Puerto Rican Homemade Sofrito is a vibrant blend of herbs and vegetables, bringing that unmistakable sabor criollo to your kitchen. It's the flavorful base behind many Puerto Rican favorites. 🌶️🍲
Sofrito is a key element to dishes such as Puerto Rican Rice with Beans-Arroz con habichuelas, Picadillo, Chuletas Fritas, and Rice with Beans.
Other essential Puerto Rican seasonings include Puerto rican Garlic Paste and Mojo Marinade for marinating and seasoning meats, and Achiote Oil for color and smokiness.
How to Use Sofrito
When should you use sofrito? This bold, aromatic base adds depth to rice, beans, soups, stews, and meat dishes. I usually start with about a tablespoon at the beginning of the cooking process, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll know exactly how much your food needs.
Here are some recipes where sofrito truly shines: Habichuelas Guisadas, Frijoles Negros, my version of Seafood Pomodoro, Arroz Con Pollo, and Picadillo. It's key in Caldo Santo, a Puerto Rican coconut and seafood soup, and even upgrades a simple Mojito Sauce into something crave-worthy.
Jump To
Traditional Sofrito
Sofrito is the foundation of Puerto Rican cooking, an aromatic blend that starts countless dishes. At its heart are ají dulce, culantro (recao), garlic, and onion. Ají dulce gives sofrito its signature sweet, earthy aroma without adding heat, which is what separates Puerto Rican sofrito from other versions across Latin America.
On the island, culantro is so essential that people call sofrito “recaito.” I’ve taken classes with Chef Giovanna Huyke, who reminds us that classic sofrito doesn’t include bell peppers—and that every dish deserves its own version. I agree. Make it fresh if you can, but let’s be real: blending and freezing sofrito is a lifesaver when ají dulce is hard to find.
Just know this: sofrito isn’t a fixed recipe. It’s flexible, personal, and tied to family memory. Once you find your rhythm, it becomes second nature, like abuela made it. 🫶🍲👵❤️
Why this recipe works
- Customizable Sofrito Base: This Puerto Rican sofrito recipe is a great starting point—learn how to tweak ingredients to match your own taste and cooking style. No two sofritos are ever the same!
- Rooted in Puerto Rican Tradition: Whether you stick to a classic version or make it your own, this recipe stays true to the heart of Puerto Rican cuisine.
- Big Flavor in Every Spoonful: As sofrito sits, the flavors deepen. One tablespoon adds bold, authentic sabor to soups, stews, rice, and more.
Ingredient Notes
- Culantro (Recao): Culantro is related to cilantro, but they’re not the same. While both herbs share a similar flavor, culantro is stronger, more pungent, and holds up better during cooking. It’s added early in the process to build depth. Cilantro, on the other hand, is more delicate and usually added at the end for a fresh, bright finish. That said, I include cilantro in my sofrito too, love the extra flavor it brings,👨🍳💋. It also shows that cilantro still works beautifully as part of your blend if you can't find culantro.
- Ají Dulce and Sabrosito Peppers: These small, colorful peppers are sweet, aromatic, and a must for Puerto Rican sofrito. While they look much like Scotch bonnet peppers, they’re not spicy. Always double-check what you're buying, Scotch bonnets will light your food on fire 🔥. If you can’t find ají dulce, try mini sweet peppers, red bell pepper, or a combo of red and green bell peppers for balance.
- Onions: Yellow onions are ideal for sofrito, they pack a stronger, more pungent flavor that mellows and deepens when cooked, making them perfect for savory dishes. White onions are a good middle ground: milder than yellow, but more flavorful than red. They’re common in many Latin American kitchens and work well if that’s what you have. Red onions are sweeter and best raw, used for salads, escabeches, or pickled toppings, not cooking bases.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions
- Bell Peppers (Red, Green, Yellow): If you can’t find ají dulce, bell peppers are a solid substitute. Red bell pepper brings sweetness, green bell pepper adds slight bitterness, and yellow or orange peppers balance the two. Using a mix can help mimic the flavor complexity of the Puerto Rican Aji Dulce or Sabrosito peppers.
- Cubanelle Peppers: Cubanelle pepper is one of the few peppers that my husband would eat. There is a sweetness and mild heat in Cubanelle that we enjoy, and we will use Cubanelle instead of bell peppers often. Chili Pepper Madness has a very informative post on Cubanelle peppers and how to use them if you want to learn more.
