13 Mojo Chicken recipes for your next special menu!

Get set ready to surprise your dinner guests with the impressive mojo chicken recipe.

Mojo Chicken is a perfect example of the vibrant and authentic Cuban cuisine. Mojo is any sauce made from olive oil, garlic, pork lard, and the juice of citrus where mostly bitter orange juice gets used traditionally. The purpose of adding is to flavour the cassava tuber or add taste to the roast pork’s marinade.

Now that we know what mojo sauce is, let us know more about the mojo chicken just to enlighten our brain cells. 

What is mojo chicken?

A Cuban marinade and sauce are made, which typically consists of garlic, cilantro, salt, oil, and hot peppers. But the specialty of the sauce is that significant importance is given to the citrus taste. So when we marinate the chicken into it, we get an excellent sauce for the mojo chicken.

Now that we have known tidbits about this fabulous mojo chicken let’s dive into its recipes.

Cuban Mojo Chicken

Now for this recipe, the chicken needs to be marinated in the mojo marinade, which I believe is too wicked!! And after it is roasted, the juices which flow from it are due with perfection. So now you have this mojo chicken for your dinner tonight. And seriously, you won’t just get up from the dinner table without finishing this tangy, garlicky Cuban chicken. 

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Ingredients

• Two lb chicken thighs and drumsticks

• For the marinade-

• One-third cup extra virgin olive oil

• One-third cup of orange juice

• Half cup cilantro leaves

• One teaspoon orange zest

• One fourth cup lime juice

• One teaspoon cumin powder

• Four garlic cloves

• Three fourth teaspoon dried oregano

• Half teaspoon black pepper

• One teaspoon salt

• One orange and cilantro for garnishing

Procedure-

• Add all the ingredients of the marinade into the food processor and blend it till the cilantro gets finely chopped.
• Now take the chicken in a large bowl and add the marinade over it. Mix well and cover it with a cling wrap. Keep aside for 24 hours.
• For cooking, the chicken, the oven should be preheated at 350 F.
•  Now place the marinated chicken pieces in a baking sheet and add the remaining marinade into it. Keep the skin side down of the chicken thigh.
• Bake the pieces for 30 minutes and then turn the sides. Pour the juices over all the pieces.
• Bake again for 20 minutes.
• Rest the mojo chicken for 5 minutes and then serve it.

Typical Mojo Chicken

• Course- Main
• Cuisine- Cuban
• Total:110 mins
• Prep:20 mins
• Cook:90 mins
• Marinate:4 hrs
• Yield:4 Servings

This is the traditional way of making this recipe. But traditionally Seville orange or bitter orange are found mostly in south-east Asia, Spain and some other parts. If you are unable to find these oranges, you can replace it with fresh limes and navel oranges. This zingy, garlicky chicken mojo chicken has tons of flavor to explore, and you sure will enjoy having this in your menu.

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

• Zest of one lemon

• Zest of one lime

• One fourth cup lime juice (fresh)

• Half cup of orange juice (fresh)

• One-fourth cup fresh cilantro (chopped)

• Half cup olive oil

• Optional: One jalapeno pepper (sliced)

• Six cloves garlic (smashed)

• One fourth teaspoon ground black pepper

• One teaspoon ground cumin

• One teaspoon salt

• One teaspoon dried oregano

For the Chicken:

• Orange and lime slices for the garnish

• One whole roasting chicken

Procedure

• Mix the orange zest, orange juice, lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, olive oil, garlic cloves, cilantro, jalapeno, oregano, cumin, salt, and black pepper.
• Add the chicken to the marinade and cover with a plastic film. Keep it in the refrigerator overnight, so it is adequately marinated.
• Now preheat the oven at 400 degrees F.
• Now that the chicken is marinated, keep it in the baking pan and tie the chicken legs together along with tucking the wings in to prevent them from darkening.
• Bake it for at least one and a half hours till it is completely cooked.
• Wrap an aluminum foil over the breasts so that they don’t turn dark.
• After it is baked completely, remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.
• Serve the mojo chicken hot with rice and black beans.
• Garnish it with lime and orange slices.

Recipe Notes- You can also serve this dish with cauliflower rice which is somehow extra flavorful than the normal rice.

Pollo Asado Mojo Roast Chicken

This recipe is served with white rice traditionally. Also, you can serve it with mashed potatoes or sandwiches having Cuban bread. So this unique mojo chicken recipe should definitely be tried once..

