Cuban Mojo Grilled Chicken is the perfect tender, juicy chicken marinated in a deliciously tangy and spicy citrus sauce, with grilling or baking instructions.
Grilled Cuban Mojo Chicken is absolutely packed with flavor and sure to be a favorite Weeknight Dinner with the whole family. For more Cuban dishes try our recipes for Slow Cooker Mojo Pork or Easy Cuban Sandwiches.
In Cuban cuisine, mojo sauce is traditionally made with garlic and bold citrus flavor. This recipe uses sweet and sour orange juice, lemon juice, and lime for citrus ingredients. Then garlic, soy sauce, chili powder, cumin, and oregano add even more delicious and complex flavor. It makes the perfect marinade to infuse each piece of chicken with amazing tangy sweet and spiced citrus zest.
The fresh ingredients all come together easily in the mojo marinade, and from there the Cuban Chicken is super easy to make either on the grill or in the oven. As long as you make sure to prep the marinade in advance, the cooking time for the recipe is super quick and easy!
Once it’s done you can serve up Cuban Mojo Chicken as a delicious main dish with a side of Rice and Black Beans. You could also slice the chicken and serve it in sandwich wraps with fresh ingredients like carrots, lettuce, broccoli, or peppers.
EASY CHICKEN RECIPES
KEY INGREDIENTS
- Citrus juice: Fresh lime juice, lemon juice, and orange juice help to tenderize the chicken in the marinade and give the dish a tangy, sour, and refreshing flavor.
- Spices: Along with the delicious citrus juices and sauce ingredients, the mojo marinade also has a variety of delicious spices. Chili powder, cumin, oregano, and black pepper all add a bolder flavor to the recipe. The cumin and chili powder both add a mild spicy taste.
- Chicken: Apart from the marinade, all you need is boneless, skinless chicken breast. The meat soaks up all the juices from the marinade for the most succulent chicken dish ever!
COOKING TIPS
- Mojo chicken marinade: Score 4 pieces of chicken breast over the top. This will help the meat absorb the marinade for maximum flavor. Add the vegetable oil, orange juice, lemon juice, minced garlic cloves, soy sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and cilantro to a small bowl, and whisk the mojo marinade together. Pour the mixture into a zip lock bag with the chicken breast. Put the chicken and mojo marinade in the fridge for 4-8 hours.
- Roasted chicken: It’s up to you if you want to grill or bake the chicken. for baking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the chicken on a baking dish, and place it in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Make sure the internal temperature has reached at least 165 degrees before serving.
- Grill: You can also use an indoor or outdoor grill to cook the chicken. Simply grill over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side until cooked through and golden brown.
- Serve: After cooking, serve up the juicy and flavorful dish. For optional garnish add orange wedges and cilantro leaves.
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VARIATIONS
- Seasonings: Experiment with the flavor of your Cuban chicken by adding different spices, like basil, parsley, mint, onion powder, paprika, or red pepper flakes.
- Meat: You could use mojo marinade for different kinds of meat including steak and pork chops. Just make sure to follow FDA Guidelines to grill any type of meat to a safe temperature.
CUBAN DISHES
HOW TO STORE
- Serve: Cuban Mojo Chicken can stay good at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Store: After that, you should transfer the chicken to an airtight container or cover it in plastic wrap to store in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- Freeze: You could also carefully wrap the chicken in plastic wrap and aluminum foil or put it in a freezer bag to store in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup lime juice
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro , chopped
- 4 chicken breasts , boneless skinless
Instructions
- Whisk together vegetable oil, orange juice, lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, soy sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and cilantro in a small bowl.
- Pour into a zip lock bag with 4 chicken breasts you've scored on the top.
- Marinate for 4-8 hours.
To cook on the grill:
- Cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side on direct heat.
To cook in the oven:
- Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Perfectly seasoned & so yummy!! Love the flavors!! I will definitely be making this again!!
This chicken was sooo good, my whole family loved it! Will be making it again and again. Thank you.
This Cuban Mojo grilled chicken is definitely a new fam fav! It was perfectly cooked and bursting with flavors!
Hey, Sabrina! I’m excited to try this out. I’m not a great cook, but I’ve been trying to explore different ways to marinate chicken breast for my meal preps. Will it matter if I use the boxed orange juice? Thank you for this!