Homemade Sofrito Recipe – Immaculate Bites

Sofrito Recipe – This is a versatile, aromatic green puree made of bell peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, and onions. Sofrito’s robust base delivers flavor to dishes like stews, beans, and rice with many variations. Caribbean and Latin American countries all have their own twist on this all-purpose spice.

Homemade seasoning is always a winning ingredient for serious home cooks. Unlike store-bought spices and seasonings, you can adjust homemade to your preference. Plus, you know exactly what you’re serving your family (no chemicals included).

A disclaimer to all you purists out there: this sofrito recipe is a basic version using easy-to-find ingredients. Cubanelle peppers (small sweet peppers) are hard to come across in my neighborhood, as is culantro. However, I’ve found you can still make a gorgeous sofrito with other sweet peppers. 💚

Why Make Your Own Sofrito From Scratch

This sofrito sauce is so aromatic and fragrant with a subtle kick. It tastes amazing, and it’s a breeze to whip up. Make insanely flavorful rice, stews, and other dishes with just a scoop.

While Latino and Caribbean markets offer jarred versions, you can’t beat an authentic sofrito with fresh herbs and vegetables. You can really taste the difference, and it’s super easy to make. 

What You Need

As I mentioned, there are plenty of versions of sofrito. In Puerto Rico, sofrito includes aji dulce peppers (it looks like a habanero but doesn’t have the heat).

1. Pepper Base – You’ll need red and green bell peppers and cubanelle peppers for the base ingredient. But feel free to use banana peppers, poblanos (for a little heat), or Italian Marconi peppers if that’s what you have available.
2. Flavor Base – Cilantro, culantro, garlic, white and green onion, plum tomatoes, and fresh oregano all pack a punch in the aroma and flavor category. Replace the culantro with the same amount of cilantro if you can’t find it.

It goes without saying that you can customize the ingredients and quantities. This recipe has countless family variations, so go ahead and make it your own.

How to Make Homemade Sofrito

• Blend – Once you have all the ingredients together, give those vegetables and herbs a rough chop, place them in a food processor or blender, and blend them until they turn into a green puree. A bit of olive oil will help everything come together if it’s too thick. I prefer mine to have some texture, so I leave it out.
• Store it in a jar and place it in a fridge for up to 1 month, or freeze it in ice cube trays and keep the cubes in a freezer bag for up to a year. Use it as whatever recipe you’re using asks for. That said…

Making Sofrito Chicken Stew

• Wash chicken thighs and legs, then pat dry with a paper towel—season with salt and sazon.
• Marinate the chicken with a generous amount of sofrito (or your favorite spice mix). Let it sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. To marinate longer, refrigerate it until ready to cook.
• Heat a Dutch oven or skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in about 2 tablespoons of oil.
• Sear – Place chicken skin side up and sear it for about 2 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for another 4-5 minutes until browned. Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving drippings in the pan. (Photo 1)
• Sofrito – Add as much oil as needed, followed by onions, garlic, and a few tablespoons of sofrito. Sauté until soft but not golden, 2-3 minutes. (Photo 2)
• Stew Base – Add tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes. Next, add paprika, sazon, cumin, bell pepper, and chicken broth. (Photos 3-4)
• Simmer – Return chicken to the pot, bring to a boil, and lower the temperature. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is tender, adding more stock as needed. (Photos 5-6)
• Serve – Adjust seasoning to taste, turn the stove off, and serve hot.

Ways to Use Sofrito

This mighty green condiment makes a powerful base for stews, soups, beans, and rice dishes. Try it in the incredible one-pot Puerto Rican arroz con pollo, sancocho, or these ridiculously good Puerto Rican-style beans. Or if you’re into chips, sofrito makes an amazing salsa. 😋

Recipe Variations

1. Puerto Rican sofrito recipe. My Puerto Rican friends tell me they can always tell when there’s no ají dulce and culantro. So replace the bell peppers and cubanelles with aji dulce and the cilantro with culantro. Of course, if you can’t get either one, use my recipe.
2. Spanish version. Puree onions, garlic, peppers, and celery, then fry it in some olive oil with tomato paste and fresh herbs.
3. Make it Italian. Add bacon to the Spanish version, and you’re good to go.
4. Get Cajun. Spice things up with a Cajun twist (otherwise known as the holy trinity). Dice up some onion, peppers, and celery and saute them in lard or oil. Add cayenne, smoked paprika, and white pepper to the mix for more heat.
5. Caribbean vibes. Add scotch bonnet peppers, ginger, and allspice to sofrito for a delightful Caribbean green sauce. Use it to season traditional rice and bean recipes, soups, and stews.
6. Add carrots. French and Italian cooks often include carrots in their versions, so feel free to do the same. 
7. Make it toasty. Lots of variations start with caramelized onions and veggies. If you want that toasty, caramelized flavor, saute the onions, bell peppers, garlic, and tomatoes until they’re a lovely golden brown. Then, blend it all in the food processor with the rest of the ingredients.

More Homemade Seasonings You’ll Love

1. Homemade Berbere Spice
2. Green Seasoning (West Indies sofrito!)
3. Peri Peri Sauce
4. Jamaican Jerk Sauce
5. Creole Cajun Seasoning

This blog post was originally published in August 2018 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video