It typically consists of aromatic ingredients cut into small pieces and sautéed or braised in cooking oil for a long period of time over a low heat.

In modern Spanish cuisine, sofrito consists of garlic, onion and peppers cooked in olive oil, and optionally tomatoes or carrots.

This is known as refogado, sufrito, or sometimes as estrugido in Portuguese-speaking nations, where only garlic, onions, and olive oil are considered essential, tomato and bay laurel leaves being the other most common ingredients.

In Venezuelan cuisine, the sofrito also called aliño has four main ingredients as its aromatic base: garlic, onions, bell pepper and sweet chili (ají dulce) generally fried in corn oil.

This chili is presumed to be a non-spicy variation of crops originated in the Andean mountains, created by the selective cultivation of the indigenous populations of Margarita Island and the coastal regions of Venezuela [9] from where it was later adopted by some of the Caribbean colonies.

In Cuban cuisine, sofrito is prepared in a similar fashion, but the main components are Spanish onions, garlic, and green or red bell peppers.

Chorizo (a kind of spicy, cured sausage), tocino (salt pork) and ham are added for specific recipes, such as beans.