The mojo marinade is made with fresh orange juice, lime juice, garlic, oregano, cumin, cilantro, and butter or olive oil. It gives this whole roasted chicken bright, savory Cuban-inspired flavor without needing bottled marinade.
Serve this roasted mojo chicken with rice, beans, plantains, yuca, or a simple salad for a dinner that feels special but is still very doable for a family meal or casual gathering.
⭐️ Cuban Mojo Chicken: recipe at a glance
- Big Flavor: Fresh citrus, garlic, oregano, cumin, and cilantro create a bold mojo marinade that seasons the chicken beautifully.
- Whole Roasted Chicken: This recipe uses one whole chicken, making it feel special enough for company while still being simple enough for family dinner.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours or overnight, then roast it when you are ready. This is also a great recipe for meal prep.
- Budget-Friendly: A whole chicken is often more affordable than buying individual cuts, and the leftovers are excellent for sandwiches, bowls, tacos, and salads.
- Flexible Marinade: Use melted butter for a richer roasted-chicken flavor or olive oil for a more classic mojo-style marinade.
- Dietary: Naturally gluten-free, low-carb, grain-free, and nut-free. Use olive oil instead of butter for dairy-free.
🪴 What is Mojo?
Cuban mojo is a bright, garlicky citrus sauce or marinade traditionally made with sour orange, garlic, oregano, cumin, and oil. It is commonly used to marinate pork, chicken, and other meats, and it can also be served as a sauce.
Because sour oranges can be hard to find in many U.S. grocery stores, this recipe uses fresh orange juice and lime juice to create a similar sweet-tart flavor.
✔️ Ingredients, Substitutions & Swaps
For the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities, check the printable recipe card below.
- Whole chicken: Use a 5- to 6-pound roasting chicken. Pat it very dry before seasoning so the skin roasts more evenly.
- Fresh orange juice and lime juice: Traditional Cuban mojo is often made with sour orange, which can be hard to find in many U.S. grocery stores. Fresh orange juice plus lime juice gives the marinade a similar sweet-tart balance.
- Orange and lime zest: The zest adds concentrated citrus flavor without adding too much extra liquid to the marinade.
- Garlic: Mojo should be garlic-forward. Fresh garlic gives the best flavor here.
- Oregano and cumin: These spices give the marinade its warm, earthy, savory backbone.
- Cilantro: Adds freshness and color. If you are cilantro-sensitive, you can reduce it or use parsley, though the flavor will be different.
- Butter or olive oil: Butter gives the roasted chicken a richer flavor and helps with browning. Olive oil keeps the marinade closer to a classic mojo-style sauce.
- Salt and pepper: A whole chicken needs enough seasoning, so the chicken is lightly seasoned before the marinade goes on.
🐓 How To Make Cuban Mojo Chicken
Scroll to the printable recipe card for specific instructions and cooking times.
- Prep the chicken: Remove the giblets from the chicken cavity and discard them or save them for stock or gravy. Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels and remove any excess fat. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Make the mojo marinade: In a small bowl, mix the orange zest, lime zest, orange juice, lime juice, melted butter or olive oil, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and cilantro.
- Marinate the chicken: Pour the mojo marinade all over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Prepare for roasting: Remove the chicken from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven.
- Roast: Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it in a large roasting pan. Discard the used marinade. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.
- Finish cooking: Roast for about 1 hour. If the breast is browning too quickly, loosely tent it with foil. Continue roasting for about 15 minutes more, or until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F / 74°C.
- Rest and serve: Remove the chicken from the oven, tent loosely with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving. Garnish with orange, lime, or lemon slices, if desired.
💡 Mojo Chicken Recipe Tips
- Marinate long enough: Four hours is good, but overnight gives the chicken deeper flavor.
- Use fresh citrus: Bottled juice won’t give the marinade the same bright, fresh flavor.
- For Perfect Golden-Brown Chicken: Patting the chicken dry helps the skin brown better and avoids spreading raw poultry juices around the kitchen.
- Discard used marinade: Once the marinade has touched raw chicken, discard it unless you boil it thoroughly first. For an easy serving sauce, make a little extra mojo and keep it separate from the raw chicken.
- Check the thigh, not the breast: For a whole roasted chicken, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone.
- Rest before carving: A short rest helps the juices settle back into the meat.
✔️ Make-Ahead, Storage & Reheating
- Make-Ahead: The chicken can marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Storage: Store leftover cooked chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat gently in a covered skillet, in the oven, or in the microwave until warmed through. Add a splash of broth, water, or reserved fresh mojo sauce to keep the chicken moist.
- Freezing: Remove the meat from the bones and freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
💛 Intentional Cooking
Your priorities, your recipe. Learn about Intentional Cooking.
