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tofu taco meat (sofritas) in a pan
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4.75 from 4 votes

Sofritas (Tofu Taco Meat)

This savory, satisfying tofu taco meat is even better than Chipotle's sofritas, promise. Vegan, gluten-free, make-ahead friendly, and perfect for all your Mexican-inspired meals.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Mexican-Inspired
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: sofritas, tofu taco meat
Calories: 118kcal
Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

For the tofu

  • 1 16- ounce 454-gram block extra-firm tofu

For the marinade

  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) safflower oil
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce

  • 2 plum tomatoes fresh or canned, seeded and chopped
  • 1 small poblano pepper roughly chopped
  • 1 small shallot chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves chopped
  • 2 tablespoons (28 grams) tomato paste
  • 1 canned chipotle pepper plus 1 tablespoon (15 ml) adobo sauce
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) safflower oil

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the center.
  • Drain the tofu and firmly pat dry between multiple layers of paper towels.
  • Crumble tofu with your fingers and dry well again.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
  • Add crumbled tofu and mix gently but thoroughly until the tofu has evenly absorbed the marinade.
  • Line a rimmed half-sheet pan with parchment. Pour tofu onto pan and arrange in a single layer.
  • Bake, stirring once or twice, until browned and chewy, about 30 minutes.
  • While the tofu bakes, place the tomatoes, poblano, shallot, garlic, tomato paste, chipotle pepper and adobo sauce, oregano, and salt into a food processor and process until relatively smooth.
  • Heat the safflower oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat.
  • Pour in the sauce and cook, stirring almost constantly, until reduced by about half.
  • Remove tofu from oven, spoon into sauce, and stir to coat.

Notes

  1. The chipotle pepper in adobo sauce adds quite a bit of heat to this recipe, making it spicier than the version you'll get at Chipotle. If you're not a fan of heat, you can substitute an additional tablespoon of tomato paste. The smoked paprika will still give the sofritas a nice smokiness.
  2. Tofu taco meat will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a year. Defrost in the fridge and reheat in the microwave.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 118kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 594mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g