- Herbs: Culantro, or recao, is essential to traditional sofrito, but it can be hard to find in the U.S. You might spot it in Latin markets or bodegas, but if it’s not available, you can substitute with herbs like cilantro, parsley, or basil. While cilantro is more delicate and usually added at the end of cooking, it still brings a similar flavor. These swaps won’t be exact, but they’ll keep your sofrito fresh, herbal, and full of sabor.
- Tomato, Roasted Red Pepper, and Achiote Oil: AKA Red Sofrito or Recaito Rojo. It’s often used in dishes that need a richer base, like sauces, rice dishes (think arroz con pollo), or meats, where a deeper color and slightly sweeter flavor enhance the recipe. It’s still blended like traditional sofrito, but the added red ingredients give it a warm, earthy tone and a different depth.
- Ham and Pork Fat: This might be up for debate, but if you flip through any of Carmen Aboy Valldejuli’s cookbooks (often called the Puerto Rican Julia Child), you’ll find references to using ham and pork fat in the cooking process. These ingredients aren’t typically blended into sofrito, instead, the fat is rendered first and used to sauté the sofrito, adding rich flavor and depth. Ham brings smokiness, and if that’s not available, summer sausage works as a solid substitute.
Here’s a quick chart comparing ají dulce, sabrosito (a lesser-known Puerto Rican heirloom pepper), and Scotch bonnet, which ají dulce is often mistaken for.
How to Make Homemade Sofrito
- I don’t use a traditional blender, I make sofrito right in a 64-oz mason jar using an immersion blender. Add part of the herbs
- Next, add the roughly chopped onion and peppers. Use a mix of green, red, and orange bell peppers, or a Cubanelle or two if you cannot find the Aji Dulce in the Latin Market. I omitted the peppers while making this sofrito.
- Add cilantro. If your receptacle is not big enough, you can add these ingredients, blend them, and add more.
- Add garlic cloves. Feel free to help the blender or food processor by crushing and chopping the garlic before adding it.
- Add spices: Salt, peppercorns, and oregano. Ground pepper works too, but whole peppercorns break down unevenly, adding flavor as the sofrito marinates.
- Add cumin and coriander.
- Add oil: Just enough to help everything blend and act as a mild preservative. It also helps bind the ingredients together.
- Blend ingredients: Pulse until the larger pieces break down—you want a coarse chop, not a smooth purée.
Expert Tips
- ✅ Customize your sofrito: Puerto Rican food is all about flavor and feeling. While this recipe sticks to the traditional base, tweak it with your favorite herbs, garlic cloves, onions, or sweet bell peppers. Some cooks prefer more red bell pepper for sweetness or add extra culantro for depth. Your sofrito should reflect your style and the meals you love to cook.
- 🫙 How to store your homemade sofrito: I store mine in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge, which lasts up to three months. The flavor stays bold and vibrant, especially if you use it often in everyday cooking. If you don’t go through it quickly, freeze it in ice cube trays and pop out a cube whenever your food needs a flavor boost.
- 😝 How to tell if sofrito has gone bad: Like all fresh food, sofrito doesn’t last forever. Signs it’s time to toss it: the color turns dull brown or gray, smells sour or off (not like herbs or garlic), you see mold, or it starts bubbling. If the taste is sharp or fizzy instead of savory, don’t risk it. Always use a clean spoon to scoop your sofrito and extend its life.
- 🧼 Clean your blender or food processor with a vinegar rinse: Sofrito’s garlic, onions, and oil can leave lingering smells. A quick rinse with warm water and a splash of vinegar keeps your equipment clean and smell-free.
- 🧄 Roast some of your ingredients: Want to get fancy? Roasting some garlic cloves, onions, or red bell peppers before blending adds a smoky flavor, if you use sofrito in grilled or roasted food.
Recipe FAQs
Sofrito is a blended mix of aromatic vegetables and herbs that forms the flavor foundation of many Puerto Rican dishes. At its most traditional, it includes onions, garlic, culantro (recao), and ají dulce.
Some cooks also add ingredients like bell peppers, parsley, oregano, or cured meats depending on family traditions or regional variations. No two sofritos are exactly alike-every version reflects the cook who makes it.
