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.

To all my meat-eating friends: This recipe tastes better than you think it does.

Seriously. If you took a bite right now, you’d nod your head in puzzled agreement and say, “Hm. This actually tastes really good!”

I’ve seen it a million times. Okay, about 40 times. But still! DATA DOESN’T LIE.

One reason I am posting Chipotle Sofritas is because I have a Type-A personality and want to finish the project I started: Sharing all Chipotle copycat recipes.

A second reason is because vegan Chipotle Sofritas is delicious whether you’re a vegan or not.

How to 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 dish on top such as a large can, a brick, or your oversized cat.
2. Use a handy-dandy super-slick fast-and-easy tofu press (Culinary Hill may earn money if you buy through this link).

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.

How to make the Chipotle Sofritas marinade

While pressing the tofu, make the easy Sofritas marinade. It’s a combination of fresh tomatoes, peppers, and onions, some chiles, and lots of spices.

1. Throw everything in a food processor or blender and hit BLAST. Marinade = done.
   
2. Brown the tofu in a pan to give it texture and flavor. Depending on the size of your pan, it’s okay to brown your tofu in batches. Use enough oil to cover all the areas where the tofu is going to touch. But don’t worry if it feels like it’s sticking! Just leave it in the pan and when it’s ready, it will release. If you try to flip it too early, it might stick.
   
3. Pulse the browned tofu in your food processor or blender until coarse crumbs form. Try not to pulverize it. Those big pieces add a nice texture to the final dish.
   
4. Combine the shredded tofu with the marinade. Toss it together in a large pan and simmer it on the stove until heated through. If you like more liquid in the pan, add more water.
   

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

Transfer to a bag and freeze for future use, or use in:

• Chicken Tinga
• Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers
• Chipotle Chicken (copycat)
• Chipotle Barbacoa (copycat)
• Chipotle Steak (copycat)
• Chipotle honey vinaigrette (copycat)
• Chipotle black beans (copycat)
• Chipotle pinto beans (copycat)

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.

4.97 from 95 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Servings 4 servings

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Calories 66

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

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 notes)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the tofu:

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil or rice bran oil
• ▢ 1 (16 ounce) package extra firm tofu pressed, cut into 8 slices (see notes)

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. Add additional water to desired consistency. (I like there to be additional liquid for serving.) Reduce to simmering. Cook until the tofu throughout heated, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipe Video

Notes

To press the tofu:

1. Drain the tofu, wrap in paper towels, and place in a dish.
2. Place a heavy object, such as a can, on the tofu for about 15 minutes, to remove moisture. Or, use this easy tofu press.

You can use either Italian or Mexican oregano. They have different flavors (Mexican oregano tastes more like marjoram) but both taste great in this recipe. Feel free to use whatever you have.

Rice Bran oil: Chipotle uses Rice Bran oil in all of their products. Olive oil is more widely available (probably already in your pantry) and works equally well, especially if it has a neutral taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 66kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 17mgPotassium: 164mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 514IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg

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