Tacos Sofritas

Name: Tacos Sofritas
Prep time: 8 h
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 8 h 30 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 package (14 oz) extra firm tofu, pressed, grated; 1 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning; 1/4 cup Texas Olive Ranch Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 2 cups (8 oz) sweet onions, sliced thin; 2 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning; 1/4 cup chipotles in adobo, minced; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tsp garlic, grated on microplane; 3/4 cup pineapple juice; 1/2 cup sour cream; 1 tbsp lime juice; Water; 12 corn tortillas; Avocado Oil Spray; 2 cups Pepper Jack, grated; 2 cups romaine lettuce, shredded; Heat Maverick’s Where Did the Mango Hot Sauce

Aug 30, 2024 • Tom Jackson

Get ready to veg out with these bold and flavorful Tacos Sofritas! Crispy tofu, infused with Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning and fried in Texas Olive Ranch Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, meets a smoky, tangy sauce of caramelized onions, chipotles in adobo, and pineapple juice. These sofritas are nestled in warm, cheesy corn tortillas, topped with crisp romaine lettuce, tangy lime crema, and a kick of Heat Maverick’s Where Did the Mango Hot Sauce. With every bite, enjoy a satisfying crunch and a burst of bold, plant-powered flavors that are sure to be a hit!

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE

Pressed and grated tofu, not cubed: Grating the pressed tofu on a box grater rather than cubing it creates significantly more surface area for the Cattleman's Grill Mexicano Seasoning to coat and for the griddle to crisp — the texture ends up closer to ground meat than to typical tofu cubes, which is exactly what makes this work as a taco filling.
Pineapple juice in the sauce is the unexpected move: Reducing pineapple juice into the caramelized onion-chipotle-tomato paste base adds a natural sweetness that balances the heat and acidity from the chipotles in adobo — it's a sauce technique that elevates this well beyond a typical vegetarian taco filling.
Cheese gets melted onto the tortilla, not just on top: Flipping the tortilla on the griddle and melting Pepper Jack directly onto the surface before adding the filling means every bite has a cheesy base layer, not just a sprinkle on top.
Lime crema in a squeeze bottle: Thinning the sour cream and lime juice and transferring to a squeeze bottle gives you control over presentation and portion — a small step that makes the finished tacos look and taste like something from a taco truck.

Tacos Sofritas

Tom Jackson

Rated 5.0 stars by 2 users

Cuisine

Mexican

Servings

12

Prep Time

8 hours

Cook Time

30 minutes

Calories

148

Ready to kick your taco game up a notch? These Tacos Sofritas are the ultimate flavor fiesta, packed with crispy, seasoned tofu, a smoky-sweet sauce, and all the right toppings to make your taste buds dance! Whether you're a plant-based pro or just looking to veg out, this recipe is your ticket to taco bliss—cheesy, zesty, and with just the right amount of heat. Let’s get cooking!

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Tofu:

1 package (14 oz) extra firm tofu, pressed, grated
1 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning
1/4 cup Texas Olive Ranch Garlic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sauce:

2 cups (8 oz) sweet onions, sliced thin
2 tbsp Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning
1/4 cup chipotles in adobo, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp garlic, grated on microplane
3/4 cup pineapple juice

Crema:

1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp lime juice
Water

Tacos:

12 corn tortillas
Avocado Oil Spray
2 cups Pepper Jack, grated
2 cups romaine lettuce, shredded
Heat Maverick’s Where Did the Mango Hot Sauce

