Cuban Mojo Sauce

In Cuban cooking, mojo is often made with sour orange. Since sour oranges can be hard to find, this recipe uses a combination of fresh orange juice and lime juice to create that tart, citrusy flavor. If you can find sour orange, use it!

Use this mojo as a marinade for chicken, pork, shrimp, or fish, spoon it over rice and beans, or brush it over hot tostones for crispy, garlicky fried green plantains.

✔️ Ingredients, Substitutions & Swaps

For the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities, check the printable recipe card below.

• Garlic: Fresh garlic is essential here. Mashing it with salt helps break it down into a paste so the flavor blends into the sauce instead of staying in sharp little pieces.
• Salt: Sea salt or kosher salt works well. The salt also helps turn the garlic into a paste.
• Onion: A small amount of minced onion adds savory depth without overpowering the garlic.
• Orange Juice: Freshly squeezed orange juice adds sweetness and citrus flavor.
• Lime Juice: Lime juice brings the tartness needed to mimic sour orange.
• Sour Orange: If available, use ¾ cup sour orange juice instead of the orange and lime juice combination.
• Oregano and Cumin: These give the mojo its warm, savory Cuban flavor.
• Olive Oil: Adds body and richness to the sauce. Shake or whisk well before using.

🔎 How to Make Mojo Sauce

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for detailed instructions

There are two easy ways to make the garlic paste for Cuban mojo: with a mortar and pestle, or directly on a cutting board. Both work, but the cutting board method is simple, practical, and doesn’t require any special equipment.

1. Make the garlic paste. Mince the garlic on a cutting board, then sprinkle it with salt. Use the back of a chef’s knife or the back of a spoon to smash the garlic and salt together until the mixture becomes paste-like. It may not be completely smooth, and that’s perfectly fine.

2. Mix the mojo: Transfer the garlic paste to a jar or mixing bowl. Add the minced onion, black pepper, orange juice, lime juice, oregano, cumin, and olive oil.
3. Shake or whisk: If using a jar, close the lid tightly and shake until well combined. If using a bowl, whisk until combined.

🔎 How to Use Cuban Mojo?

• A marinade for chicken, pork, shrimp, fish, or steak
• A sauce for grilled meats
• A condiment for rice and beans
• A dipping sauce for tostones
• A finishing sauce for roasted vegetables
• A garlicky brush-on sauce for hot fried green plantains

✔️ Make-Ahead and Storage

• Making-Ahead: For the best flavor, let the mojo sit for at least 15 to 30 minutes before serving so the garlic, citrus, herbs, and spices have time to blend. Cuban mojo sauce can be made ahead and stored in an airtight jar or container in the refrigerator for up to a week. The oil and citrus will naturally separate as it sits, so shake the jar well or whisk the sauce before using.
• Storing: Store Cuban mojo sauce in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Shake well before each use.

💛 Intentional Cooking

Your priorities, your recipe. Learn about Intentional Cooking.

Time & Convenience: A jar of mojo in the fridge gives you instant flavor for busy meals. Use it to marinate protein, dress rice and beans, or turn hot tostones into something special with almost no extra work.

Finances: A small jar of homemade mojo can add big flavor to simple, affordable meals. Use it to marinate budget-friendly cuts of chicken or pork, spoon it over rice and beans, or brush it over hot tostones to make everyday ingredients taste bright, garlicky, and special.

Community, Culture and Tradition: Mojo is one of those powerful kitchen staples that carries flavor, memory, and tradition in a small jar. It shows how simple ingredients like garlic, citrus, oil, and spices can become a signature part of Cuban cooking.

🤔 Frequently Asked Questions

🛒 Essentials you’ll adore for this recipe

• 

  John Boos Rectangular Cutting Board

  This 17×21 Walnut 1.5 inch thick cutting board beauty is definitely an investment worth making. With proper care this board will last a lifetime!

• 

  Shun Classic Chef’s Knife 10-inch

  Investing in a good chef’s knife is one of the smartest upgrades you can make in the kitchen. It makes prep quicker, safer, and a whole lot less frustrating. Once you cook with a sharp, well-balanced knife, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it.

• 

  Glass Jars, Airtight with Bamboo Lids

  These stylish, glass jars are airtight, reusable and non-toxic. They are ideal for meal-prep.

Cuban Mojo Sauce or Marinade

Kathy McDaniel

This Cuban mojo sauce is garlicky, citrusy, and bold. Made with fresh garlic, orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, oregano, and cumin, it can be used as a marinade, condiment, dipping sauce, or brushed over hot tostones for extra flavor.

Print Pin

Prep 10 minutes mins

Total 10 minutes mins

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 8 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt
• ▢ 2 tablespoons minced onion
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ ½ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed (see notes)
• ▢ ¼ cup lime juice, freshly squeezed (see notes)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 1/3 olive oi

Instructions 

Method #1 Mortar and Pestle (molcajete)

1. In a mortar and pestle, place the minced garlic and ½ teaspoon salt. Mash until you create a smooth paste.

Method #2 Cutting board

1. After mincing the garlic on your cutting board, sprinkle it with salt. Combine both ingredients, and smash them together with the back of a chef’s knife or with the back of a spoon. Try to break down the garlic into a paste. It may not be as smooth as when using a mortar and pestle and that is just fine!
2. Transfer the garlic mixture to a jar or mixing bowl. Add the garlic, black pepper, orange juice and lime juice, oregano, cumin and olive oil. If using a jar, close the lid tightly and shake the ingredients together until well combined, or if using a bowl, whisk the ingredients together until well combined. You can taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.
3. Store in a jar or airtight container for 2 weeks, shaking well before every use.

Notes

• Use ¾ cup sour orange juice instead of orange juice and lime juice if available.
• If you prefer a milder garlic flavor, use 4 to 5 garlic cloves instead of 8.
• The mojo should taste bright, citrusy, a little tart, garlicky, and well seasoned.
• If the mojo tastes too sweet, add more lime juice or a little lemon juice.
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• Shake well before each use.Instead of a combination of orange juice and lime juice, you can use ¾ cup of sour orange if available.
• If you are not a big fan of garlic, reduce the amount to 4-5 cloves.
• The mojo should taste bright, citrusy, a bit tart, garlicky and well seasoned.
• If your mojo turns out too sweet (sometimes oranges are very sweet) add more lime juice (or lemon juice).

Nutrition

Calories: 125 kcal, Carbohydrates: 29 g, Protein: 3 g, Fat: 1 g, Saturated Fat: 0.2 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4 g, Sodium: 1172 mg, Potassium: 482 mg, Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 13 g, Vitamin A: 313 IU, Vitamin C: 89 mg, Calcium: 98 mg, Iron: 2 mg

Request help from AI: (or leave me a comment below!)

Dietary Modifications

Ingredient Substitutions

Serving Scaling

Recipe Summary