Mojo Chicken Cubano
Pressed Cuban rolls layered with citrus-marinated chicken, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard, served with a glossy mojo butter for dipping.
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- 1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 oranges, juiced (about 2/3 cup), divided
- 3 limes, juiced (about 1/3 cup), divided
- 6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
- 1.5 tsp ground cumin, divided
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for the pan
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 3 tbsp softened butter
- 4 Cuban rolls or soft hoagie rolls
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- Yellow mustard
- Dill pickle planks
- Garlic Aioli
- 1Marinate the chicken — Whisk 1/3 cup orange juice, 3 tbsp lime juice, 4 garlic cloves, 1 tsp cumin, the oregano, salt, and 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the chicken and marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature, or up to 2 hours in the refrigerator. Set the remaining orange and lime juice aside for the sauce.
- 2Sear the thighs — Remove the chicken from the marinade, discard the marinade, and pat the thighs very dry. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with a thin film of oil. Sear the smooth side down, undisturbed, for 5-6 minutes. Flip and cook for 4-5 minutes more, until the internal temperature reaches 175°F.
- 3Rest and slice — Rest the chicken for 5 minutes, then slice it 1/4 inch thick across the grain.
- 4Make the mojo butter — Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the remaining 2 garlic cloves in the chicken fat for 30 seconds. Add the reserved citrus juice, stock, and remaining 1/2 tsp cumin, scraping up the fond. Reduce by about half, 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and swirl in the cold butter, one cube at a time, until glossy. Pour the sauce into ramekins and keep warm; do not let it boil again. Wipe out the pan.
- 5Build the sandwiches — Split the rolls and spread mustard on both cut sides. Layer each sandwich with Swiss cheese, chicken, pickles, Swiss cheese, and the top bun. Butter the outsides of the rolls.
- 6Press the sandwiches — Set the cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Press two sandwiches at a time under a second heavy skillet or foil-wrapped brick for 3-4 minutes per side, until deep golden and the cheese melts. Lower the heat if the bread browns before the cheese melts.
- 7Plate and serve — Spread aioli across each plate. Cut the sandwiches on a hard diagonal and stack the halves with the cross-sections facing out. Serve with fries and a ramekin of mojo butter for dipping.
- Original build, adapted from a traditional Cubano with the ham omitted on purpose. If it needs more punch, add more pickles rather than a substitute protein.
- Never reuse the marinade in the sauce, because it has held raw chicken. The sauce uses the reserved fresh juice.
- Rewarm the mojo butter gently or it will split. If it does split, whisk in a splash of warm stock.
- Leftover pressed sandwiches go soggy. For better leftovers, store the sliced chicken separately and press fresh.
- polished: 2026-09-22