Mojo Marinated Grilled Chicken

A whole grilled chicken that was marinaded for 24 Hours in a mojo marinade displayed on a wood cutting board

Mojo Marinated Grilled Chicken

This whole chicken is butterflied and marinated in a homemade mojo for 24 hours, then grilled until golden, juicy and delicious!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cuban

Keyword chicken, chicken marinade, cuban mojo, grilled chicken, mojo

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 5

Marinating the chicken 1

Total Time 1 35

Servings

Calories 684kcal

Author Elizabeth

Ingredients

1 Head of Garlic peeled and smashed
1 ½ cups Sour Orange Juice or oranges and limes
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Oregano dried
¼ teaspoon Cumin
1 Bay Leaf
1½ teaspoon Kosher Salt divided
4 pound Whole Chicken butterflied - backbone removed
1-2 teaspoon Kosher Salt for the chicken while it’s on the grill

Instructions

Make the Mojo Marinade

If you’re making the sour orange juice: combine 1 cup of orange juice and ½ cup lime juice. Stir the juice to combine well.
Add the garlic and about ½ teaspoon kosher salt to a mortar and pestle. Work the garlic until you break it down into small flat pieces.
Add the smashed garlic, sour orange juice, olive oil, oregano, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and the bay leaf to a medium bowl or jar (with a tight fitting lid). Stir or shake to combine well. Let the marinade sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, a couple of hours is better. Shake or stir well before using.

Marinate the Chicken

Place the chicken in a large, re-sealable plastic bag, pour the mojo marinade in the bag and seal tightly. Place the bag on a pan or plate just in case it leaks, and refrigerate for 24 hours. Turn the bag a few times so that both sides of the chicken sit in the marinade.

Grill the Chicken

When you’re ready to grill, remove the chicken from the bag. Discard the leftover marinade.
Preheat the grill. Grill the chicken on moderate-low to low heat, skin side up for about 45-50 minutes, until the chicken is almost done. Sprinkle the top of the chicken with salt and carefully turn it so the skin side is down. Add another pinch or two of salt to the underside. Grill the chicken for another 15 minutes or so until the internal temperature for the white meat and dark meat is at least 165°F at its thickest parts and the juices run clear when pierced with a knife.
Remove the chicken from the grill and set on a plate or pan wait 10-15 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute.

Notes

It’s important to note that all grills are different. The following instructions are just guidelines, based on how we grilled the chicken. You know your grill, so adjust the grill temperature and cooking time accordingly; we used a gas grill.

Use a non-stick spray (one that’s made for grilling, it’ll smoke less) to reduce sticking. You don’t want to lose any of that delicious chicken skin.

Nutrition