Mojo Marinated Chicken Recipes

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.

CUBAN MOJO CRIOLLO (MOJO MARINADE RECIPE)

Steps:

• In a mortar and pestle, add the garlic cloves and salt. Mash both until you get a smooth paste.
• In a large mason jar, add the garlic paste, minced onion, black pepper, oregano, cumin, sour orange juice, and olive oil. Close the jar tightly with the lid and shake it until well combined. Be sure to shake well before every use.
• Feel free to taste and adjust seasoning. If you're not a fan of garlic, you can add less (maybe 5 or 6 cloves). This marinade should taste garlicky, fresh, tangy, citrusy, bright, and slightly sour. Never sweet nor spicy.
• This recipe makes approximately 2 cups of mojo marinade which will last approximately up to 3 weeks in an airtight container/mason jar. You can also freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Enjoy!

TRADITIONAL CUBAN RECIPE: CUBAN MOJO (CUBAN MARINADE)

Steps:

• Mash garlic, salt and peppercorns, using a mortar and pestle or use food processor.
• Stir in juice.
• Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes or longer at room temperature.
• *If making it without the oil - stop at this point and this makes a perfect marinade for seasoning, chicken, fish, pork &/or beef.
• Continue with preparing the mojo with oil - after you have stirred in juice add onion & oregano.
• Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes or longer at room temperature.
• In a saucepan heat olive oil to medium hot & then remove from heat.
• Whisk oil in garlic-juice mixture, until well blended.
• Stores for at least a week in the refrigerator.

CUBAN MOJO CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the marinade ingredients in a food processor. Blend until the cilantro is finely chopped.
• Pour the marinade over chicken in a large bowl. Cover with cling wrap and marinate for 12 - 36 hours.

MOJO MARINATED CHICKEN

Steps:

• To make marinade: In a medium bowl, whisk the marinade ingredients.
• Place the chicken in a large, plastic resealable bag and pour in the marinade, place in a bowl, and refrigerate for 6-8 hours, turning occasionally.
• Remove the chicken from the bag and reserve the marinade. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan, brign to a boil over high heat, and boil for a minute.
• Grill, bone side down, over Indirect Medium heat until the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink at the bone, 30-40 minutes. Baste once or twice with the boiled marinade. For crispier skin, grill the chicken, skin side down, over Direct Medium heat during the last 5 minutes of grilling time. Brush with a little of the marinade just before serving.

CUBAN MOJO CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven at 350°F
• Add to the food processor, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, lime zest, cumin, oregano, salt, and black ground pepper.
• Process for 10 seconds. You don't want the sauce to become too creamy.
• Add the olive oil and process for 5 seconds, just to combine ever so slightly.
• Add the chicken and chopped onion in a large bowl.
• Pour half of the mojo sauce over the chicken and onions. Cover with cling film, and marinate in the fridge for 3 hours.
• Set aside the remaining half of the mojo sauce for later use.
• When the chicken is done marinating, add chicken and onions the the baking tray, together with the sauce it marinated in.
• Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, chop up the pineapple, avocado, and cherry tomatoes into small pieces and add them in a small bowl. Mix in the remaining half of Mojo sauce you saved earlier. Your salsa is ready!
• Drizzle pineapple-avocado salsa over baked chicken, serve with steamed rice and beans, and enjoy!

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.