Easy Copycat Chipotle Sofritas

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These easy copycat Chipotle Sofritas are just as tasty as the ones you know and love! They may even be better! After all, you don’t have to leave the house or wait in line for this vegetarian Mexican favorite. In less than a half hour, you can enjoy bold flavors in the comfort of your own home!

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Jump to:

• Watch the video
• What are sofritas?
• Ingredients you’ll need
• How to make the Chipotle Sofritas marinade
• How to make sofritas recipe at home
• Pro tips and tricks
• How to serve Sofritas
• Different ways to eat Sofritas
• Are sofritas gluten free?
• Is this recipe vegan?
• Let us know what you think
• Easy Copycat Chipotle Sofritas

Watch the video

What are sofritas?

Sofritas are chunks of hard tofu braised in a spicy roasted poblano pepper sauce. When we visit Chipotle, their sofritas are our go to meal because they are not only vegan, they are also delicious!

If you really want to the taste of Chipotle sofritas but don’t want to leave the house, then this copycat and easy recipe is for you! And since it is so quick to make, you can have it nearly any night of the week.

Are you as big a fan of Chipotle as we are? You should try our Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe too! 

Ingredients you’ll need

Our sofritas need two sets of ingredients. You’ll need ingredients to make the sofritas themselves and to make their spicy sauce.

For the sofritas, you’ll need only three ingredients, including:

• Block of extra-firm tofu - You definitely do not want to use soft or medium firmness tofu, it will fall apart. 
• Olive oil - You could use canola or vegetable oil if you prefer.
• Cornstarch - This will help thicken the sauce and provide a nice outer skin to the tofu.

You’ll also need to get ingredients for the sauce. Here’s what you’ll need to have on hand:

• Poblano pepper - You should be able to find this mild pepper in your local store’s produce section.
• Chipotle pepper in adobo - There really is no substitute for these spicy and hot peppers. If you don’t like heat, make sure you use them very sparingly!
• Adobo sauce - Adobo sauce is a spicy red sauce found in a lot of southwestern cooking.
• Salsa - You can make your own or get your favorite brand.
• Spices - For spices, you’ll need garlic cloves, cumin powder, granulated sugar, and salt.
• Garnish - For some added flavor, you’ll want lemon juice and cilantro on hand.

How to make the Chipotle Sofritas marinade

Before you can make the Chipotle sofritas, you’ll need to make the sauce or marinade. Don’t worry! It’s not hard at all.

First, you need to roast your poblano pepper. There are a few different ways to do this. One way is to hold the poblano over the flame on a gas range until it’s hot and blistery on the outside.

If you don’t have a gas range, you can use your air fryer. You’ll need to cook them on 400*F for 15 minutes or until it’s soft and blistered. 

Either way, once they are roasted, set them aside to cool for a minute or two.

After the peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the charred skin, stem, and seeds from the pepper.

Finally, place the poblano, chipotles, garlic, spices, and salsa in a small blender and pulse until a mostly smooth paste forms. Set aside while you prepare the tofu (steps below).

How to make sofritas recipe at home

Once the sauce is ready (see the section above), you are ready to make these sofritas in your Instant Pot. When you are ready, follow these simple steps.

First, press the tofu with a clean towel to remove as much excess moisture as you can. When the moisture is mostly removed, cut the tofu into blocks and dust them with cornstarch. Once dusted, set them aside.

Next, press the Saute button on your Instant Pot. When it says “hot”, add 1 tablespoon oil and add the tofu. Cook the tofu cubes until they are golden brown on all sides and then remove the cubes from the pot. Finally, crumble the cooked cubes into small pieces.

Without cleaning the pot, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, the prepared sofritas sauce, and salt. Stir and then sauté the mixture for one minute before pouring in the water and the crumbled tofu. Before closing the lid, mix it all together well.

Once the lid is secure and set to “sealing”, select manual pressure cook and set the timer for 4 minutes. Once done, do a quick release to remove the pressure.

Finally, carefully open the lid, squeeze in some fresh lime juice, and sprinkle the top with chopped cilantro. Serve in our delicious burrito bowl 

Squeeze lime juice and sprinkle some chopped cilantro and enjoy it in our delicious burrito bowl recipe, in burrito wraps, or as the stuffing for tacos.

Pro tips and tricks

This copycat Chipotle recipe doesn’t take long to master. Here are some great tips to get you started.

• Make sure you are using firm or extra firm tofu. Silken tofu will NOT work for this recipe!!
• If you have a cast iron skillet, you can use that to pan sear the tofu before placing in the Instant Pot. 
• You’ll have left over peppers, so to store them, try placing them in an ice cube tray and freezing until they are solid. Once they are hardened, pop them out and place them into a labeled freezer safe bag. You can then store the peppers in the freezer for 3 to 6 months.
• If you are not comfortable holding the pepper over a flame, use your air fryer instead. You can also roast the peppers under a broiler, just make sure to flip and keep an eye on them so they don’t burn too much!
• Make sure the oil and Instant Pot are hot before searing the tofu cubes for the best results.

How to serve Sofritas

You should serve sofritas hot and fresh from the Instant Pot. 

You can combine them with other recipes to make burrito bowls, tacos, salads, or over rice. 

But if you are just serving them on their own, you can let your family or guests build their own creations. Here are some tips of what to serve the sofritas with:

• lime wedges
• cilantro 
• rice 
• black or refried beans
• tortilla shells or wraps
• salad greens
• sour cream
• Mexican cheeses 
• cheddar cheese 

Different ways to eat Sofritas

Sofritas can go in a lot of different dishes. Our families love to eat them in our burrito bowl recipe. But you could also add them to your favorite tacos or burrito recipes. 

If you want, you can serve them over plain rice or even over our Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe. You could also serve them with a side of our refried beans.

Do you have a crowd or just like variety? You could serve the sofritas with our chalupa recipe or seven layer dip recipe.

And for dessert, you’ll definitely want to make these delicious churros muffins.

For more great Mexican recipes from our Instant Pot to yours, check out all of our great Mexican-inspired Instant Pot recipes here. You are sure to find something for everyone in the family!

Are sofritas gluten free?

Sofritas are generally gluten free. Most chipotle pepper in adobo sauce are naturally gluten free. And the rest of the ingredients should not have any flour or gluten in them.

But, if you need to eat gluten free, you should definitely check the label of the sauce and the peppers. You want to make sure they don’t have any gluten containing products in them.

Is this recipe vegan?

Yes! This is a vegan recipe. 

Of course, if you serve it with cheese, sour cream, or other dairy product, it will still be vegetarian, but won’t be vegan. But the base recipe is vegan.

Let us know what you think

If you make the sofritas, don’t forget to let us know what you think and how you served them! Be sure to take a pic and tag us on Instagram @dbellyrulesdmind or Facebook @thebellyrulesthemind!