Mojo chicken is full of flavor thanks to orange, lime, jalapeno, and cilantro, blended together in a marinade! Make it sous vide or cook it in the oven and serve with rice and beans.

Mojo chicken on a white plate on a pink surface with cut up oranges and limes

I love chicken. I mean, I think it’s a staple in most household. Even more, I love bone in, skin on chicken. Yes, it’s got more calories, but it’s also got so much more FLAVOR. And my favorite flavor to pair with all that chickeny goodness? Citrus. Enter mojo chicken.

Is mojo chicken spicy?

This is up to you! My marinade includes a jalapeno, which adds very little spice to the finished meal. If you really, really don’t like spicy, omit the jalapeno. If you love spicy, DOUBLE the jalapeno.

Mojo Chicken Marinade Ingredients

Raw chicken, cilantro, jalapeno, orange, limes, olive oil, and spices on pink background

For my cuts of meat, I used bone in, skin on chicken thighs and drumsticks. More flavor!

For the marinade, you’ll need:

  • Zest of 1 orange
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • Zest of 2 limes
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • Jalapeno
  • 5 minced garlic cloves (or maybe a few more…)
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Oregano
  • Cumin
  • Cilantro

Put all of that in a food processor, and blend until smooth!

Side by side unblended marinade and blended marinade on pink surface

Add the chicken and marinade to a zipper top bag and coat the chicken by squishing it around. I am lucky enough to have the Vertical Vac chamber vacuum sealer from Vesta Precision, which allows for vacuum sealing liquid heaving items, so I vacuum sealed!

Chicken in bag with marinade on pink background

How to Cook Mojo Chicken with Sous Vide

I chose to sous vide this chicken (because of COURSE I DID). I love using sous vide for chicken, especially bone-in cuts, because there’s no wondering if it’s cooked all the way through! And the chicken flavor is amplified – seriously, did you know chicken could taste more chickeny?

If you can, let the chicken marinade for at least 3 hours, up to overnight. Then sous vide like so:

  • Time: 2 hours
  • Temp: 155 degrees F

When it’s done, remove from the marinade, pat dry, and either sear in a hot skillet or broil until the skin is crispy and browned.

How to Cook Mojo Chicken in the Oven

You can also roast this chicken! Just like the sous vide chicken, let marinate for at least 3 hours, up to overnight.

When you’re ready to cook, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F., spray a sheet pan with baking spray, remove chicken from the marinade, and add to the sheet pan. Discard the marinade. Cook the chicken for 35-40 minutes, until completely cooked through (internal temp is 165 degrees F) and the skin is browned and crispy.

What to Serve with Mojo Chicken

There’s so much you can do here!!! I mean I was just picking it right off the bone, but some legit ideas that come to mind…

Mojo chicken on a white plate on a pink surface with cut up oranges and limes
4.50 stars from 2 reviews

Get the Recipe:

Mojo Chicken

Prep Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 -6 servings
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Mojo chicken is full of flavor thanks to orange, lime, jalapeno, and cilantro, blended together in a marinade! Make it sous vide or cook it in the oven.

Ingredients
 

  • Zest of 1 orange
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • Zest of 2 limes
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 1 jalapeno, use 2 if you really like spice
  • 1/3 cup cilantro
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground oregano
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 4 bone in, skin on chicken thighs
  • 4 chicken drumsticks

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients except chicken to a food processor and blend until smooth.
  • Add the blended marinade and chicken to a zipper top bag or use a chamber vacuum sealer to vacuum seal closed. Let marinate for at least 3 hours, up to overnight.

If cooking sous vide:

  • Preheat water bath to 155 degrees F using your immersion circulator.
  • Add the bag of chicken (after marinating) to the preheated water bath and cook for 1 1/2 to 3 hours. I recommend 2.
  • Remove the bag from the water bath and the chicken from the marinade. Pan sear in a little olive oil or broil to brown and crisp the skin.

If cooking in the oven:

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the baking sheet. Discard the marinade.
  • Cook in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until cooked through and internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees F. The skin should be browned and crispy.

Notes

Add an extra jalapeno to the marinade if you like extra spice.
Serve with white rice and black beans.
Course: Dinner
Author: Chelsea Cole
Calories: 484kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 49g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 187mg, Sodium: 1338mg, Potassium: 813mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 199IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 69mg, Iron: 3mg
Did you make this recipe?Mention @aducksoven on Instagram or tag #aducksoven.