This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
If you love Chipotle Sofritas, you will love this copycat recipe! Sofritas meat is made with slightly crispy, crumbled tofu tossed in a boldly seasoned sauce. It is tangy, smoky, and perfect for burritos, tacos, and more -- without the Chipotle price tag or upcharge for guacamole!
Looking for more copycat Chipotle recipes? You will love my recipes for Chicken Al Pastor, Instant Pot Barbacoa, and Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice.
Kristen's Keys to Know When Making Sofritas
To achieve a similar flavor and texture to Chipotle Sofritas meat, be sure to pay attention to the following tips.
- Press the tofu for at least 30 minutes prior to starting this recipe. This removes excess moisture so the tofu can actually crisp instead of steam. Translation: better texture and more flavor in every bite.
- Don't skip charring the poblano. That quick char (broiler or gas flame) adds a subtle smoky depth that makes the sauce taste like it simmered all day.
- Build the sauce with salsa. It's packed with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and seasonings, giving you big flavor with very little effort.
- Crumble, don't cube. Rough, uneven pieces of tofu mimic the texture of classic Chipotle sofritas and give you more surface area to soak up that sauce.
How to Make Sofritas Meat at Home
After pressing the tofu and charring the pepper, this copycat recipe comes together in just about 15 minutes. Perfect for weeknights!
Step One: Prepare Tofu
Wrap your tofu in a paper towel, place it on a plate, and set something heavy on top. I typically use my cast iron skillet, as that is my preferred cooking vessel for the sofritas as well.
Let the tofu press for at least 30 minutes. Longer is absolutely fine, but then it is best to refrigerate the tofu while it presses.
After pressing the tofu, use your hands to crumble into bite-sized pieces.
Step Two: Char Poblano Pepper
Place the poblano pepper on a sheet pan and broil it for 5-7 minutes, turning occasionally, until blistered and blackened in spots.
Immediately place the charred pepper into a plastic bag and seal. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Take the pepper out of the bag, and peel the skin off the pepper using your fingers. Discard the skin, cut the pepper open, remove the seeds, and roughly chop.
Step Three: Prepare Sauce
Add the chopped pepper, prepared salsa, lime juice, garlic, canned chipotle peppers, and a bit of maple syrup into the base of a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Step Four: Brown Tofu
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, add the crumbled tofu, and cook the tofu until lightly browned with slightly crispy edges.
Step Five: Simmer Together
Pour in the sauce and let everything cook together until thickened.
Once thickened, remove from the heat, add the juice of a lime (it will make the flavors pop!) and serve as desired.
How to Serve Sofritas
Whether you serve Sofritas on a burrito, a burrito bowl, or on a salad, this tofu taco meat adds much flavor, protein, and texture to a variety of meals. Below are some of my favorite ways to use serve Chipotle Sofritas Meat at home.
- Make a Taco or Burrito: Add Sofritas to taco shells, corn tortillas, or homemade flour tortillas, and top with your favorite taco toppings, like guacamole, lettuce, corn salsa, etc.
- Make a Burrito Bowl: Serve Sofritas over Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice or Instant Pot Brown Rice, along with your favorite toppings.
- As an Enchilada Filling: Use in place of beans for Vegetarian Enchiladas
- Make a Salad: Use Sofritas in place of traditional taco meat to create a delicious vegetarian taco salad.
More Meatless Tex-Mex Recipes
- Vegetarian Enchiladas
- Vegetarian Fajitas
- Cauliflower Tacos
- Lentil Tacos
- Black Bean Tacos
- Sweet Potato Burritos
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Copycat Chipotle Sofritas
Video
Ingredients
- 16 ounce block extra-firm tofu
- ½ tablespoon neutral oil, like avocado or canola
For the sauce:
- 1 poblano pepper
- 1 canned chipotle pepper
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, from canned chipotle pepper
- ½ cup salsa
- 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, or honey
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic, optional
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ cup water, + more if needed
- 1 small lime
Instructions
- Wrap the block of tofu in 1-2 paper towels. Place the wrapped tofu on a small rimmed sheet pan, and place a heavy skillet on top of the wrapped tofu. Let the tofu press for at least 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can press the tofu the night before and let it sit in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the sofritas.
- While the tofu is pressing, place a poblano pepper on a sheet pan and place under a broiler. Broil, rotating the pepper every 2-3 minutes, until the skin has blackened and began to bubble up. Alternatively, char the pepper over a flame on a gas stovetop, using metal tongs, rotating as needed. Place the charred pepper immediately into a plastic zip-top bag and seal. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Then, take the pepper out of the bag peel off the skin with your fingers (it should slide right off). Cut the pepper open, discard the seeds, and roughly chop.
- In a blender or food processor fitted with an s-blade, add the chopped pepper, 1 canned chipotle pepper, 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, ½ cup salsa2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, and ¼ cup water and blend until smooth.
- Heat the oil a cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. While the oil is heating, crumble or tear the tofu into small pieces, about ½ inch each. Add the tofu to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly crispy and golden brown. ~3-5 minutes.
- Add in the prepared sauce and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. If you notice the sauce evaporating too quickly, add additional water, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, as needed.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the juice of a fresh lime to the mixture. Give it a taste to adjust seasonings if needed. Serve in burrito bowls, burritos, tacos, or as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Good directions. Easy to prepare. Taste fantastic. Store’s wonderfully
Thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback, Gina! I appreciate it!
Just fantastic! Even my picky 12year old loved them!
When the picky eater is happy, you know it is a winner!
Made these for dinner and they are awesome! So flavorful and good, can't wait to make them again. Taste just like Chipotle's!
I love hearing that, Eden!
What type of salsa did you use?
Any jarred salsa works great in this recipe Marleny 🙂
Did I miss the amount of garlic to include? I came across it in the directions but don’t see an amount.
Sorry Leah for that! It is 1 teaspoon of minced garlic (optional)
These sofritas are even better than the ones at Chipotle! So flavorful and delicious!
WAHOO!!! I am so glad you enjoyed so much Jessica.
I'm made these for the weekend, everyone devoured it!