Mojo Criollo Marinade

4.61 from 74 votes

This authentic Cuban mojo marinade is a powerhouse of citrusy, garlicky flavor with fresh herbs and citrus juice. Let this marinade do all the heavy lifting for your pork, steak, chicken and fish or use the marinade as a mojo sauce!

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Sauces

Cuisine: Cuban

Servings: cups

Calories: 58kcal

Author: Eden Westbrook

Ingredients

1 ½ cups sour orange juice
10 garlic cloves
2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

In a mortar and pestle, smash and mash garlic cloves to break them open. Add salt, then crush, smash, and smear in the mortar with the pestle until the garlic breaks down and becomes smoother and more paste-like.
Add the oregano, cumin, and black pepper to the mortar and grind up until the garlic and spices are well smashed together.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together all the ingredients until well blended. Or use a blender to blend all the ingredients together until emulsified, which also can be used as a sauce over your food instead of a marinade!
Use as a marinade or sauce for any meat, poultry, or seafood. Keep your mojo marinade in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Notes

Pro Tips

This recipe is easily multiplied!

if you can't find sour oranges you can mix fresh 1 cup orange juice with ½ cup lime or lemon juice.
If you don't want to pound out the garlic paste in the mortar, you can use a food processor to chop everything into a mince.
Shake that jar up before using the marinade to blend all the ingredients back together.
If you're using mojo as a sauce, I would suggest using a blender or immersion blender to get everything down to a smoother consistency.
Don't over-marinate your food! If you over-marinate, you risk those protein bonds completely dissolving and your meat turning into dry, crumbly, mush.

How to Store and Freeze Mojo Marinade

Store: Store mojo marinade in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.

Freeze: Pour the mojo into a freezer safe airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, and shake up thoroughly before use.

Marinating Times

Poultry - from 1 hour to overnight
Beef - 1-3 hours, depending on cut
Pork - 2 hours to overnight, depending on cut
Seafood - no more than 30 minutes!

Nutrition