This marinated and baked Cuban Mojo Chicken is so juicy and so tender! It’s topped off with a homemade pineapple avocado salsa that features all fresh ingredients that I love. This is one of my favorite summery entrees for both parties and weeknight dinners.
Traditionally, the base of the mojo sauce is a mix of citrus juice, garlic and olive oil. For this recipe, I used delicious fresh oranges, together with a combination of herbs, and the outcome is so good!
What’s in This Mojo Chicken Recipe?
- Chicken Legs: I like to use free-range organic chicken for the very best results.
- Orange Juice: Freshly squeezed orange juice will create the very best flavor!
- Lime Juice: Don’t use bottled lime juice – the flavor will taste artificial. Freshly squeezed is the way to go!
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is what you need, not pre-minced.
- Seasonings: A medley of cumin, dried oregano, salt, and ground black pepper create the best flavor.
- Olive Oil: You can swap this for avocado oil if preferred.
- Onion: A white onion is preferred but a yellow onion can also be used.
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How to Store and Reheat
Once cooled to room temperature, leftover mojo chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating either in the microwave, oven, or air fryer until warmed through.
Tips and Notes
- Marinate the mojo chicken as long as you can (ideally, for at least 3 hours) to get the maximum flavor.
- Use a meat thermometer and insert it into the thickest part of the meat. Cooked chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165ºF.
Cuban Mojo Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in chicken leg quarters
- ½ cup orange juice (from 2 oranges)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (from ½ lime)
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 2 teaspoons lime zest (from 1 lime)
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 onion quartered
Pineapple-Avocado Salsa
- ½ avocado
- 4 ounces pineapple diced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes
Instructions
Mojo Chicken
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Add to the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, lime zest, cumin, oregano, salt, and black ground pepper to a food processor.½ cup orange juice, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 3 cloves garlic, ¼ cup fresh cilantro, 2 teaspoons lime zest, ½ tablespoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Process for 10 seconds. You don’t want the sauce to become too creamy.
- Add the olive oil and process for 5 seconds, just to combine slightly.½ cup olive oil
- Add the chicken and chopped onion to a large bowl.4 bone-in chicken leg quarters, 1 onion
- Pour half of the mojo sauce over the chicken and onions. Cover with cling film, and marinate in the fridge for 3 hours.
- Set aside the remaining half of the mojo sauce for later use.
- When the chicken is done marinating, add chicken and onions to the baking tray, together with the sauce it marinated in.
- Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked through to 165°F internally.
Pineapple-Avocado Salsa
- Meanwhile, chop up the pineapple, avocado, and cherry tomatoes into small pieces and add them in a small bowl. Mix in the remaining half of Mojo sauce you saved earlier. Your salsa is ready!½ avocado, 4 ounces pineapple, ½ cup cherry tomatoes
- Drizzle pineapple-avocado salsa over baked mojo chicken, serve with steamed rice and beans, and enjoy!
Notes
How To Make Cuban Mojo Chicken Step By Step
Prep the Sauce: Preheat oven to 350°F. Add ½ cup of orange juice, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, 3 garlic cloves, ¼ cup of fresh cilantro, 2 teaspoons of lime zest,½ tablespoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper to a food processor.
Blend the Sauce: Process for 10 seconds. You don’t want the sauce to become too creamy. Add ½ cup of olive oil and process for 5 seconds, just to combine slightly.
Marinate the Chicken: Add 3 bone-in chicken leg quarters and 1 chopped onion to a large bowl. Pour half of the mojo sauce over the chicken and onions. Cover with cling film, and marinate in the fridge for 3 hours. Set aside the remaining half of the mojo sauce for later use.
Arrange the Chicken: When the chicken is done marinating, add the chicken and onions to the baking tray, together with the sauce it was marinated in.
Bake the Chicken: Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, or until cooked through to 165°F internally. Serve with the remaining mojo sauce drizzled over top, or use it to make pineapple avocado salsa!
More Chicken Leg Recipes we Love
Note: This recipe is one of those few exceptions on our site that has more than 10 ingredients. We try to keep things VERY easy around here, and limiting ingredients and time spent is one of our favorite ways. That being said, this recipe is too delicious to leave out of our recipe box! It’s an exception that is so flavorful and worth the extra ingredients if you have the time and resources to make it.
The GOYA food company makes a fantastic Mojo marinade. You can find it at Wal mart. Look in the foreign food aisle.
Thanks for the tip!
Great chicken recipe
It was so yummy
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Melissa!
I’m going to do this recipe there’s no mention of orange slices but are clearly in you picture, how much and when do you add
Hi, I just served this with orange slices for garnish!
This is obviously a stolen PICTURE for this recipe. I am an avid recipe follower and if I had followed the recipe for this meal it would have been a disaster! Thanks to previous comments it came out great.
COOK THE CHICKEN FOR 50-60 MIN AT 400.
SEASON THE CHICKEN BEFORE ADDING MOJO SAUCE.
EVEB AFTER COOLING FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME AT A HIGHER TEMP… TURN ON THE BROILER FOR 10 MIN OR EVEN LONGER TO CREATE THAT CHARRED BLACKENED LOOK LIKE THE PICTURE!!!
Salsa and marinade is good but everything else is misleading.
Hi Rinata, I’d like to assure you all of our recipes are developed, rigorously tested, and photographed in house. I’m so sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work out as expected!