Pollo al Mojo Cubano
Garlic, lime, cumin, and oregano — punchy citrus marinade, then roasted with onions.
Ingredients
- 800 g Chicken thighs
- 3 Lime
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 1 Onion
- 1 tbsp Dried oregano
- 1 tbsp Ground cumin
- 4 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper
Method
- Pound garlic with salt into a rough paste. Whisk with lime juice, half the oil, oregano, cumin, and pepper.
- Toss the chicken in the mojo. Marinate at room temp for 20 minutes (or up to a day in the fridge).
- As the chicken starts marinating, turn the oven on to 220°C (425°F) so it has the full marinade window to come up to temperature.
- While the chicken marinates, thinly slice the onion onto a roasting tray.
- Lay the chicken on the onions, pour the marinade over, drizzle remaining oil. Roast 35-40 minutes until skin is crisp and onions caramelised.
- Rest 5 minutes; spoon the pan juices over.
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About Pollo al Mojo Cubano
Pollo al mojo cubano is chicken cooked in mojo, the garlicky citrus sauce that runs through the heart of Cuban cooking. Traditional Cuban mojo is built on sour orange, but limes stand in reliably outside the Caribbean, and the character is the same: raw garlic pounded to a paste, sharp citrus, cumin, and oregano loosened with olive oil. Here it works as both marinade and roasting sauce for chicken thighs, a cut that stays juicy under high heat and crisps well at the skin, making it a natural anchor for a weeknight main.
The flavor is bright and assertive up front — lime and garlic hitting first — then rounding into the warm, earthy backbone of cumin and oregano as the chicken roasts. Laying the thighs over a bed of sliced onion is the move that lifts this version: the onions catch the pan juices and marinade, slumping into sweet, caramelized softness while the chicken skin blisters above them. Twenty minutes of marinating at room temperature is enough for a fast dinner, though the mojo only deepens if you let it sit overnight. Rest the chicken and spoon those onions and pan juices back over the top; it pairs classically with white rice and black beans, or a squeeze more lime and a plate of tostones.
Pollo al Mojo Cubano: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Pollo al Mojo Cubano?
A serving has about 613 calories — 34.8g protein, 10.9g carbs, 48.1g fat, 2.8g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 34.8g of protein, roughly 23% of its calories.
Is Pollo al Mojo Cubano gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Pollo al Mojo Cubano has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Pollo al Mojo Cubano take to make?
About 75 minutes start to finish, but only around 13 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
How many servings does Pollo al Mojo Cubano make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.