Mojo Chicken Sheet Pan Bake
This Mojo Chicken Sheet Pan Bake is the kind of weeknight chicken dinner you’ll want to make on repeat. The bold citrus-garlic mojo marinade is spicy, tangy, salty, and bright — everything you want in a flavorful easy chicken recipe. And since it’s cooked entirely on a sheet pan, it’s quick, hands-off, and perfect for busy nights when you still want something delicious.
The secret is in the marinade — and the reserved mojo marinade that gets turned into a warm, glossy sauce. Using juicy chicken thighs (especially bone-in thighs) makes this mojo chicken incredibly tender with maximum flavor. This is one of those sheet pan chicken recipes that fills your kitchen with the best smell and always has everyone asking when dinner is ready.
I make this recipe frequently for clients, and every time I do, I immediately want to make it again for my own family. That happened just a couple of weeks ago — I had extra chicken thighs in the fridge, let them soak in the mojo marinade a little longer than planned (life happens!), and it ended up being the perfect dinner when everyone came asking, “What’s for dinner?”
Serve this mojo chicken sheet pan bake with rice and beans to complete the meal. These easy sides take almost no effort and pair beautifully with the bright citrus and garlic flavors.
I make this for a client. Then I want it.
This happens often. I’m cooking away in the kitchen for 2-4 … or even 6 hours for clients and then I’m like wow that tastes amazing I should make that for my family and I.
So that happened a couple of weeks ago, again.
I ended up having more chicken thighs in my home refrigerator so I marinated them (for longer than the recipe calls for – because work comes first) and then they were ready when everyone starts asking what we are having for dinner.
Let's serve some rice + beans with it.
Jasmine Rice (Elevated Version)
- Melt 1 tablespoon of salted butter over medium-low heat in your rice pot.
- Add the jasmine rice and toss it in the butter to coat the grains.
- Pour in 1 cup of chicken bone broth plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, then add the remaining water called for in your recipe. The broth adds richness that complements the citrus garlic chicken perfectly.
Black Beans + Roasted Tomatoes
- Drain one can of black beans
- Add one can of diced roasted tomatoes
- Season with 1 teaspoon each cumin, dried oregano, and garlic powder
- Warm over low heat or microwave quickly
These simple beans round out your weeknight chicken dinner with almost no extra effort — and they’re delicious.
Get cooking. More sheet pan meals, please.
Pro Tip:
Reserve at least ½ cup of the marinade before adding the raw chicken — simmer it on the stove for 3 minutes to create a bright, bold mojo sauce that you can drizzle over the chicken, rice, and beans for even more flavor.
If you loved this fresh, citrusy, flavor-packed dinner, follow along on Instagram @whitesparrowfoodco for more easy meals, kitchen tips, and delicious everyday recipes!
Mojo Chicken Sheet Pan Bake
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Marinade (and sauce)
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- juice from 3 limes
- zest from 1 lime
- 4 large garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup or small bunch fresh cilantro
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dired oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil (add after it’s been blended)
Remaining Ingredients
- 4 shallots, sliced
- 6-8 bone in chicken thighs
- 1 can black beans
- 1 can roasted tomatoes
- 1 cup cooked jasmine rice
- 1 lime
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- To make the marinade (and sauce), combine all marinade ingredients except the olive oil into a blender. Pulse for 4-5 seconds. Add in the olive oil and stir to combine (do not blend the oil in).
- Add the chicken and sliced shallots to a shallow bowl or baking dish with sides. Pour 1/2 of the marinade over the chicken and reserve the remaining for the sauce.. Toss the chicken around in the marinade. Cover and place in your refrigerator for 2 hours.
- When you are ready to cook, preheat your oven to 400F. Remove the chicken from the oven and place everything (chicken, onions and marinade) on a baking sheet tray with edges.
- Place in your reheated oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Turn the heat to broil on high. Make sure you watch the chicken. This is just to toast or brown the tops of the chicken thighs slightly – they are burn quickly so set a timer for 1 minute. It took my chicken 5 minutes with a 180 degree turn of the pan half way through. Remove the chicken from the oven once they are slightly browned on top.
- Serve with rice and beans with the extra sauce on the side. I like to serve with fresh cilantro on the side too.
Notes
I added my halved oranges to the pan in step 3. Don’t need to if you already threw them away – just adds more color and juice.
If you are making the rice and beans, start cooking the rice after the chicken has been in the oven for 5 minutes. Timing should be perfect at that point.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: chicken
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: dinner
Did you make this recipe? Take a picture and tag me @whitesparrowfoodco or #whitesparrowfoodco I’d love to hear what you thought of the recipe!
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