Ingredients

• Half cup extra-virgin olive oil

• One and a half teaspoons kosher salt

• Half teaspoon dried oregano

• One and a half teaspoons ground cumin

• Two tablespoons minced garlic

• Three tablespoons orange juice

• Three tablespoons lime juice

• One whole chicken of six pounds, cut into pieces

Procedure

• Use a small saucepan for heating the olive oil on medium-high heat. On the other hand, crush salt, cumin, oregano, and garlic in a bowl and then add in the hot oil to it. 
• After the mixture is cooled down, add in the orange juice and lime juice. 
• Take chicken in another bowl and add the marinade to it. Mix the marinade and chicken and cover it.
• Keep it in the refrigerator for at least 6-12 hours.
• Keep the marinated chicken pieces on the baking pan and also preheat the oven.
• Bake the chicken for one hour till it gets thoroughly cooked and insert an instant-read thermometer into the thigh, and if it reads 180 degrees, then it is thoroughly cooked.
• Rest the chicken for 5 minutes and then serve the mojo chicken with white rice or whatever you like.

Easy Cuban Mojo Chicken

If you don’t have the patience to wait and make the traditional style mojo chicken recipe, this recipe will be your favorite from now onwards. This tropical flavors inspired dish can be made on a grill as well as on a skillet within just 30 minutes.

Ingredients

• Two lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Mojo Sauce

•  One-fourth cup of orange juice

• One fourth cup lime juice
• One teaspoon salt
• One fourth cup olive oil
• One fourth teaspoon ground cumin
• One teaspoon garlic powder
• One-fourth teaspoon dried oregano
• Fresh cilantro 

Procedure

• Add the chicken in a Ziploc bag and season it with salt and pepper.
• Mix the components of the mojo sauce into a bowl and whisk it well. 
• Keep aside one-fourth cup of the sauce for later use.
• Add the remaining marinade over the chicken and seal the bag close. Let it marinate for at least one hour into the refrigerator.
• When you want to cook the chicken, remove it from the bag and throw away the bag’s marinade.
• Now heat a skillet or outdoor grill and add oil over it. Cook the chicken on both sides for 6-7 minutes till it turns golden brown and, in the meanwhile, baste it with the remaining sauce.
• Let the mojo chicken aside for 5 minutes before cutting its pieces.

Easy Cuban Mojo Chicken Breast recipe

Marinated in the Cuban citrus-garlic marinade, this is an easy mojo chicken breast recipe that gets the juicy perfection you won’t believe. You can pair this up with white rice or even roasted potatoes.

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Ingredients

Four boneless, skinless chicken breasts

One tablespoon complete Cuban seasoning

One cup Cuban mojo marinade

Procedure

• Place the chicken in between two plastic wrap pieces and place it on a cutting board. Now slightly pound the chicken using a meat mallet.
• Now add chicken and the mojo marinade in a bowl and refrigerate for half an hour or overnight if you have the time.
• After it is marinated, add the seasoning over it and mix well.
• If you are baking it, then preheat the oven at 400 degrees and cook the chicken breasts for at least 20-30 minutes till the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
• If you are making it on a stove, add two tablespoons of oil in the pan over medium heat and add the chicken pieces.
• Keep the temperature too low and let it cook for 10 minutes with the lid on.
• Flip on the side and let it cook for 10 minutes more.
• Let it rest for 10 minutes and then serve the mojo chicken breasts hot.

Mojo Chicken in the crockpot

To make this recipe a super hit, what you need to do is just marinate the chicken with garlic, oranges, jalapenos, and lime for that exclusive mojo flavor. You can use any pieces of the chickens and can also grill or broil it. And now the crockpot does all the other hard work from cooking the chicken to absorbing its marinade, and what you get in front is a flavorful plate of mojo chicken.

Ingredients

• One recipe Mojo Marinade

•  Two pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

Procedure

• Add the frozen chicken pieces into a crockpot and let it cook for a few hours till the pieces become soft but are still a little raw. Remove the excess water from the crockpot and add the marinade to it.
• Let it cook for some hours more and then shred the chicken.
• Mix the shredded chicken with the marinade till the chicken absorbs the juices.
• If you want to use it as a freezer meal, add the chicken and the marinade in a ziplock bag and freeze it. 
• Once you want to cook it, transfer the bag to the refrigerator so that the marinade is absorbed well by the chicken.
• Now add the chicken along with everything to the crockpot and let it cook as above directed.

Crockpot Mojo Chicken Tacos with Jalapeno Avocado Crema

If you are deep in love with Mexican food and especially tacos, then this recipe can surely satiate your craving. You ask why? The answer is because we are going to make tacos with the filling of mojo chicken, and you can use a slow cooker for it. And the topping on the taco is the rich avocado crema, which surely tastes heavenly.

