I'm always here for easy, no-fuss weeknight meals. Especially when these meals are simple, end up yielding leftovers for meal prepping, and/or involve roasting chicken. For this particular recipe, I had a few limes and lemons about to go bad on the counter, so I decided to whip up a quick mojo marinade and go from there. This zesty, sweet, and savory chicken ended up being a favorite that I make often for dinner or lunch.

Personally, I prefer chicken thighs over breasts simply because they're more flavorful and are an inexpensive option for feeding a lot of people. This marinade would also be wonderful for a whole chicken. Let’s get cooking!

Honey-Garlic Mojo Chicken

Cook time: 30 minute marinade, 45 minute roasting

Serves: 2

4 chicken thighs or 2 leg quarters, bone-in and skin-on

Large pinch kosher salt

Large pinch black pepper

10 garlic cloves, crushed

2 limes, juiced 

2 lemons, juiced

2 oranges, juiced 

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried cumin

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 

2 heaping tbsp Simple Sofrito

1/2 cup raw honey (see note)

1/2 cup neutral oil (canola or grapeseed)

Note: you can use whatever kind of honey you like, although I'm quite partial to local, raw honey for my personal use and consumption (especially for my allergies). Remember, by supporting your local farmers, including beekeepers and their bees, you can positively impact the local economy and ecosystem in your area! Bees are the real MVPs, y'all. Keep them happy and help them thrive.

Place the chicken in large mixing bowl and liberally season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Set aside to work on the marinade.

In a medium bowl, combine the crushed garlic cloves, citrus juices, oregano, ground cumin, apple cider vinegar, sofrito, honey, and oil. Whisk together and make sure everything is mixed well. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Then, pour the marinade over the chicken, making sure that the pieces are as covered as possible. Let them marinate for 30 minutes. Keep in mind, that you want to make sure the chicken is close to room temperature before roasting to make sure you have even browning and cooking times.

Once 20 minutes has passed, turn the oven on to preheat to 400ºF. In another 10 minutes, and once the oven is up to temperature, remove the chicken from the marinade and place in a cast iron skillet or roasting pan.

Roast the chicken until juices run clear or the internal temperature of meat is at 165°F, which can take roughly about 30-45 minutes depending on your oven. About five minutes before the chicken is done, turn the oven off and carefully take the pan out of the oven and drizzle a little bit more honey on the top of each thigh's skin. Place the chicken back in the oven so the honey can melt and help the chicken develop a beautiful, golden color while they finish roasting with the residual heat.

Once done, let the chicken rest for at least 5 minutes and then serve the chicken with any side you like. This would pair well with some fresh vegetables or your favorite kind of rice. I served this with sautéed sweet potatoes and some green beans. Simple and delicious!

¡Buen provecho!