Finances: A whole chicken is one of the most budget-friendly ways to feed a family with real flavor. Roast it once, enjoy it for dinner, then use the leftovers for sandwiches, rice bowls, salads, tacos, or wraps.
Time & Convenience: Marinating the chicken the night before gives you a head start on dinner. The next day, most of the work happens in the oven while you prep the sides or clean up the kitchen.
Community, Culture and Tradition: Mojo is one of those beautiful kitchen traditions that shows how a few humble ingredients – citrus, garlic, herbs, and oil – can create bold, memorable flavor. Recipes like this remind us that everyday food can carry culture, history, and family memory.
🤔 Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use bottled mojo marinade?
Yes, you can use bottled mojo marinade in a pinch, but homemade mojo has a fresher, brighter flavor. Fresh citrus juice, garlic, oregano, cumin, and cilantro give this chicken a more vibrant taste than most bottled marinades.
How long should I marinate Cuban mojo chicken?
Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours or overnight for the best flavor. Because this recipe uses a whole chicken, the longer marinating time helps the citrus, garlic, and spices season the meat more deeply.
Can I make this mojo chicken with chicken thighs or breasts?
Yes. You can use the same mojo marinade for chicken thighs, drumsticks, breasts, wings, or a spatchcocked chicken. Cooking time will vary depending on the cut, so use an instant-read thermometer and cook the chicken to 165°F / 74°C.
Can I grill Cuban mojo chicken instead of roasting it?
Yes. This mojo marinade works well for grilled chicken. For a whole chicken, spatchcocking it first will help it cook more evenly on the grill.
What do you serve with Cuban mojo chicken?
Serve Cuban mojo chicken with white rice, black beans, fried plantains, tostones, yuca, salad, or cilantro lime coleslaw. Leftovers are also great in Cuban-style sandwiches, rice bowls, tacos, and wraps.
Can I make mojo chicken ahead of time?
Yes. You can marinate the chicken the night before and roast it the next day. Leftover cooked chicken can be refrigerated and used for sandwiches, bowls, salads, tacos, or wraps.
👀 Check out these tasty Cuban recipes and perfectly-paired side dishes:
🛒 Essentials you’ll adore for this recipe
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Liquid Measuring Cups (Set of 3)
A clever angled interior surface lets you read measurements by looking straight down with no bending, no lifting, no guessing. This set of three (1-, 2-, and 4-cup) covers every kitchen need with a non-slip grip, clear markings in cups, ounces, and milliliters, and dishwasher-safe BPA-free construction.
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Digital Instant Read Thermometer
Take the guesswork out of grilling with this ultra-fast instant-read thermometer. The long probe keeps your hands away from the heat, and the auto-rotating backlit display makes it easy to read at any angle – perfect for checking burgers, chicken, and steaks right on the grill.
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All-Clad Roasting Pan with Rack
A workhorse roaster built to last a lifetime, with heavy-gauge stainless steel and a V-shaped nonstick rack that elevates meat for even heat circulation and effortless dripping collection for basting or gravy. Broiler-safe up to 600°F and large enough to handle a 25-lb. bird.
Cuban Mojo Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Cuban Mojo Marinade
- Zest of 1 orange
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
- 1/4 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted OR 1/4 cup olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic, chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (lightly packed)
- Orange and lime slices for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Remove the giblets from the chicken cavity and discard them or save them for stock or gravy. Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels and remove any excess fat. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl, mix all the Cuban Mojo marinade ingredients. Pour the marinade all over the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 4 hours or overnight.
- Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Arrange a rack in the lower third part of the oven.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and place in a large roasting pan. Discard the marinade. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.
- Bake the chicken for 1 hour. If the breast is getting too golden, tent a piece of aluminum foil over the breast. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F / 74°C in the thickest part of the thigh, without touching the bone.
- Remove from the oven and tent with aluminum foil. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. Garnish with lemon, lime and/or orange slices.
Notes
- Marinate long enough: Four hours is good, but overnight gives the chicken deeper flavor.
- Use fresh citrus: Bottled juice won’t give the marinade the same bright, fresh flavor.
- For Perfect Golden Brown: Patting the chicken dry is better for browning and avoids spreading raw poultry juices around the kitchen.
- Discard used marinade: Once the marinade has touched raw chicken, discard it unless you boil it thoroughly first. For an easy serving sauce, make a little extra mojo and keep it separate from the raw chicken.
- Check the thigh, not the breast: For a whole roasted chicken, insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone.
- Rest before carving: A short rest helps the juices settle back into the meat.
- Cooking times: Will vary depending on the size of the chicken.
- Butter vs olive oil: If you use butter for the marinade instead of olive oil, the butter will solidify a little bit while marinating in the refrigerator. This is OK – I don’t stress over it!
Nutrition
Recipe Update Note: This post was originally published in 2020 and has been updated with improved instructions, helpful tips, and additional information to better serve our readers.
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