Ingredients

For the CHICKEN:

• One medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

• Two garlic cloves smashed

• One bay leaf

• One and a half lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts

• juice of three oranges

• juice of one lime

• juice of two lemons

• One and a half teaspoon. cumin

• Two sprigs fresh oregano

• Half teaspoon pepper

• One tablespoon olive oil

• Half teaspoon. salt

For the CREMA:

• One jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed, roughly chopped

• squeeze of lime

• One clove garlic, roughly chopped

• Half cup of water

• One-third cup. plain Greek yogurt

• One avocado

• Half teaspoon salt

For SERVING:

• your favourite tortillas

• Half cup crumbled queso fresco

• Half cup shredded cabbage

• lime wedges

• One fourth chopped cilantro

Procedure

• In a slow cooker, add the pieces of garlic, oregano, onions, and bay leaf. After that add the chicken on it.
• Mix the lemon juice, orange juice, lime juice, cumin, olive oil, pepper, and salt in a bowl and mix well. 
• Add it over the chicken and let the chicken cook for 4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low.
• After the chicken is cooked, remove it in a bowl and shred it with a fork and discard the onions, bay leaf, oregano, and garlic.
• Now place it back into the crockpot.
• On the other hand, mix avocado, jalapeno, greek yogurt, salt, water, and a squeeze of lime in a blender. Make sure it is blended well.
• Now assemble the tacos with chicken, shredded cabbage, some crema, a little bit of queso fresco, cilantro, and lime.

Slow cooker Mojo Chicken and Rice bowl

This Spanish style slow cooker recipe is not only healthy but also very flavorful. The slow-cooked chicken flavoured with lemon, garlic, orange, and spices is full of juices and flavour along with the heavenly sauce. This mojo chicken recipe will undoubtedly earn you some points if you serve this to your guests.

Ingredients

• Mojo Chicken Marinade

• One and a half lbs chicken

• One fourth cup lemon juice

• One cup of orange juice

• One teaspoon cumin powder

• One teaspoon onion powder

• Three garlic cloves

• One tablespoon of olive oil

• Half teaspoon cayenne pepper

• Half teaspoon black pepper

For chicken and rice bowl-

• Pineapple sliced

• Salsa

• Lime wedges

• Two cups of rice

Procedure

• Blend all the ingredients of the mojo chicken marinade into a blender.
• Mix the marinade and chicken in a ziplock bag and let it rest for one hour.
• Now add the chicken into the slow cooker along with the marinade and let it cook for 2.5 half-hours on high or for 5 hours on low.
• After the chicken is cooked,  shred it with a fork in a bowl.
• Add it back to the slow cooker and remove half of the sauce from it.
• Mix the shredded chicken with half of the sauce and use the other half for cooking the rice.
• Serve the mojo chicken with salsa, pineapple, rice, and lime wedges.

Crispy Baked Mojo Chicken Wings

It is a tasty appetizer for your game night or football match. These easy to make homemade chicken wings are marinated in the Cuban mojo spices and seasoning, and these mojo chicken wings baked in the oven for that crispy texture.

Ingredients

• One and a half cup mojo marinade

• Two and a half pounds chicken wings, tips removed; drumettes and flats separated 

• Three tablespoon Cuban seasonings

• Lime wedges for garnish

Procedure

• Mix the chicken wings and mojo marinade in a bowl and let it marinate overnight.
• Keep the oven to preheat at 425 degrees F. 
• Place the wire rack on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
• Spray cooking spray on the wire rack and set aside.
• Remove the chicken wings from the marinade and pat them dry with a paper towel.
• Add the Cuban seasonings over it and toss them well.
• Bake them for 35-40 minutes till the wings are cooked and crispy.
• Remove them from the oven after they are fully cooked and serve the mojo chicken wings with your favourite dip or lime wedges.

Char-Grilled Mojo Chicken Wings

If you love outdoor grills and love having those charred pieces from the barbecue, this char-grilled mojo chicken wings recipe is for you.

Ingredients

• Three pounds of fresh-cut chicken wings

• One third cup olive oil

• Half cup minced yellow onion

• Half cup fresh lime juice

• Half cup fresh lemon juice

• Three cloves garlic, chopped

• One and a half teaspoons pepper

• Half teaspoon ground cumin

• One-fourth cup fresh oregano, coarsely chopped

• One-fourth cup chopped cilantro

• One teaspoon hot pepper sauce

• One and a half cups of Orange juice

• One and a half teaspoons kosher salt

Procedure

• Mix all the ingredients of the marinade and whisk it till the salt is dissolved completely. 
• Keep aside the one-third cup of the sauce for later.
• Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and set it aside for 7-8 hours in the refrigerator.
• Place the chicken pieces on the grill at 350 degrees F and let it cook for 7-8 minutes on each side.
• Use the leftover mojo marinade as the dipping sauce with the chargrill mojo chicken wings.

