Summer means all things citrus, so I’ve been buying in bulk because it’s all I want when the weather is hot! I crave bright, light, tart flavors (save the heavy stuff for the colder months) and that’s how this Mojo Chicken was born.
This has quickly worked its way into our weekday rotation, because it’s super quick and easy to make, is full of flavor, and is super healthy! This recipe clocks in at just 3 WW SP for a 1/4 pound serving of chicken (with sauce). I like to serve it with veggies and some yellow rice, so the entire meal usually works out to around 7 SP or so.
Summer in a marinade
That’s how i’d describe the flavors of this mojo chicken marinade. It’s tart, fruity, and super flavorful from the garlic and herbs. The chicken quickly takes on the flavor of the marinade, so it only needs to sit in it for 30-45 minutes. Because of the minimal marinating time, it’s also a perfect weeknight meal. End to end, you can have it on the table in about an hour (and most of that time is just waiting for it to air fry, etc), so you can knock out some dishes, or kick back with a glass of wine while dinner basically makes itself.
The components of the marinade are:
- garlic
- honey
- lime juice
- orange juice
- cilantro
- chili
It’s about as clean and simple as it gets!
I’d marry my air fryer if I could
You read that right. It has quickly become my favorite appliance, because it cooks everything PERFECTLY. Chicken is no exception to that rule – chicken in the air fryer comes out super tender and juicy, and the sauce caramelizes a bit on the chicken which is freakin’ DELICIOUS!
I have an oven-style air fryer too, which I can’t recommend enough. It lets you cook multiple trays at a time, which is HUGE for saving time. With a new house that I’m trying to paint/repair myself, I need all the time savings I can get.
Mojo everything
While this marinade is killer for mojo chicken, it can be used for much more!
Put it on salmon for a bright, fresh take on a seafood dinner.
Put it on shrimp for some delicious skewers or shrimp tacos.
Speaking of tacos, mojo marinade on white fish in fish tacos? Yeah, sign me up.
Air Fryer Mojo Chicken
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Air Fryer
- Small Saucepan
Ingredients
- 4 garlic cloves pressed
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 oranges juiced
- 2 limes juiced
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
- Vegetables of choice I like to do onion, pepper, zucchini
- Yellow rice
- 1 tsp butter
Instructions
- Combine marinade ingredients and split mixture in half
- Cut up chicken breast into roughly 1 inch chunks and put into a gallon freezer bag with 1/2 of the marinade
- Let chicken marinate for 30-45 minutes in the fridge
- Put other half of marinate in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 tsp butter and reduce for ~10 minutes. Sauce should thicken a bit.
- Air fry chicken pieces at 385 for 18-20 minutes (check after 15 with an internal thermometer– you want it to read 165)
- Cook veggies of choice (I like to do red onion, zucchini, and pepper in the air fryer – 14-16 min at 390 usually does the trick)
- Toss cooked chicken with reduced sauce and serve with side of yellow rice and air fried veggies. I like to serve with a chili-dipped lime wedge as well.
- Top with extra chopped cilantro and enjoy!
Nutrition
Looking for more dinner inspo?
Check out some of my other weeknight favorites:
