfitnesspal and it shows the nutritional value for the tofu alone is over 400 calories.

    1. Hi Melanie, thank you for your comment. The nutritional information is for one serving and is an estimate. It’s great you’re using an app for a more accurate nutritional count. Take care. – Meggan

  2. Wonderful recipe! Came out exactly like the picture. I made too much marinade so I bagged it for another day! Thank you, Meggan!

  3. We have made this a few times and it is really delicious! My daughter rarely eats meat so this is a quick and easy recipe to make and she loves it! Thank you!!5 stars

  4. Your calories per serving does not include the actual tofu, just wanted to let you know. I will be going to make this
    Thank you

  5. Mine definitely came out mushy, but I am obsessed with how my sofritas smelled like the chipotle sofritas!! I will absolutely be trying this recipe again, I think part of the reason why mine came out so mushy was because I blended the tofu… I tried to not overdo it, but I think next time I should just chop it up instead.
    The marinade is absolutely delicious- I left my tofu in the marinade for about 45 minutes, honestly felt like I could have just put it on the stove instead of waiting. I had a lot of liquid in it- either leftover from the tofu, or possibly from the onion and bell pepper- so I didn’t add more water, and ended up leaving it to simmer for a good 15-20 min.
    I had my sofritas on nachos- so good! Looking forward to trying them in a quesodilla too!4 stars

    1. Mushy is usually from there being too much water in the tofu itself. I freeze then thaw my tofu squares, easiest way to do it!

  6. I made this sofritas recipe along with the black beans, rice, corn salsa, and tomato salsa copycat recipes and it tastes JUST LIKE the vegan lifestyle bowl from Chipotle. Making it at home also allowed me to upgrade the bowl with a dairy-free queso! Can’t thank you enough for such a wonderful collection of recipes!5 stars

    1. Hi Judith, I pulled this from the USDA website: “One (1) kilocalorie is the same as one (1) Calorie (uppercase C).” So a calorie and a kcal are the same thing. One serving is 66 kcals. I hope this helps! – meggan

  7. Really good chipotle sofritas recipe! I made this twice. The first time i put the hot pan friend tofu 3 at a time in my small blender and they turned to mush. The second time i let it cool down on a plate and put them 1-2 at a time in the processor for 3 quick pulses and it turned our a bit chunkier which was nice, with cilantro lime rice, corn salsa and some black beans and a chipotle dressing recipe i use, i have a perfect meal!5 stars

  8. Just made this to use as filling for vegetarian enchiladas and it’s amazing!!! Born and raised in Texas but had to move to NorCal for work, and I’ve been missing TexMex food greatly, and this hit the spot! However, I have quite a bit of the sofritas leftover after only making 6 enchiladas, how long do the sofritas last in the fridge? Also can they be frozen? Thanks so much for the delicious recipe :)5 stars

    1. Hi Alyssa, I’m glad you loved it, you’re welcome! I would recommend keeping in an airtight container for up to three days. I haven’t personally tried to freeze it, but I believe you could in an airtight container. I believe it will change the texture of the tofu to be more porous, so it may not be the same later. – Meggan

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