Mojo Sauce Recipe

Name: Mojo Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 8 cloves garlic, minced; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; 2/3 cup fresh sour orange juice, or 1/3 cup of fresh orange juice and 1/3 cup of fresh lime juice; 1/3 cup olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/2 teaspoon cumin

Why It Works

Pounding the garlic with salt until it forms a paste not only intensifies its flavor, but also helps evenly distribute its pungent kick throughout the sauce.
This flexible recipe works equally well with sour orange juice—the acidic base used in many parts of the Caribbean—or a more accessible combination of orange and lemon or lime juices.
The combination of cumin and dried oregano adds an earthy undertone that balances the tart citrus and the richness of the olive oil.

Ever since discovering mojo sauce is the "secret" ingredient in one of my favorite rotisserie chickens, I've been all over this stuff. As a marinade, baste, or dip, this pungent, acidic sauce packs a massive amount of flavor.

There are many varieties of mojo, but it's the Cuban version that's stolen my heart. Sour orange juice serves as the tart base, with a hefty amount of garlic adding a strong bite. Add oil along with oregano and cumin, which gives it an earthy background.

While my recipe has not changed much from my first batch, finding a local source for sour oranges has definitely made a difference, for the better. Prior to that I was using an equal mix of orange and lime or lemon juice, which is a decent approximation but if you want to go for gold, seek out those sour oranges!

June 2011