Pollo Asado al Mojo con Limón Quemado (Charred Lemon Mojo Roast Chicken)

About This Recipe

Pollo asado is a Sunday-table staple in Cuban households, almost always built on mojo — a marinade of sour orange or lime juice, heaps of garlic, cumin and oregano that both flavors and tenderizes the chicken before it goes into the oven. This version adds a broiler-charred lemon squeezed over the finished bird, a modern touch that layers a smoky bitterness on top of the marinade's brightness without straying from mojo's core flavor logic. The chicken is marinated for several hours (overnight is better) so the citrus and garlic penetrate past the surface, then roasted at a high temperature to crisp the skin while basting periodically with the pan juices to keep the meat moist. Charring the lemon separately under the broiler right before serving, rather than roasting it with the bird, keeps its flavor concentrated and prevents it from turning bitter in a long cook. Served with white rice, black beans and fried plantains, this is the kind of centerpiece dish that anchors a Cuban family meal — straightforward technique, but built on a marinade with real depth.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1whole chicken(about 1.8kg)
• 8 clovesgarlic(crushed)
• 0.5 cupsour orange juice(or a mix of orange and lime juice)
• 0.25 cupolive oil(divided)
• 1 tbspdried oregano
• 1 tbspground cumin
• 2 tspfine sea salt(divided)
• 1 tspblack pepper
• 1onion(quartered)
• 2lemons(halved, divided)
• 0.5 cupchicken stock

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the mojo marinade

   Blend garlic, sour orange juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil, oregano, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper until smooth.

2. 2

   Marinate the chicken

   Pat the chicken dry and place in a large bag or dish. Pour the mojo over and under the skin where possible, and marinate refrigerated for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.

3. 3

   Prep for roasting

   Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off, and stuff the cavity with onion quarters and one lemon half.

4. 4

   Roast

   Rub the skin with remaining olive oil and remaining salt. Place chicken breast-side up in a roasting pan with chicken stock and remaining lemon halves scattered around it.

5. 5

   Roast and baste

   Roast 20 minutes at 220°C, then reduce heat to 190°C (375°F) and continue roasting 45-55 minutes, basting with pan juices every 20 minutes, until a thermometer in the thigh reads 74°C (165°F).

   Tent with foil if the skin browns too fast before the interior is done — this keeps it from burning while the meat finishes cooking.

6. 6

   Char fresh lemon

   While the chicken rests, broil 2 fresh lemon halves cut-side up for 4-5 minutes until deeply browned.

7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Let the chicken rest 10 minutes before carving. Squeeze the charred lemon over the carved chicken just before serving.

Variations

• •

  Spatchcock the chicken (remove the backbone and flatten) to cut roasting time by about 20 minutes and get more even browning.

• •

  Use bone-in chicken thighs instead of a whole bird for a faster weeknight version, roasting about 35-40 minutes.

• •

  Add sliced sweet potato or yuca to the roasting pan in the last 40 minutes to cook alongside the chicken in the drippings.

Storage

Refrigerate carved chicken up to 4 days. Reheat gently covered in a 160°C oven with a splash of stock to keep it from drying out; avoid microwaving if possible since it toughens the skin.

Frequently Asked Questions