This homemade mojo marinade is full of fresh flavors like orange juice, cilantro, and garlic. Perfect for a variety of meats like chicken, steak, pork, and shrimp, this marinade makes whatever it's used on flavorful and tender, and it can also double as a sauce.
For this homemade mojo marinade the secret ingredient is-- orange juice! Orange juice is a great way to add flavor and sweetness more naturally and without added sugar.
The other two key components are cilantro and garlic. Fresh cilantro makes this marinade a vibrant green color which is a big plus. When you are making this recipe, you will not believe how good it smells.
For more delicious marinades try Bourbon Brown Sugar Marinade and Asian Chicken Marinade.
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What is Mojo?
Mojo literally translates from spanish to english as "sauce." This sauce, also called mojo criollo, originated in the Canary Islands, but eventually made its way to Cuba, Puerto Rico, and other Caribbean Islands. For another caribbean inspired dish, try Instant Pot Jerk Chicken Thighs.
There are lots of variations of mojo sauce depending on the region. They are known for being garlicky, citrusy, and full of cumin and cilantro.
You'll see it used on chicken thighs here, but this marinade can be used on a variety of meats including pork and fish.
Mojo Marinade Ingredients
- Fresh cilantro: A whole bunch of it, which is what gives this sauce it's bright green color.
- Jalapeno: Use 1-2 depending on your preferences. The sweet, acidic flavors offset the heat and it isn't overly spicy. It is worth noting that many traditional mojo recipes don't contain jalapeno at all, as cuban food is not generally spicy. I am all for adding extra heat, so it is included here.
- Garlic cloves: Garlic is major flavor in mojo and it uses a LOT of it. Use a minimum of 6 cloves, but up to a whole head.
- Sour orange juice: Sour orange juice or bitter orange juice is traditionally used in mojo sauce. You may see them labeled bitter orange, at the store. Sour oranges can be hard to come by in the states, so regular freshly squeezed orange juice is what is used in this recipe.
- Cumin: Cumin is a strong flavor, and it adds a real "oomph" to this sauce.
- Olive oil: Olive oil helps the marinade come together, as well as helps add moisture to whatever you are using it on.
Sour Orange Juice Substitute
Use freshly squeezed lime juice and lemon juice in addition to the orange juice to make it more reminiscent of sour orange. Use ½ cup of orange juice, ¼ cup of lemon juice, and ¼ cup of lime juice, to arrive at the full 1 cup.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. To a blender, add cilantro, jalapeno, peeled garlic cloves, orange juice, cumin, salt, and olive oil. Pulse for about 15-20 seconds, or until it reaches a smooth texture.
Step 2. Reserve around ¼ cup of marinade for brushing on the meat after cooking. This recipe makes enough marinade for around 2 lbs. of chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp.
Recipe Tips
- I love making marinades in the blender. There's often no chopping involved, and all the mess stays contained to one small area. A food processor would work great as well.
- When making this, you can choose how long you marinate the meat. Anywhere were from 2-12 hours works. I don't suggest going over 12 hours for chicken or fish because of the acid in the orange juice. When a marinade contains acid (vinegar, citrus juice, etc.) it begins to break down the muscle fibers of the meat. This is good in short increments, but too long and it will mess with the integrity of the meat. Beef and pork can hold up to a longer marinade time than chicken and shrimp.
- Because of the fresh herbs and juice, you will want to store mojo marinade in the refrigerator. It will last 3-4 days in the fridge. You can freeze mojo marinade in an airtight container for several months.
How to use mojo criollo
Use this cuban mojo marinade on chicken, beef, pork, even shrimp.
My favorite way to use this marinade is on chicken thighs. I am always looking for new ways to use chicken thighs. It is one of my favorite meats to use. Not only is it cost effective, but they are also super flavorful and less prone to drying out. Grill them up after marinating, or throw them in the air fryer using this Ninja Foodi Chicken Thighs recipe.
It is also delicious as a dipping sauce or spooned over grilled meats (like you would see with mexican chimichurri sauce). I love it drizzled over steak fajita taco salad.
Spoon it over butter rice or sauteed sweet potatoes to add a fresh flavor.
If you tried this Homemade Mojo Marinade Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below.
Homemade Mojo Marinade
Ingredients
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeno
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 cup orange juice
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
Instructions
- To a blender, add cilantro, jalapeno, peeled garlic cloves, orange juice, cumin, salt, and olive oil. Pulse for about 15-20 seconds, or until it reaches a smooth texture.
- Reserve around ¼ cup of marinade for brushing on the meat after cooking. This recipe makes enough marinade for around 2 lbs. of chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp.
Melissa Szymczak
Thank you for the grilling recipe and also the hint about how long to marinade. I didn’t know that there should be a limit on how long before grilling to put it together. Now that they weather is getting better I’ll have to try it.