Chipotle Sofritas (Copycat Recipe)

Sofritas is the tofu filling on Chipotle’s menu: small crumbles braised in a smoky sauce built on roasted poblano, chipotle in adobo and tomato. This chipotle sofritas recipe gets the same tender, distinct crumbles at home, without the tofu collapsing into paste or the sauce going watery.

The order is what does it. Press and brown the tofu first, blend the sauce separately, then braise the two together. It makes six generous servings and keeps well for meal prep. This is an inspired copycat, not the restaurant’s recipe, which Chipotle has never published.

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What Makes It Taste Like Chipotle Sofritas?

Two peppers, not one. Roasted poblano brings a mellow green-chilli depth and most of the body. Chipotle in adobo brings the smoke, the heat and the acidity. Build it on chipotle alone and you get something hot and flat.

Crumbled, not mashed. Tear the tofu with your fingers into uneven pieces about the size of a large pea. They stay separate through the braise. Mashed tofu does not.

Brown first, braise second. A few minutes in a hot pan drives off water and firms each crumble, so the tofu drinks the sauce instead of dissolving into it. Ten to twelve minutes of gentle simmering does the rest, and the pan should still look saucy when it comes off the heat.

Chipotle Sofritas Recipe

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 25 minutes
• Total time: 45 minutes
• Serves: 6

The tofu presses while the poblano roasts and steams, which is how the prep fits into 20 minutes. Read step 1 before you start.

Ingredients

For the tofu

• 2 x 400g blocks extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, divided

For the sofritas sauce

• 1 large poblano pepper (about 120g)
• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the tin
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 small brown onion, roughly chopped
• 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable stock, plus more if needed
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup or sugar (optional)
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Press the tofu and start the poblano together. Wrap both blocks in a clean tea towel, sit a heavy pan on top and leave for 15 to 20 minutes. Get the grill going while they press.
2. Roast the poblano. Put it under a hot grill (broiler) and turn it every few minutes for 8 to 12 minutes, until the skin is blackened and blistered all over. Move it to a bowl, cover, and leave 10 minutes. Peel off the loose skin, then pull out the stem and seeds. A few black flecks are fine.
3. Blend the sauce. Put the roasted poblano, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic, onion, drained tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, black pepper, stock and maple syrup in a blender. Blend until mostly smooth, with a bit of texture left.
4. Crumble the tofu. Tear it into small, irregular pieces. Leave some bigger than others, because they break down a little in the pan.
5. Brown the tofu in two batches. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high. Add half the tofu and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Leave it alone for 2 minutes, then stir and cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until some edges are golden. Tip onto a plate and repeat with the remaining oil, tofu and salt.
6. Braise. Return all the tofu to the pan and pour the sauce over. Bring to a gentle simmer, drop the heat and cook uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring now and then. Add a splash of stock if it tightens up too early.
7. Season and serve. Taste for salt, heat and acidity. Another teaspoon of vinegar lifts it, another spoon of adobo sauce heats it. Serve hot in burritos, bowls or tacos.

Notes

An inspired copycat, not Chipotle’s own recipe.

No grill? Roast the poblano on a tray at 230C/450F for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once, until the skin blisters. A gas burner works too: hold it in the flame with tongs until blackened.

Heat level. Two chipotles lands close to the restaurant. Brands vary a lot, so start with one if you are unsure and stir more adobo through at the end.

Nutrition figures are left off on purpose. Tofu brands differ by a third in protein and fat, so any number would be a guess.

Tips for the Best Copycat Sofritas

• Extra-firm tofu only. Silken or soft turns to paste the moment it meets the sauce.
• Press whole, crumble after. A whole block is easier to weigh down and less of it ends up in the towel.
• Drain the tomatoes properly. Tinned tomato liquid stretches the simmer and dilutes the smoke.
• Two batches, not one. A crowded pan traps steam, and steamed tofu does not brown.
• Stop while it looks saucy. Sofritas keep absorbing liquid as they cool, so a pan that looks right on the stove will be dry on the plate.

