Cuban Mojo Grilled Chicken with Sautéed Onions

Cuban Mojo Sauce: A Staple Cuban Recipe

With summer here, we’ve been grilling a lot – especially this Cuban Mojo Grilled Chicken! Our routine looks like this: the night before, I pull out our selected meat from the freezer and let it thaw overnight in the fridge. The next day, I marinate it. When D gets home from work, he changes and immediately goes outside to get the grill started. The kids run outside too and I meet them a few minutes later with the meat. A mid-week meal has turned into a summer time festivity!

One of my favorite marinades is Cuban mojo sauce, a staple Cuban recipe. It’s fresh and packed with two of my favorite summer-time flavors: citrus and garlic.

Making Cuban Mojo Marinade

Traditional Cuban Mojo sauce is made with sour orange juice. Since many of us don’t have access to sour oranges, create a blend of lime, lemon and orange juice. It creates the same distinct flavor without the hassle of tracking down the specialty fruit.

Cuban Mojo Ingredients:

8-10 cloves of garlic, minced and mashed

2 limes, juiced

1 lemon, juiced

1 cup orange juice

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon oregano

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon pepper

2 large sweet onions, sliced thin and lengthwise

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed to prevent chicken from drying out

8 pieces of chicken with skin on

Cuban Recipe for Mojo Grilled Chicken

Using a mortar and pestle, make a paste with garlic and seasonings. In a bowl,add oil and juices. Add paste to bowl and continue to whisk until well combined. Add onions.

Separate chicken pieces into 2 gallon-size bags and pour Mojo marinade over them. Massage the mojo into the chicken for a few moments before putting it into the fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight would be best).

Remove chicken from the bag and grill like usual. While your chicken grills, remove marinated onions from bag. Coat a frying pan with some olive oil and a bit of butter. Sautee onions until tender and caramelized.

Serve the Mojo Chicken with sautéed onions on top, with a side of rice and Cuban black beans. It’s a meal your family won’t soon forget! Passing on a legacy of Cuban food culture and a love for all kinds of recipes has been so much fun to do with my kids. This Cuban recipe is one we use every summer for a grilling time.