The Best Mojo Chicken Marinade Recipes

CUBAN MOJO CHICKEN RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, combine the orange zest, lime zest , orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, garlic cloves, jalapeno (if using), oregano, cumin, salt, and black pepper.
• Place the chicken into the marinade , cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. You can also do this in a large zip-top bag, but be sure to place the bag into a large bowl to safeguard against drips.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on a large roasting pan. If you like, tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body to help prevent them from darkening too much.
• Roast in the oven for approximately 1 1/2 hours, or until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 F on a meat thermometer. If the breast starts to get too dark while roasting, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.
• Remove from the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before carving.
• Garnish with orange and lime slices (if using) and serve with rice and black beans.

MOJO-MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN RECIPE

Steps:

• To make the mojo sauce, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, lime juice, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Wash the chicken inside and out and remove any excess fat. Place in a large Ziploc bag and pour in about 2/3 of the mojo sauce, reserving the rest. Seal the bag and toss to evenly distribute the marinade, then open and reseal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 6 hours.
• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature while you prepare the grill. Light a chimney 3/4 full of charcoal. When the charcoal is fully lit and covered in gray ash, pour the coals out and arrange them on either side of the charcoal grate, keeping the middle empty. Place chicken on the rotisserie and cook at 300 degrees until an instant read thermometer registers 165 degrees in the thickest part of the breast, about 1 1/2 hours. Baste the chicken every 20-30 minutes with the reserved mojo sauce while cooking. Remove the chicken from the rotisserie and let rest for 15 minutes, carve and serve.

MOJO ROAST CHICKEN (POLLO ASADO)

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until very hot. While the oil heats, mash the cumin, salt, oregano, and garlic together into a paste in a heat-proof bowl; whisk the hot oil into the paste. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. Add the lime juice and orange juice; stir. Place the chicken in a large sealable bag; pour the marinade over the chicken and shake to assure an even coating. Refrigerate at least 4 hours, up to overnight.
• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Arrange the marinated chicken in a roasting pan.
• Bake the chicken in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C).

MOJO GRILLING MARINADE

Steps:

• Pulse the garlic and onion in a blender until very finely chopped. Pour in orange juice, lime juice; season with cumin, oregano, lemon-pepper, black pepper, salt, cilantro, and hot pepper sauce. Blend until thoroughly incorporated. Pour in the olive oil, and blend until smooth.