The best sofrito recipe is a flavor building puree of fresh peppers, onion, garlic, tomato and herbs widely used in Latin America and Caribbean cooking. It’s one of their “secret ingredients” for building dynamite flavor.
Sofrito Recipe
My cooking journey has taken me all over the world for flavors and spices. I've learned that the freshest ingredients make the best flavors.
Give me garden picked peppers, newly ripened tomatoes, and vibrant green herbs and I will make you a feast loaded with flavor.
Cooks have been doing this all over the world long before I came along, particularly in the Caribbean and Latin American countries.
There, they have been cooking with a mixture of aromatic ingredients and herbs to develop layers of flavor and taste into so many of their dishes, and I'm here to introduce it to you.
It is called "Sofrito", and you're going to love it.
What is Sofrito?
Sofrito is a sauce used as a base for building flavor into numerous dishes ranging from soups to stews to pots of rice. It is common in Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Latin American and Caribbean cuisines, where it goes by different names, such as "sofregit", "estrugido" or "refogado".
As with any widely used recipe, you'll find variations from region to region, but the concept remains the same. Sofrito is a mixture of aromatic ingredients, either chopped or pureed, used to add flavor to different foods.
In Spanish cooking, it is made from peppers, onion, garlic and tomatoes, which are then cooked in olive oil - referred to as "sufrito" or "refogado".
In Portugal, it is made primarily of onions and olive oil, and sometimes with garlic and bay leaves - referred to as "estrugido".
Puerto Rican sofrito is a puree of of onions, garlic, aji peppers, green bell pepper, and cilantro and culantro. It is referred to as "Recaíto".
Dominican sofrito incorporates a variety of colorful bell peppers with red onion, tomato paste, garlic, apple cider vinegar, oregano and cilantro.
Sofrito can be green or red, depending on the peppers used and the country of origin.
My version is more Caribbean in influence, but you can adjust it to your desires with other peppers, herbs and seasonings.
Let me show you how to make sofrito at home.
Sofrito Ingredients
- Bell Peppers. Red bell peppers or green.
- Cubanelle Peppers.
- Ajíes Dulces Peppers. Aji Dulce peppers are traditionally used for certain versions of sofrito, like Puerto Rican sofrito, but you can use other peppers, seeded. Try other aji peppers or chilies more local to you.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Cilantro.
- Culantro. Use extra cilantro if you can't find it.
- Tomatoes. Optional.
- Salt.
- Olive Oil.
How to Make Sofrito - the Recipe Method
Processor. Add to a food processor or blender the roughly chopped peppers, onion, garlic, cilantro, culantro, tomatoes (if using), and olive oil.
Salt to Taste. Add salt to your personal taste.
Process as Desired. Process until you reach the consistency you prefer. Either chunky or very smooth.
I prefer a smoother sofrito, as it is easier to freeze and blends more easily into my dishes.
Taste and Adjust. Taste and adjust for salt.
BOOM! Easy enough, right? Homemade sofrito is very easy to make. This makes about 3-4 cups, depending on the sizes of your peppers and onions mostly.
Storage Information
Store in the refrigerator and use as needed or freeze in small batches. Sofrito will last 2 weeks when properly stored in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer.
I like to freeze mine like this in ice cube trays.
It makes perfect little portions that I can toss into just about anything to build flavor.
Once they are frozen, just pop them out of the tray and transfer them into large freezer bags. Then keep in the freezer. It will last 6 months this way.
It smells so fresh right out of the food processor, like a newly made salsa. Talk about a flavor builder. Homemade sofrito is the best.
Outstanding.
Recipe Notes and Variations
Other Ingredients
You can and should experiment with other ingredients. Consider adding apple cider vinegar, like cooks do in the Dominican Republic. Try it with other peppers.
Ingredient Ratios
You can also adjust ingredient ratios. Want more onion and garlic? Just add them in. Dial back on the peppers? (*gasp!).
Of course you can do that, too.
Spice It Up
If you're a chilihead like me who craves spicy food, incorporate some hotter peppers into the mix. In fact, habaneros are essential to a Mexican variety of sofrito.
