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
Calories: 504 kcal, Carbohydrates: 3 g, Protein: 35 g, Fat: 37 g, Saturated Fat: 12 g, Cholesterol: 193 mg, Sodium: 484 mg, Potassium: 451 mg, Sugar: 1 g, Vitamin A: 1980 IU, Vitamin C: 14.3 mg, Calcium: 39 mg, Iron: 3.2 mg
