• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • About
  • Cookbooks
  • Shop

Chili Pepper Madness logo

  • Recipe Index
  • RECIPES BY TYPE
    • BBQ/Grilled
    • Burgers
    • Chicken Wings
    • Chili
    • Curry
    • Dehydrator
    • Game Day
    • Hot Sauces
    • Jalapeno Poppers
    • Marinades
    • Pickling
    • Preserving
    • Quick and Easy
    • Salsas
    • Sauces
    • Seasonings
    • Stuffed Peppers
    • Tacos
  • COOKING TIPS
  • Pepper Info
    • Chili Pepper Types
    • The Scoville Scale
    • Hottest Peppers in the World
    • Growing Chili Peppers
    • Preserving
    • Health Benefits
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Buy Plants & Seeds
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • All Recipes
  • Pepper Info
  • Chili Pepper Types
  • The Scoville Scale
  • Growing Chili Peppers
  • Preserving
  • Chili Pepper Health Benefits
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Cooking Tips
  • Cookbooks
  • Shop
  • About Us
×

Home » Sofrito Recipe (How to Make It and Use It)

Sofrito Recipe (How to Make It and Use It)

by Mike Hultquist · Feb 8, 2022 · 21 Comments

Jump to Recipe
Sofrito Recipe

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.

Sofrito on a spoon, ready for cooking

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 on a spoon

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.

Sofrito ingredients in a food processor

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.

Processed sofrito in a food processor

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.

Freezing sofrito in ice cube trays for later use

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.

Sofrito in a bowl

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.

Fresh sofrito on a serving spoon

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.

Sofrito in a bowl, ready for cooking

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

  • Ropa Vieja
  • Mexican Picadillo
  • Arroz con Pollo
  • Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo
  • Arroz con Gandules (Puerto Rican Rice with Pigeon Peas)
  • Cuban Black Beans - Frijoles Negros
  • Pollo Guisado (Chicken Stew)
  • Carne Guisada (Beef Stew)
Freshly made sofrito in a bowl, ready to season up your meals

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
Print

Sofrito Recipe

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.
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Cuban, Spanish
Keyword: chili peppers, recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Calories: 16kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 48 tablespoons
Tap or hover to scale
5 from 8 votes
Leave a Review

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

Makes 3-4 cups.
Sofrito will last 2 weeks when properly stored in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 16kcal   Carbohydrates: 1g   Fat: 1g   Sodium: 6mg   Potassium: 41mg   Vitamin A: 70IU   Vitamin C: 23.1mg   Calcium: 3mg   Iron: 0.1mg
Sofrito Recipe
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 2/8/22 to include new photos, information and video. It was originally published on 4/10/19.

 

Categories: Recipes Tags: Chili Pepper Madness, chili pepper recipe, mikes favorites

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Deborah S says

    August 18, 2022 at 9:28 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      August 19, 2022 at 6:48 am

      Thanks, Deborah. Enjoy!

      Reply
  2. Kozmo says

    August 08, 2022 at 2:23 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      August 08, 2022 at 2:32 pm

      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. =)

      Reply
  3. Jean Germain says

    July 26, 2022 at 2:31 pm

    5 stars
    You forgot to mention that sofrito and recaito is mostly the same in haitian culture with the name of "Épis".

    Reply
  4. John says

    August 11, 2021 at 2:53 pm

    5 stars
    That is excellent Michael! I am also going to use it as a base for salsa. Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      August 11, 2021 at 2:54 pm

      Thanks, John. Enjoy!!!

      Reply
  5. John says

    August 09, 2021 at 2:19 pm

    I don’t have access to Cubanelle or Dulce peppers can I substitute reconstituted New Mexico peppers?

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      August 09, 2021 at 2:25 pm

      You surely can, John. Enjoy.

      Reply
  6. Raina says

    October 31, 2020 at 5:53 am

    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!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      October 31, 2020 at 8:16 am

      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.

      Reply
  7. Julie says

    September 12, 2020 at 11:14 am

    5 stars
    I made this yesterday and loved it! Learn from my fail though... your ice cube may never be the same after hosting sofrito.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      September 14, 2020 at 7:59 am

      Thanks, Julie! Haha, oops!

      Reply
  8. Frann says

    August 11, 2020 at 10:14 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      August 12, 2020 at 6:43 am

      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!

      Reply
  9. Monica says

    April 26, 2020 at 9:22 am

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      April 26, 2020 at 9:30 am

      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.

      Reply
  10. Oosha says

    April 11, 2019 at 12:07 am

    5 stars
    Sounds like my kind of recipe.
    I have some dried Ajinomoto peppers from PERU.
    Can I use those.
    Oosha

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      April 11, 2019 at 6:27 am

      Thanks, Oosha. Yes, you can use the dried Ajinomoto peppers. Just be sure to rehydrate them first if they are whole. Enjoy!

      Reply
  11. Nadia says

    April 10, 2019 at 11:46 am

    5 stars
    I've been making very close to this recipe for many years. Yours is wonderful. It always makes recipes with a lot of flavor.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      April 10, 2019 at 11:46 am

      Thanks, Nadia. I know, I love this stuff.

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

ALL. SPICY. RECIPES. Hi, I’m Mike and I LOVE Spicy Food! Say goodbye to bland and boring food with my easy-to-follow recipes. Let’s get cooking!

More about me →

Mexican
Cajun
Sauces
Seasonings

5 ESSENTIALS FOR SPICY COOKING

Subscribe and receive my FREE email series with tips for spicy cooking and new Recipes

Order The Spicy Food Lovers' Cookbook by Mike Hultquist

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / INDIEBOUND / BOOKS A MILLION

Order The Spicy Dehydrator Cookbook by Mike Hultquist

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / INDIEBOUND

Most Popular Recipes

  • Bang Bang Chicken
  • Jamaican Curry Chicken
  • Mexican Birria Recipe
  • Homemade Blackening Seasoning
  • Michelada Recipe - Spicy Mexican Beer and Tomato Juice Cocktail
  • Pollo Guisado Recipe (Chicken Stew)

Footer

NEVER MISS A RECIPE

Receive my "5 Essentials for Spicy Cooking" email series & new recipes

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

↑ back to top

About | Contact | Travel-Food | Stories | Privacy | Disclaimer | © 2022 Chili Pepper Madness

EXCLUSIVE MEMBER OF MEDIAVINE FOOD