Culantro
Culantro is an herb similar to cilantro, though stronger in flavor. Depending on where you are from, it is called by other names, including spiny cilantro, long-leafed coriander, saw-toothed mint, cilantro de hoja ancha, or "broadleaf cilantro" in Spanish, recao in Puerto Rico, or chandon beni in parts of the Caribbean.
You can often find it in Hispanic and Asian markets, but if you are unable to obtain culantro, use extra cilantro instead.
What is Sofrito Used For?
Sofrito is a base to add flavor to many different types of recipe dishes. Spoon it into a pan with chopped aromatics to build a big flavor base.
Add it to soups and stews, ground beef dishes.
It is a big component in rice dishes, like Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo, Pernil (Puerto Rican Roast Pork), or rice and beans. Puerto Rican sofrito is a big component of Puerto Rican cuisine.
In Cuban cooking, it is used in dishes like Ropa Vieja and Picadillo.
The best sofrito recipe incorporates fresh peppers, onion, garlic, and herbs. You can also include tomato if you'd like.
It’s one of Latin America's “secret ingredients” for building dynamite flavor.
What is the Difference Between Recaito and Sofrito?
Recaíto, often called Puerto Rican sofrito, is a puree of of onions, garlic, aji peppers, green bell pepper, and cilantro and culantro. It does not contain tomatoes, typically, though they can be added.
That's it, my friends! I hope you enjoy your sofrito! Let me know what you make with it. I'd love to hear.
Try Some of These Recipes with Your Newly Made Sofrito
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
Sofrito Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 green bell peppers seeded and chopped
- 2 cubanelle peppers seeded and chopped
- 4-5 aji dulce peppers seeded and chopped
- 1 large white onion chopped
- 8 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 bunch cilantro leaves about 1 cup loosely packed
- 2 culantro leaves chopped (replace with extra cilantro if you can’t find it)
- 2 plum tomatoes chopped
- Salt to taste
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor. Process until you reach the consistency you prefer. Either chunky or very smooth.
- Taste and adjust for salt.
- Store in the refrigerator and uses as needed or freeze in small batches.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 2/8/22 to include new photos, information and video. It was originally published on 4/10/19.
Lucy Pedersen says
Mike, you outdid yourself again! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! I used my own peppers- a few different varieties.. my own herbs.. your idea of freezing it is amazing- I kept some in the fridge, and froze most of it. It is my new favorite for sure!
Mike H. says
I am very pleased to read your review, Lucy. Enjoy it!
Fernando says
You can make recaito in portions in the freezer by pouring it into ice cube. When cooking, can combine sofrito with a bit of sazón, start cooking it before adding the main ingredients like if you're making arroz guisado, carne or pollo asada(o). Sometimes I add a little bit of recaito before making/cooking the pasta sauce
Mike H. says
Thanks for the input, Fernando.
RamonRaymondRivera says
yes me make my own special sofito for long time it's great on all meats an dishes my self develop ideas like a born sickness sorry love to combine ingredients together grand combo sofito me make about 6-8 qts an freezer
Geribelle L Senter says
All I could find at the stores to make the sofrito was Anaheim peppers, mini sweet peppers to go with the bell peppers. I am hoping this is ok as I plan on using it to make the pernil recipe as I want to make the Cuban sandwich Wednesday. We are very limited on what we can find around here.
Mike Hultquist says
Those will work great, Geribelle. You won't get any heat, but definitely great flavor. Enjoy!
Charmaine K Louzao says
I add oregano, capers and spanish olives to my sofrito
Amanda says
Very good recipe, especially for a Puerto Rican sofrito. I don't add tomatoes to mine, and honestly I don't add salt either. I prefer to just add the salt to my dishes without having to control for it in a base I may have made awhile ago. But lots of people do! The pre-made Goya recaito has salt in it.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Amanda! Yes, agreed about the salt. I definitely prefer to add it in later.
Paul says
Hi Mike,
I rectently bought (both fresh and dried) Aji peppers that were simply labelled “Aji Red” and they are on the hot side so I wouldn’t want to use them in this dish. I can’t get hold of Aji Dulce. I have a variety called “Cherry Bomb” and wondered if I could use that rather than Aji Dulce?
Paul
Mike Hultquist says
You can use them, Paul. You can really use any type of peppers for this recipe, to your heat and flavor preference.
