We are so excited to share this Cuban-inspired Mojo Chicken! It is packed with so much garlic, citrus flavor (the mojo marinade is SO good). Perfect for serving up with your favorite side of rice and seasoned black beans for an easy family dinner!
The Best Mojo Chicken
Our family is always in need of a new and flavorful weeknight dinner option that can be made in minutes and this Cuban mojo chicken recipe is just that! Full of light & refreshing flavors that is perfect for enjoying all summer long, especially because you can make it right on the grill. Definitely one of our family favorite recipes that we are returning to again and again. We can’t wait for you to try this! It’s a super easy mojo chicken recipe that your whole family is going to love too!
If you love Cuban flavors as much as we do, we highly suggest serving this with a little Mojito to drink! So simple and so good!
What You Will Need
- fresh orange juice & lime juice – the amazing fresh citrus base for the mojo marinade and mojo sauce!
- orange juice concentrate – perfect for really bringing so much great orange flavor.
- lemon zest, lime zest, and orange zest – all the citrus zest for so much extra flavor that your tastebuds will love!
- garlic & white onion – great flavors that are always a must.
- ground cumin, dried oregano leaves, kosher salt, & ground black pepper – simple seasonings that are traditional for this classic mojo chicken.
- olive oil – an essential piece of any homemade marinade recipe!
- boneless skinless chicken thighs – these are what we used, but feel free to use any cut of chicken that you love.
- cooked rice – we love a nice jasmine rice or basmati rice, but use what works for you!
- black beans – the added flavor that seasoned black beans bring to this dish are out of this world but plain black beans would work too – you can use store-bought or homemade.
How To Make Mojo Chicken
This delicious recipe is made by first mixing up the homemade mojo marinade in a mixing bowl.
Now place the raw chicken in a shallow baking dish or large resealable bag and pour about 1/3 of the marinade (or enough to cover the chicken) on top. Let it sit for no more than 30 minutes.
Do I Have To Use Chicken Thighs
No, they are not the only option. We love the added flavor that come with chicken thighs, but you can also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts too! Or bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, basically any cut of chicken should work just fine in this simple recipe.
Pour the rest of the Cuban mojo marinade in to a small saucepan and simmer, uncovered, for about 20-30 minutes or until it has reduced by half. This turns the simple mojo marinade in to the best cuban sauce!
While the mojo sauce is simmering, bring your grill up to a medium-high heat, and clean those grates! Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess. Place the marinated chicken directly on the hot grill for about 3-4 minutes of cooking time per side or until their internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F (use a meat thermometer).
Let the chicken rest on a cutting board at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes and enjoy with some fluffy white rice and seasoned black beans!
Best Ways To Serve Mojo Chicken
As stated in the recipe card, we love enjoying this delicious chicken recipe on a plate with some cooked rice and seasoned black beans. Garnish the whole plate with some fresh cilantro leaves and a squeeze of fresh lime or orange juice. Then pour on that simmered Cuban mojo sauce, the flavor is out of this world!
Recipe FAQ
- Cooking techniques: we absolutely love grilling this mojo chicken for the added flavor and ease of cooking and clean-up! But you could also easily cook your mojo-marinated chicken in a cast iron skillet, on the smoker, or in the air fryer.
- Storage: any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Just make sure you store the food separate from the mojo sauce. You don’t want things getting mushy!
Made this recipe and loved it?! We would love it if you would take a minute and leave a star rating and review – it is also helpful if you made any substitutions or changes to the recipe to share that as well. THANK YOU!
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Other Easy Chicken Recipes You Might Like
Mojo Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Marinate Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner/Entree
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: Cuban-Inspired
Description
Mojo Chicken – a delicious mojo chicken recipe that is perfect on the grill! Serve with rice, seasoned black beans and fresh cilantro!
Ingredients
Mojo Chicken Marinade + Sauce:
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2–3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup white onion, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 2–3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Mojo Chicken:
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups rice of your choice, cooked
- 2 cups seasoned black beans (homemade or store-bought)
- garnish: orange slices, lime slices, fresh chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Combine Mojo Chicken Marinade in a small bowl. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Prep chicken by patting dry with clean paper towel. Season with kosher salt and ground black pepper.
- Place chicken in a reusable silicone bag or glass container and pour approx. 1/3 of the mojo marinade over top (enough to coat the chicken). Ensure chicken is fully coated, seal container and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Place the remainder of the mojo marinade in a small saucepan. Bring to a light simmer, uncovered, for approx. 20-30 minutes or until it is reduced by about 1/2. Remove from heat and let cool slightly until use.
- Bring grill up to medium high heat (about 400 degrees F) and ensure grill grates are clean.
- Remove chicken from marinade and let excess drip off (or you will have flare-ups) – discard the remaining marinade that came in contact with the chicken. Place chicken directly on the grill grates over direct heat (directly over flame) for 3-4 minutes per side (the bigger the thigh the longer you will need to cook it), flipping once.
- Remove from grill once the internal temp has reached 165 degrees F. Let rest 5-10 minutes.
- Divide rice, black beans and chicken between plates. Drizzle the mojo sauce from the saucepan over the chicken and rice. Top with some fresh chopped cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice or orange juice.
Notes
- Orange Juice Concentrate: we love using a bit of orange juice concentrate in recipes to really amp up that orange flavor! You will find it in the freezer section of your grocery store!
- Chicken Breasts: feel free to use chicken breasts if you prefer, just adjust your cook time.
- Marinate Time: since there is so much citrus in this marinade we wouldn’t recommend marinating more than about 30 minutes as the citrus will start to cook the chicken and will change the texture (and not in a good way!).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 409
- Sugar: 5.8 g
- Sodium: 657.2 mg
- Fat: 11.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 39.4 g
- Protein: 36.3 g
- Cholesterol: 140.1 mg
Elise says
This sounds delicious! Do you think pork chops be used in place of the chicken?
Thank you!
Erin says
Thanks, Elise! I am sure you could, you would just need adjust cook time, etc. But I don’t see a reason the marinade wouldn’t work for pork chops too!
Stefanie Terrill says
Soo flavorful!! I marinated the chicken in the mojo sauce for 5 hrs. Cooked the chicken on the Traeger. Delicious recipe that is going to be a staple for the dinner rotation.
Erin says
Yay! So happy to hear that, Stefanie!! Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review and rating – I appreciate it!