Mojo Chicken Sandwich 

Make this zingy, spicy sandwich for lunch and impress your family members with it. Filled with the mojo chicken stuffing this recipe proves to be very different from the typical sandwiches we have for lunch.

 Ingredients-

Mojo Marinade:

• Half cup extra-virgin olive oil

• One teaspoon ground cumin

• Three sprigs fresh oregano leaves chopped 

• Two boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• Four cloves garlic, roughly chopped 

• Three sprigs fresh oregano leaves chopped

• One fourth cup lime juice

• Half cup orange juice

Plate:

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• One onion, sliced 

• One tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 

• Two 7-inch loaves Cuban bread 

• One ounce mixed greens

• Two plum tomatoes, sliced 

Procedure

• Mix orange juice, olive oil, lime juice, cumin, oregano, and garlic in a bowl.
• Cut the chicken into strips and add the marinade on it just for covering. Now keep the remaining marinade aside and the chicken strips in the refrigerator for marination.
• Keep a saucepan on medium heat and pour olive oil onto it. After the oil becomes hot, add the chicken strips into it and add salt and pepper.
• Saute the chicken till it gets thoroughly cooked.
• Now cut the bread loaf and add the chicken, onions, sliced tomatoes over it.
• Now add some remaining marinade over it and close the sandwich.
• Cut the mojo chicken sandwich in half and serve.

Mojo Chicken Torta

Now, if you haven’t heard of this recipe before then, no offence. You will know it and taste it now. This scrumptious mojo chicken torta has a little much of effort but a lot more of taste and flavours. It is perfect for a heavy lunch or even better for picnics and camps. So what are you waiting for? Read in the recipe and gear up to try it.

Ingredients

Mojo Marinade:

• One tablespoon canola oil

• One small onion, finely chopped

• Zest from one orange

• Juice from two oranges

• Juice from two limes

• Four cloves garlic, rough chopped

• One tablespoon chilli powder

• One tablespoon kosher salt

• One tablespoon ground cumin

• One and a half pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Carrot Slaw:

• Four large carrots, grated

• Half teaspoon agave nectar

• Three tablespoons white distilled vinegar

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Grilling:

• Two tablespoons canola oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Two bunches scallions

Sandwich Build:

• One third cup Poblano Crema

• One-third cup Charred Salsa

• Four telera rolls (round Mexican sandwich rolls), buttered and griddled 

Poblano Crema

• Six poblanos, charred on a grill or roasted in an oven 

• One and a half cups Mexican crema

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• One and a half teaspoon teaspoons agave nectar

• Juice from one lime

Charred Salsa

• Twelve ounces large tomatillos (about 3), husks removed and cleaned

• Two plum tomatoes

• Three cloves garlic, skin intact

• One poblano chile

• One dried ancho chile

• One teaspoon agave nectar

• One small yellow onion, skin and root entire, quartered

• Juice of one lime

• One-fourth cup fresh cilantro leaves

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Procedure-

• Combine lime juice, oil, orange zest, garlic, onions, orange juice, salt and cumin in a bowl. Transfer it to a bowl and add the chicken pieces to it. 
• Keep it marinated overnight.
• For making the carrot slaw mix the carrots, agave and vinegar together. Mix well and add salt along with pepper to it.
• Keep a grill pan on medium heat and add one tablespoon of canola oil on it. Grill the chicken pieces on the grill for 8-9 minutes on each side.
• Grill the scallions too on the pan and sprinkle some salt and pepper over it.
• For making the poblano crema de seed, peel and stem the poblanos. Add it to the food processor and grind it smooth. Now add the agave, Mexican crema, salt, pepper and lime juice to it. 
• For the charred salsa, add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, poblano chiles and ancho to a pan. 
• Remove all the charred vegetables after making sure they are blackened on all sides.
• Add hot water in a bowl and add ancho chilli to it. Let it soften for 8-10 minutes and then remove its stem and seeds.
• Peel off the skin of garlic and onions too.
• Mix the tomatoes, ancho, poblano, tomatillos, onion, lime juice, cilantro, agave in a food processor, and blend it smoothly. Add salt and pepper to it according to taste.
• While building the sandwich, spread one tablespoon of the poblano crema on the bottom of a roll along with the chicken, carrot slaw, charred salsa and green onions.
• Cut the sandwich diagonally and serve the mojo chicken sandwich.

These are all the recipes for today’s blog. Please do try these mojo chicken inspired recipes and let us know your views on it.

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