Miguel says
Made this Sofrito last night as an ingredient in my Hamburger-Poached Egg-Soup recipe for 2. Ingredients: Half a bunch of Cilantro, Half an Onion, 4 Cloves of Garlic, 1 Teaspoon Coarse Salt, Pinch of Ground Black Pepper,1 envelope of Sazon Goya, 1/4 Juice of a Lemon. 1/4Cup Virgin Olive Oil. Directions: Roughly chop the cilantro and onio, arlic and put them into your blender or food processor. Add the salt, pepper, Sazon and lemon juice. Hit the chop button on your blender for two or three short bursts. Personally I like my sofrito mix to be coarse but no harm is done if you make it more soupy. My wife loved it.
Mike Hultquist says
Sounds fantastic, Miguel! I love it!
Deborah S says
God bless you! Thank you for the history lesson on Sofrito and the recipe. I was shopping on line for ingredients, and basically ordering the same old same old from my favorite Mexican market, when I ran saw prepared Pollo Guisado. The picture of the dish looked good, but I had never ate it before so I looked up a recipe for it to get an idea and ran across yours. Well, the recipe called for Sofrito which led me here. After reading your blog, I am sold! I'm adding the ingredients to my shopping list as well as storage bags for freezing. I can't wait to try both recipes as they sound so good!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Deborah. Enjoy!
Kozmo says
This is great. I use sofrito in paellas and bean and rice dishes. Now I'll try it in many more dishes.
The freezing aspect of this is a great way to use up that extra cilantro of which only a small bunch or so was used in some other recipe.
I buy limes and lemons by the bags and freeze most of the juice as well. I use ice cube trays that include a silicone cover to protect the flavor in the freezer and then I keep the cubes there until I use them.
Mike Hultquist says
Great info, Kozmo. Yes, freezing is definitely useful. Patty likes to make flavored simple syrups like you mention, then freeze them. Perfect for quick cocktails or mocktails. She calls them "flavor bombs". I love it. =)
Jean Germain says
You forgot to mention that sofrito and recaito is mostly the same in haitian culture with the name of "Épis".
John says
That is excellent Michael! I am also going to use it as a base for salsa. Thank you for the recipe.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, John. Enjoy!!!
John says
I don’t have access to Cubanelle or Dulce peppers can I substitute reconstituted New Mexico peppers?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
You surely can, John. Enjoy.
Raina says
Was gifted a lot of aji dulce peppers and looking forward to trying this recipe. If I wanted to can the sofrito to preserve it, do I need to add anything else? Thank you for the recipe & info!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sounds great, Raina. You can pressure can the sofrito, and it freezes wonderfully. If you want to preserve with a water bath, you may need to add in some acidity like vinegar or citrus to get the pH down to 3.5 or lower for home preserving.
Julie says
I made this yesterday and loved it! Learn from my fail though... your ice cube may never be the same after hosting sofrito.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Julie! Haha, oops!
Frann says
I saw your recipe for Arroz con Pollo and wanted to incorporate your sofrito recipe, though with a bit more chunkiness with this arroz. Can you help me at what point to do the sofrito and when to add to the arroz dish? TIA
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Frann, I just redid my Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo recipe (https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/puerto-rican-arroz-con-pollo/), and also just published an Arroz con Gangules recipe (https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/arroz-con-gandules/) that you may want to review. I hope this helps!
Monica says
I have bought sofrito in jars and I didn't care fir it that much. When I made this fresh recipe, it was amazing. Thank you for sharing your recipe. By the way, it's a little peppery but I didn't use any hot peppers. What to do with all the culantro I have left. Can I puree and freeze to make my next batch of sofrito.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Monica. You can definitely adjust it to your preferences next time, or make another batch with less peppers and mix them. Yes, you can puree the culantro with a bit of oil then freeze it for using later. Glad you enjoyed it.
Oosha says
Sounds like my kind of recipe.
I have some dried Ajinomoto peppers from PERU.
Can I use those.
Oosha
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Oosha. Yes, you can use the dried Ajinomoto peppers. Just be sure to rehydrate them first if they are whole. Enjoy!
Nadia says
I've been making very close to this recipe for many years. Yours is wonderful. It always makes recipes with a lot of flavor.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Nadia. I know, I love this stuff.