Homemade Sofrito Recipe

Sofrito is known as the holy trinity of Latin cooking, but almost every island culture has its own version. Dominican homemade sofrito is a complete seasoning, made by blending cilantro, culantro, onions, cubanelle peppers, and fresh garlic into a paste.  Made ahead and stored in the refrigerator, it’s used as a seasoning in all of your favorite dishes like pollo guisado, carne guisada, Dominican beans and rice and pigeon peas.

Dominicans sometimes call it sazón, Jamaicans refer to it as green seasoning, and Portuguese-speaking cultures say refogado. No matter the name, the concept of sofrito is recognized across cultures.

 

Why you’ll love this recipe ❤️

• Fresh and flavorful—Dominican sofrito blends the freshness of of cilantro, the sharpness of garlic and culantro, and the subtle sweetness of red onion and cubanelle peppers. Cubanelle peppers have a thinner texture, which makes the sofrito more smooth and less chunky.
• Comes together in minutes—just a rough chop to fit all of the ingredients in the bowl, your food processor does the rest!
• Great way to use up leftover cilantro—let’s be honest, grocery stores always give way more than we need, and we end up tossing the rest. Making homemade sofrito is a simple way to use it all up.

Homemade Sofrito Ingredients

I left the ingredients whole in this photo so you can  identify them while shopping. You’ll be able to see how they’re cut in the step-by step photos below. Measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom.

• Fresh culantro and cilantro are used in this recipe. Cilantro for freshness, and culantro for sharpness and depth. Culantro’s harder to find, so if you can’t locate it, just leave it out.
• Cubanelle peppers are mild, slightly sweet, and blend smoothly. Not all stores carry them, feel free to use green bell peppers in their place.
• 8 cloves garlic—essential for aromatic flavor.
• Red onion—slightly sweeter than white onion or yellow onions, I prefer to use red onion for color, but you can use either.
• Dominican oregano—more earthy than regular oregano, but either works. Some people don’t add any seasonings to their sofrito, and that’s ok too.
• ½ lime (optional)—lime juice adds acidity and helps preserve the sofrito a little longer. Some people use vinegar, but I prefer the more subtle and fresh taste of lime.

Sofrito variations

Everyone makes their sofrito differently. There are some distinctions across cultures, but it a lot of it comes down to personal preference. Of course, there are always exceptions when it comes to regional differences.

Personal preferences

• Preparation: Not everyone blends their sofrito, and it doesn’t have to be made ahead. Some people chop everything by hand. Blending is common, especially when making a large batch, or using it as a marinade.
• Seasonings: Some people add seasonings to the sofrito, while others choose to season the meat or dish directly.

Cultural variations

• Puerto Rican sofrito—the base includes garlic, onions, and cilantro, with the addition of annatto oil, sometimes tomatoes, and ají dulce (sweet peppers). Their green version, recaito, is made with recao (culantro).
• Cuban sofrito’s main ingredients are onion, bell pepper and garlic. They often include cumin and sometimes tomato sauce and pimientos. The addition of cilantro is not as common.
• Portuguese-speaking cultures call sofrito “refogado” which is made of garlic, onions, and oil.
• Jamaican green seasoning uses Scotch bonnet peppers, thyme, ginger, scallions, cilantro, and garlic. It’s often blended until creamy and used as a marinade.
• Haitian epis is very similar to Jamaican green seasoning, but without ginger and with the addition of parsley.

How to make homemade sofrito

Step 1: Remove the seeds, cut the peppers into pieces, and place them in the bowl of a food processor.

Step 2: Cut the red onion into quarters and add it to the bowl.

Step 3: Add the garlic, oregano, and lime juice. Cover and pulse just enough to make space for the remaining ingredients.

Step 4: Roughly chop the cilantro (with stems) and culantro, then add to the bowl and pulse. You may need to add the leafy ingredients in batches to ensure everything blends evenly. Blend until it forms a paste.

Sofrito uses and storage

• As a seasoning/marinade for meats: Use 1 tablespoon of sofrito per pound of meat. Simply toss the meat until its evenly coated and let it marinate for at least 1 hour, or longer for more flavor.
• As a base for dishes or stews: Heat a bit of oil in a pan and add the sofrito. Cook for a few minutes until it becomes fragrant. Then, add your ingredients and follow your recipe’s steps.
• Store the sofrito in jars and keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• To freeze it: spoon 1 tablespoon of sofrito into each section of an ice tray and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Frequently asked

Q: Why is this called sazón? I thought sazón was a powder.
A: Sazón just means “seasoning” in Spanish. While there is a powdered version, sazón can also refer to sofrito. To avoid confusion, people sometimes specify by saying sazón líquida (or just sofrito) and sazón en polvo (for the powder).

Q: Do Dominicans also use powdered sazón, like the one in stores?
A: Yes, Dominicans use powdered sazón too, but mainly for color and to enhance flavor. It’s not an actual substitute for sofrito. Some people make their own dry sazón using ingredients from sofrito, for a more traditional Dominican taste.

4. My recipe calls for sazón, which should I use?
A: In 99% of cases, if a recipe calls for sazón, it’s referring to the powdered (store-bought) one. If the recipe calls for sofrito, it will specifically say so. It’s not uncommon to see both sazón and sofrito used in the same recipe.

Recipes that use sofrito

• Moro de Gandules (Pigeon Peas and Rice)
• Moro de Habichuelas Negras
• Dominican Sancocho
• Pollo guisado (Dominican Stewed Chicken)

 

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