Cuban Mojo Marinade

Seriously, the bottled “Mojo” you can buy in stores is no match for freshly squeezed citrus, garlic, and zingy herbs. Why bother purchasing it when you can make it in under 15 minutes? You may imitate the tastes seen in Cuban restaurants… Mmm, we’ve got some fantastic ones here in Florida… All you have to do is marinate the chicken or pork, or even some shrimp or flank steak, for a few hours before putting it in the oven or grill… simple weeknight dinners, mums! or dads! or anybody looking for a quick and easy supper…!!! And really healthy! So, what are you holding out for? It’s citrus season, so get some oranges and make this.

Traditionally, Mojo is made of sour, almost bitter, oranges from Cuba, similar to Seville oranges. Many Cubans in Florida have their own sour orange tree in their backyard. Sometimes you do spot them in grocery stores, but if you don’t get your hands on them, that’s ok. You can still create those flavors by mixing and matching your citruses, some grapefruit and lime or lemon juice. I used all of them time, as they happened to be in my home. Besides my freshly juiced citruses, I am using following for this easy Mojo Marinade:

Olive Oil – To compliment the citrus.
Garlic – Lots of it. Minced or crushed with a mortar and pestle. You definitely need those garlic notes in your marinade… it’s Cuban, after all!
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Dried oregano – If you happen to have fresh oregano, please use that instead (I am in between my oregano plants, so going with dried this time).
Onion – Finely chopped
Cilantro – Optional, but we love our cilantro.
So that’s it… you are just mixing it all together in a bowl and it’s ready to go!!

Ingredien

Olive Oil – To compliment the citrus.
Garlic – Lots of it. Minced or crushed with a mortar and pestle. You definitely need those garlic notes in your marinade… it’s Cuban, after all!
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Dried oregano – If you happen to have fresh oregano, please use that instead (I am in between my oregano plants, so going with dried this time).
Onion – Finely chopped
Cilantro – Optional, but we love our cilantro.
So that’s it… you are just mixing it all together in a bowl and it’s ready to go!!

Can you keep this marinade in the fridge?
Yes, please! Refrigerate it in an airtight container or bottle for a couple of weeks in the fridge! You may also freeze it for up to 3 months in an airtight container. If you create a large quantity, you may freeze it in an ice tray and store the frozen cubes in a ziploc bag. Thaw 5-6 cubes per pound of meat when you’re ready to marinade it.