No Poblano Pepper?

Poblanos are not on every shelf in Australia. Swap in one green capsicum plus an extra 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, roasted and peeled the same way. Milder and a touch sweeter, but the charred flesh still gives the sauce its body. An Anaheim pepper is the closer swap if your greengrocer has one.

Jalapeno is not a substitute. Much hotter, and far too small to replace the flesh of a poblano, so use it as extra heat instead.

What to Serve With Sofritas

Build the bowl the way you would order it: coriander and lime rice, black or pinto beans, corn salsa, fajita capsicum and onion, guacamole, shredded lettuce and pickled red onion.

For a burrito, let the sofritas sit a few minutes off the heat before wrapping. Very hot filling steams inside the tortilla and tears it, which is half the trouble with the ultimate vegan burrito at home.

For a fakeaway spread, the Panda Express eggplant tofu copycat is the other tofu dish people come back to this site for, and a cold, sharp Din Tai Fung cucumber salad cuts through a smoky filling.

Meal Prep, Storage and Reheating

Cool the sofritas quickly and keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days. Store the rice, salsa and lettuce separately so each part keeps its texture.

Reheat in a frying pan over medium with a splash of stock, stirring for 4 to 5 minutes until steaming through. The microwave works too, covered and stirred halfway.

To freeze, cool completely and portion into airtight containers for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat thoroughly. Freezing makes tofu chewier, which suits this dish more than it hurts it.

Easy Variations

• Milder. One chipotle, seeds scraped out, plus an extra tablespoon of tomato paste.
• Hotter. A third chipotle or a pinch of cayenne. Taste after the braise, because the heat concentrates as the sauce reduces.
• No blender. Finely chop the poblano, chipotles, garlic and onion, use crushed tomatoes in place of diced, and stir it together. Chunkier, and close enough.
• Oil-free. Brown the tofu in a good non-stick pan with small splashes of stock. It will not crisp as deeply, so press it properly.
• Tempeh. Crumble 450 to 500g tempeh, steam it 10 minutes to take the edge off, then brown and braise as written.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Chipotle sofritas made of?

Sofritas is a seasoned tofu filling. Chipotle describes it as braised tofu with chipotle chillies, poblanos and spices, though the recipe has never been published. Home versions like this one add tomato, onion, garlic, cumin and oregano.

Are Chipotle sofritas vegan?

Chipotle lists sofritas among its plant-based options, but recipes, suppliers and shared cooking surfaces vary by location and change over time. Check the current allergen and special-diet information on Chipotle’s own site if it matters to you. This copycat is vegan as written.

How spicy are sofritas?

Medium. Poblano is mild and does most of the flavour work, while the chipotles carry the heat. One chipotle gives a gentle batch, two lands near the restaurant version.

Why are my sofritas watery?

Usually the tofu was not pressed, the tomatoes went in with their liquid, or the pan was crowded so the tofu steamed instead of browning. Simmer uncovered until the sauce clings to the crumbles, then stop.

How do I stop the tofu going mushy?

Press extra-firm tofu, tear it into irregular crumbles rather than mashing, and brown it before the sauce goes near it. Once it is simmering, stir gently and not often.

Can I make sofritas ahead?

Yes, and they are better on day two once the smoke has worked through the tofu.

Are sofritas gluten free?

The ingredients here are naturally gluten free, but check the labels on the stock, the tinned chipotles and the spice blends if you are cooking for coeliac disease or a serious allergy.

The Short Version

Roast the poblano, blend it with chipotle, tomato and spices, brown pressed tofu crumbles in two batches, then braise for 10 to 12 minutes. Brown first, braise second: that is the whole trick.

Spoon them into burrito bowls with rice, black beans and guacamole, and that is fakeaway night sorted.

• Chipotle
• Sofritas
• Copycat Recipes
• Tofu
• Vegan Mains