Slow Cooker Mojo Chicken

We can’t confirm whether you get your mojo back when you eat this Cuban-inspired recipe, but we can confirm that it’s an easy, tasty chicken dinner—and that the recipe has some mojo itself. Plus, you get to pull out your slow cooker to make this meal, so the work is fairly hands off.

Mojo is a Cuban sauce, generally used as a marinade. There is both green and red mojo, and red mojo, which is used for this recipe, is often used for meats. The sauce is bright, citrusy, and you can make it spicy if your tastes lean that way. While it is often used as a marinade, you can serve it as a dipping sauce as well. Eat the chicken breast by itself or serve as a core ingredient for other recipes and foods.

The ingredients used to make mojo vary depending on the recipe, but this mojo sauce is a standard version: It includes fruit juices, vinegar, olive oil, garlic, cumin, pepper flakes, coriander, salt, and pepper. The red pepper flakes help add a little kick, but if you want to make it spicier, add a jalapeno or serrano. 

After you place your chicken in the slow cooker, pour the mojo sauce over, cover with a lid, and let it go to work for about 2 ½ hours. When the chicken is finished, use the juices in the slow cooker to create a sauce. Strain your liquids into a saucepan, bring to a boil, and make a slurry from cold water and cornstarch. When the juices have reduced, add your slurry and boil, stirring constantly, until thickened. 

Editorial contributions by Keaton Larson