A delicious recipe for Cuban Mojo Chicken. Oven roasted thighs and drumsticks with a citrus mojo marinade alongside sweet potatoes and peppers. An easy dinner in a sheet pan!
The Cuban Mojo Chicken is so zesty and bright! The chicken’s amazing flavor comes from a Cuban-style marinade called mojo (pronounced moho) made with fresh oranges and limes, juice and zest, fresh coriander, garlic cloves, and cumin seeds. Colorful peppers, onions and yams are roasted alongside drumsticks and drumsticks.
Mojo is traditionally made from Seville oranges. They have a very acidic, bitter profile – great for cooking but are often hard to find. The lime combined with fresh orange mimics this taste.
For the best flavor, start marinating the chicken in the morning or the night before, and while you’re at it, soak in some black beans and make Cuban black beans for the perfect side dish. If you’re pressed for time, marinating works for at least an hour.
Ingredients in Mojo Chicken
Notes on ingredients
oranges and limes– Traditional mojo is made from Seville oranges, very sour, bitter oranges that are great for cooking but are often hard to find. The lime mimics that taste.
Chicken- Thighs and drumsticks, boned and skinned for the best flavor, juicy texture and golden brown exterior.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Mojo Chicken
Prepare marinade: Place the orange and lime zest in a food processor or blender along with the lime and orange juice, garlic, oil, salt, pepper, and cumin. Blend together until mostly smooth.
In a sealable container, pour the larger portion of the marinade over the chicken, making sure it is evenly distributed.
Whip up the marinade in the morning and it’s ready by dinner! It is best to marinate for 6 hours or overnight and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour, up to 24 hours.
After the chicken is marinated, scrape the marinade off the top skin side of the chicken. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pat the tops of the pieces dry with a paper towel. This is to ensure a crispy golden brown exterior!
Toss the peppers, onions, and sweet potatoes with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt (if desired) and arrange around the chicken in the pan. Bake in the top third of the oven for 30 minutes.
Brush the reserved marinade over the chicken and vegetables and bake an additional 15 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and reaches 185 (175 is safe, but 185 will be more tender).
garnish with more zest, lime juice and fresh coriander.
What to serve with Mojo Chicken
Frequently Asked Questions about Mojo Chicken
Cuban food is very bland. Flavors are simple and fresh, based on spices such as citrus, garlic, bay leaf, cumin and oregano.
Mojo (pronounced mo-ho) is a Cuban marinade made with citrus, garlic, and herbs.
Yes, you can use skinless chicken breasts – they won’t brown as much. After 30 minutes, start checking the temperature. For maximum juiciness, keep them at around 165F. Grilling is also an option for chicken breasts to give them more flavor.
Serve with Cuban black beans, cilantro rice and pineapple salsa. Finish with fresh zest and coriander.
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Description
A delicious recipe for mojo chicken. Oven roasted thighs and drumsticks with a citrus mojo marinade alongside sweet potatoes and peppers. An easy dinner in a sheet pan!
- Prepare marinade: Place the orange and lime zest in a food processor or blender along with the lime and orange juice, garlic, oil, salt, pepper, and cumin. Blend together until mostly smooth. **Set aside 1/4 cup of the marinade to use when cooking the chicken.
- In a sealable container, pour the larger portion of marinade over the chicken, making sure it is evenly distributed. Marinate for 6 hours or overnight is best and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, at least an hour. Whip up the marinade in the morning and it’ll be ready by dinnertime!
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade. Scrape the marinade off the skin side of the chicken. Place skin-side up on a parchment-lined baking sheet and pat the tops of the pieces dry with a paper towel. (This is to ensure a crispy golden brown exterior). Brush the naked chicken with a light coat of olive oil.
- Toss the peppers, onions and yams with a little oil and sprinkle with salt, arrange around the chicken in the pan. Bake in the top third of the oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and brush the reserved 1/4 cup marinade over the chicken and veggies and bake an additional 15 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and reaches 185 (175 is safe, but 185 is more tender and higher is fine too. Thighs and legs will keep their juicy goodness).
garnish with more zest and lime juice, fresh cilantro.
surcharge with Cuban black beans, rice and pineapple salsa.
Remarks
Note: Marinate the chicken for at least 6 hours or overnight at least 1 hour. Refrigerated for 12 hours improves tenderness, juiciness and taste.
Nourishment
- Serving size: 1 piece of chicken and 1 cup of vegetables
- Calories: 375
- Sugar: 5.5g
- Sodium: 570.2mg
- Fat: 15.7g
- Saturated Fatty Acids: 3.1g
- Carbohydrates: 24.4g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 33.8g
- Cholesterol: 151.2mg
Keywords: Mojo Chicken, Mojo Chicken Recipe, Baked Mojo Chicken, Fried Mojo Chicken, Sheet Pan Mojo Chicken, Cuban Mojo Chicken