Cuban Mojo Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

• 1 orange, zested
• 1 lime, zested
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced, optional
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Chicken:

• 1 whole roasting chicken
• Orange and lime slices, optional garnish
• Steps to Make It
• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large bowl, combine the orange zest, lime zest, orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, garlic cloves, jalapeño (if using), oregano, cumin, salt, and black pepper.
• Place the chicken into the marinade, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. You can also do this in a large zip-top bag, but be sure to place the bag into a large bowl to safeguard against drips.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F.Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on a large roasting pan. If you like, tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body to help prevent them from darkening too much.
• Roast in the oven for approximately 1 1/2 hours, or until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 F on a meat thermometer. If the breast starts to get too dark while roasting, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.
• Remove from the oven, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before carving.
• Garnish with orange and lime slices (if using) and serve with rice and black beans.
• Tips
• The safe internal temperature for chicken is 165 F. If you don’t have a thermometer, a good way to check is to insert a knife into the area between the thigh and the body. If the juices run clear, your chicken is cooked. However, the safest way to check is with an instant-read thermometer, and it’s an inexpensive and very useful kitchen tool.