Chipotle Sofritas Tofu

This vegan Chipotle copycat Sofritas Tofu is even better than the real thing! It's spicy, crispy, meaty, filling, and perfect for tacos, burritos/ burrito bowls, nachos, or just on its own.

I thought I loved sofritas tofu from Chipotle until I tried a homemade version. It's SO much better, and it's super easy to make a big batch and use leftovers all week!

I've been making this recipe at least once a week to use in homemade burrito bowls and I just can't get enough. Our recipe calls for baking the tofu, which gets super crispy, chewy and meaty. (No soft, textureless tofu here!)

We promise you'll LOVE this recipe. Not only does it taste ridiculously good, but it's also high in plant-based protein, lower in sodium, easy to make on a weeknight, and so versatile.

Ways you can use sofritas tofu

• In a burrito bowl with brown rice, guacamole, salsa, pickled onions, vegan cheese, etc.
• In tacos (or taco lettuce wraps!)
• In a (breakfast) burrito
• On nachos
• With tortillas chips
• By the spoonful!

Ingredients

• Tofu: extra firm tofu is pressed to release as much moisture as possible before tossing with oil, cornstarch and salt and baking to get extra crispy and delicious.
• Onion and garlic
• Chipotles in adobo: canned chipotles in adobo and smokiness and spice to this sofritas tofu. You'll be using an actual pepper from the can, plus some of the adobo sauce. If you're sensitive to spice, start with just 1 pepper and 1 tablespoon of sauce. You can always increase from there.
• Tomato paste
• Lime juice: freshly squeezed is always best!
• Coconut sugar: you can also use regular sugar, brown sugar or agave.
• Seasonings: salt, dried oregano (Mexican oregano if possible), cumin and coriander)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375˚F.

Prep the tofu: Drain tofu and slice block in half so you have two thinner rectangles. Cube, then arrange on an even layer of paper towel, cover with more paper towel and set something heavy on top (like a book) for at least 15 minutes, preferably 30 minutes. 

Bake the tofu: Place pressed tofu in a ziploc or reusable bag with 1 tablespoon oil and shake to coat. Add cornstarch and salt and shake until tofu is evenly coated. Transfer tofu to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and roughly chop tofu into smaller pieces. 

Make sofritas sauce: While the tofu is baking, add all sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. If you're sensitive to spice, start with 1 chipotle pepper and 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce, and increase after tasting (if desired).

Sauté onion and garlic: Add remaining 2 tablespoon of oil to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

Make sofritas tofu: Add chopped tofu and stir well. Add in sauce and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring every minute or two, until tofu is crispy and sauce is mostly reduced. 

Serve in a burrito bowl, tacos, or eat on its own!

Recipe Tips

• Be sure to use extra firm tofu, and press it ahead of time to remove as much moisture as possible. The firmer the tofu, the crispier (and more delicious!) the sofritas.
• Let the pan get hot to allow the tofu to get extra crispy.
• Not a huge fan of spice? Start with the minimum amount and taste before adding more. Too much adobo can make this pretty spicy, especially for younger kids.
• Don't chop the tofu too small. It's nice to have a bit of texture – roughly chop the tofu until you have bite-sized pieces.

More favorite tofu recipes

• Potato Chip Tofu Nuggets
• Pineapple Teriyaki Tofu
• Tofu Bacon
• How to make Tofu Scramble
• Rice Noodles with Crispy Tofu

If you make this vegan Chipotle sofritas tofu, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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