Dominican Sofrito (Sazón)

By
Hector Rodriguez
Hector Rodriguez
A Puerto Rico native and former food service professional, Hector Rodriguez develops recipes inspired by the Caribbean and Latin America.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 11/27/21
Tested by
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Tested by Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Dominican Sofrito (Sazón)

The Spruce / Kristina Vanni
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 32 servings
Yield: 4 cups
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
10 Calories
0g Fat
2g Carbs
0g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 32
Amount per serving
Calories 10
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 42mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 10mg 48%
Calcium 6mg 0%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 56mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

In the Dominican Republic, sofrito is also called sazón. Typical ingredients included in a Dominican sofrito are bell peppers, onions, garlic, annatto (achiote), oregano, vinegar, tomato paste or sauce, and cilantro.

On the islands, it's common to find different recipes with the same name or different names for the same recipe. The confusion comes from the individuality of cooks and the mingling of cultures and languages in the Caribbean. This recipe is a perfect example. In the Spanish language, sazón means seasoning. But, the Dominican sazón recipe is in line with the sofrito recipes of Puerto Rico and Cuba. If you ask for sazón on these two islands, you'll get something totally different—a dry granular mix of seasoned salt.

Sofrito wasn't invented on any of the Spanish-speaking islands, nor is it unique to the Caribbean. Take a look at this sofrito article for more background on its origins, history, how it got to the islands and how it became an indispensable part of the cuisines from Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.

"The Dominican Sofrito had excellent flavor and texture, and the recipe made about 4 cups. It was an easy recipe to prepare in just 15 minutes. No cooking required! I added a few tablespoons to some black beans and froze the rest for later." —Diana Rattray

Dominican Sofrito Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 medium red onions, peeled and diced

  • 2 medium green bell peppers, coarsely chopped

  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

  • 1 (4-ounce) jar diced pimentos, drained

  • 1 head garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

  • 1 tablespoon ground annatto (achiote)

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Dominican Sofrito (Sazón) ingredients

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  2. Chop and blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender until finely chopped.

    Chop and blend all the ingredients in a food processor

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

  3. Place mixture in a glass jar with a tight lid. Refrigerate up to one week.

    Dominican Sofrito (Sazón) in a jar

    The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

How to Use Sofrito

Sofrito is usually the first thing to go into the pot when making soups, stews, beans, and rice dishes. You can use it right away or store it in the refrigerator for later use. Here are some ideas for using your fresh homemade sofrito:

How to Store and Freeze

Because it’s used almost daily, it isn’t unusual for home cooks to prepare big batches of sofrito and store it in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.

  • You might use only small amounts of sofrito at a time, so it makes sense to store some in the fridge and extra in the freezer. Refrigerate homemade sofrito in an airtight container or jar for five to seven days.
  • To freeze homemade Dominican sofrito, transfer it to small freezer-safe containers and freeze it for up to 6 months. Alternatively, freeze it in ice cube trays until firm and transfer the cubes to zip-close freezer bags. Freeze sofrito for up to six months. Thaw frozen sofrito in the refrigerator overnight.