Culantro (recao) is a long, serrated-leaf herb that is stronger and earthier than cilantro. It holds up well during cooking and gives sofrito its signature depth.
If you can't find culantro, cilantro is the best substitute, just keep in mind it's milder and more delicate. A good rule is to use twice the amount of cilantro to replace culantro. Look for culantro at Latin markets or in the specialty produce section of larger grocery stores.
Use sofrito at the beginning or middle of cooking to layer in bold Puerto Rican flavor. It's perfect in: Beans like Habichuelas Guisadas and Frijoles Negros. Rice dishes like Arroz con Gandules and Arroz con Pollo. Soups and Stews like Caldo Santo. And as a marinade base for chicken, pork, or seafood-Just mix with lemon, naranja agria, or vinegar.
I keep mine in a mason jar in the fridge and use it almost daily. It can last up to 2-3 months if handled with a clean spoon.
If you don't use it often pour 1-2 tablespoons into an ice cube tray, freeze, then transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. Frozen sofrito can be used straight from the freezer-no need to thaw.
Watch for these signs: A sour or fermented smell. A dull brown or gray color. Visible mold or bubbling. An off, sharp, or fizzy taste. When in doubt, throw it out. Always use a clean utensil to help it last longer.
More Traditional Puerto Rican Classics
- Guineos, Platanos, and Banana Leaves: Puerto Rican Staples
- Funche, Puerto Rican Grits
- Puerto Rican Bacalao a la Vizcaina
- Budín de Pan (Puerto Rican Bread Pudding)
I’d love to hear from you! Did you try this recipe? Leave a review and rating below. Let’s connect on Instagram, and don’t forget to join my weekly email list for fresh new recipes.
📖 Recipe
Puerto Rican Homemade Sofrito
Equipment
- 1 Immersion Blender
Ingredients
- 3 ounces garlic peeled
- 2 teaspoons dried orégano
- 1 onion peeled, and large diced
- 1 bunch bunch cilantro
- 4 bunch culantro leaves
- 1 teaspoon peppercorn
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- In your blender or a large container for an immersion blender, add part of the herbs.
- Next, add the roughly chopped onion and peppers. Use a mix of green, red, and orange bell peppers, or a Cubanelle or two if you cannot find the Aji Dulce in the Latin Market.
- Add cilantro. If your receptacle is not big enough, you can add these ingredients, blend them, and add more.
- Add garlic cloves. Feel free to help the blender or food processor by crushing and chopping the garlic before adding it.
- Add spices: Salt, peppercorns, and oregano. Ground pepper works too, but whole peppercorns break down unevenly, adding flavor as the sofrito marinates.
- Add cumin and coriander.
- Add oil: Just enough to help everything blend and act as a mild preservative. It also helps bind the ingredients together.
- Blend ingredients: Pulse until the larger pieces break down, you want a coarse chop, not a smooth purée.
Notes
- ✅ Customize your sofrito: Puerto Rican food is all about flavor and feeling. While this recipe sticks to the traditional base, tweak it with your favorite herbs, garlic cloves, onions, or sweet bell peppers. Some cooks prefer more red bell pepper for sweetness or add extra culantro for depth. Your sofrito should reflect your style and the meals you love to cook.
- 🫙 How to store your homemade sofrito: I store mine in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge, which lasts up to three months. The flavor stays bold and vibrant, especially if you use it often in everyday cooking. If you don’t go through it quickly, freeze it in ice cube trays and pop out a cube whenever your food needs a flavor boost.
- 😝 How to tell if sofrito has gone bad: Like all fresh food, sofrito doesn’t last forever. Signs it’s time to toss it: the color turns dull brown or gray, smells sour or off (not like herbs or garlic), you see mold, or it starts bubbling. If the taste is sharp or fizzy instead of savory, don’t risk it. Always use a clean spoon to scoop your sofrito and extend its life.
- 🧼 Clean your blender or food processor with a vinegar rinse: Sofrito’s garlic, onions, and oil can leave lingering smells. A quick rinse with warm water and a splash of vinegar keeps your equipment clean and smell-free.
- 🧄 Roast some of your ingredients: Want to get fancy? Roasting some garlic cloves, onions, or red bell peppers before blending adds a smoky flavor, if you use sofrito in grilled or roasted food.
Zoe Forestier Villegas says
This is an herb rich miture that brings tons of flavor to whatever recipe you use it on.