View Cart (0) Checkout

Directions

Wrap the tofu in a thin towel, then place in a small pan, topped with a heavy pan and press in the refrigerator overnight to squeeze out the excess moisture. The next day, grate the tofu on a
box grater.
Preheat your Yoder Smokers YS640s Pellet Grill to 450ºF with the diffuser removed and the Yoder Smokers Cast Iron Griddle installed over the fire box.
Fry the tofu in the garlic oil on the griddle, turning occasionally untiled browned and crispy.
To make the sauce, add oil to a Lodge 12” Steel Skillet over medium heat on the Hestan Cue induction burner. Add the onions and Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano Seasoning. Cook until the onions are softened, stirring often. Add the chipotles in adobo, tomato paste and garlic. Cook for one minute, stirring. Add the pineapple juice and reduce until thickened.
Mix the fried tofu into the sauce and cover to keep warm.
Spray the griddle with avocado oil. Cook the tortillas until lightly browned. Flip and add the cheese to melt. Remove when the cheese is melted and the tortilla is toasted but still pliable.
Whisk together the sour cream and lime juice, then thin with water to your desired consistency and transfer to a squeeze bottle.
To build the tacos, top each cheesy tortilla with one quarter cup of the filling, then a pinch of lettuce and drizzle with the crema. Top with Heat Maverick’s Where Did the Mango Hot Sauce.

Recipe Note

Recipe FAQ

What does "sofritas" mean, and where does the name come from?
Sofritas is a plant-based filling made primarily from tofu, cooked with chipotles, onions, garlic, and other aromatics to create a smoky, savory, and slightly spicy result. The name comes from "sofrito," a traditional Spanish and Latin American sauce base made from peppers, onions, garlic, and tomatoes that forms the flavor foundation of many dishes. Sofritas adapted that flavor base into a tofu-centered filling that works as a satisfying plant-based alternative in tacos, burritos, and bowls.

Why press the tofu overnight instead of just patting it dry?
Extra firm tofu still holds a significant amount of water that needs to be removed for proper browning. An overnight press under weight in the refrigerator removes far more moisture than a quick pat-dry, which is the difference between tofu that crisps properly on the griddle and tofu that steams and stays soft. If you're short on time, a minimum 2-hour press will work, but the texture won't be quite as crisp.

Can I make the sauce ahead of time?
Yes — the onion-chipotle-pineapple sauce keeps well refrigerated for up to 4 days and the flavor improves as it sits. Reheat gently in a skillet, then mix in freshly fried tofu rather than reheating tofu that's already been combined with sauce — this keeps the texture from going soft. The crema also holds well refrigerated for several days in a squeeze bottle.

What can I substitute for chipotles in adobo if I can't find them?
A small can of chipotles in adobo is widely available in the Mexican foods aisle of most grocery stores, but if unavailable, you can substitute 1–2 tsp of chipotle powder plus a tablespoon of tomato paste and a splash of vinegar to approximate the smoky, tangy depth. The texture won't be identical since you lose the minced pepper pieces, but the flavor profile will be close.

Can I make this indoors?
4 out of 5 — Great in the kitchen, better on the grill. Frying the tofu and building the sauce are both completely stovetop techniques — a cast iron or carbon steel skillet over medium-high heat replicates the griddle sear closely. The tortilla toasting and cheese-melting step also works identically on a stovetop griddle or skillet. You lose very little moving this recipe indoors.

Recipe Highlights

Grate the tofu after pressing, not before: Pressing whole blocks of tofu is more effective than pressing already-grated tofu, since the block holds together and yields evenly to weight. Grate on a box grater the next day, after the moisture has been removed — this order produces more consistent, crumbly pieces that crisp evenly on the griddle.
Don't rush the onions: The sauce starts with sweet onions cooked with Cattleman's Grill Mexicano Seasoning until properly softened, not just lightly sautéed. Fully softened onions release their natural sugars, which is what allows the pineapple juice reduction at the end to thicken into a cohesive sauce rather than a watery one. Take the extra few minutes here.
Reduce the pineapple juice until it visibly thickens: The final sauce step calls for reducing the pineapple juice "until thickened" — this is a visual and textural cue, not a fixed time. The sauce should coat a spoon and look glossy rather than watery before you mix in the tofu. An under-reduced sauce will be thin and won't cling to the tofu properly.
Toast the tortilla before melting the cheese, not after: Browning the tortilla first and then flipping to melt the cheese on the second side ensures the tortilla has structural integrity (lightly crisped) before the cheese weighs it down. Adding cheese to a raw, un-toasted tortilla risks a soggy base once the warm filling and crema go on top.