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Grilled Cuban Mojo Chicken Bowls with fried plantains and mojo sauce in black bowls and a napkin to the side, ready to eat
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5 from 1 vote

Grilled Cuban Mojo Chicken Bowls

Grilled Cuban Mojo Chicken Bowls are incredibly flavorful and delicious!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Chicken Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 3 Servings
Calories: 735kcal
Author: Julia

Ingredients

Mojo Marinade and Dressing:

  • 2/3 cup orange juice
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons white or yellow onion finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger peeled and grated
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Fried Plantains:

  • 2/3 cup coconut oil or vegetable oil
  • 3 large plantains peeled and chopped into spears
  • Sea salt

Cuban Bowls:

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken tenders or breasts
  • 1 ripe pineapple chopped into spears
  • cups uncooked white rice
  • 1 14-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup red onion finely chopped
  • 2 vine ripened tomatoes sliced
  • 1 ripe avocado peeled and sliced

Instructions

Prepare the Chicken:

  • Add all of the ingredients for the mojo sauce/marinade to a blender and blend until well combined.
  • Place the raw chicken in a sealable container or bag and pour 2/3 cup of the mojo marinade over the chicken (or more if necessary), reserving the remaining sauce for serving the bowls. Seal and allow chicken to marinate 1 hour, up to 8 hours.

Fry the Plantains:

  • Heat the oil to medium high in an 8 to 10-inch skillet (I've found cast iron works great). Note: You want enough oil to allow the plantains to float while they're frying, but they don't need to be fully submerged.
  • Run a knife along the length of each plantain in order to peel them. Note: plantains are much more difficult to peel than bananas. I've found choosing ripe plantains and making a deep cut down the full length of the peel, cutting just as deep as the peel until you reach the flesh, is helpful in getting the peel off easily. Ripe plantains should be fairly easy to peel. The greener, less ripe plantains will be difficult and often the peel will be stuck to the flesh.
  • Cut the plantains into spears or rounds. The shape is just a matter of preference, as the end result will be the same.
  • Carefully place the plantain spears in the hot oil and allow them to cook about 2 to 3 minutes, until browned. Carefully flip using a slotted spoon, and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Continue cooking and flipping/rotating occasionally until plantains are soft and caramelized, about 4 to 6 minutes. Place on a plate lined with a paper towel and sprinkle with sea salt. Repeat for all of the plantain spears.

Make the Bowls:

  • Prepare the rice according to package instructions, and heat the beans in a saucepan. Keep warm on low until ready to use.
  • Preheat the grill to medium-high and use a wire brush to remove any food particles from your last barbecue. Brush with cooking oil.
  • Brush the pineapple with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Place pineapple spears on the preheated grill and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, until charred and soft. Transfer to a plate until ready to use.
  • Place the marinated chicken onto the hot grill and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until grill marks appear. Flip and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Continue cooking and flipping every 1 to 2 minutes until chicken is cooked through and has reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (chicken breasts that are 1 inch thick take about 10 to 12 minutes total to grill. Chicken tenders require about 6 to 8 minutes total).
  • Divide the rice between 4 bowls. Add desired amount of grilled pineapple spears, grilled chicken tenders, black beans, red onion, tomato slices, avocado, and fried plantains. Drizzle remaining mojo sauce over the bowls and serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 735kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 26g | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 20g