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Steak with a Cuban Mojo Marinade – Easy Grilled Recipe

This recipe for steaks with a Cuban mojo marinade combines spices with orange juice, olive oil and grill mates seasoning for an easy and spicy main course dish.

I love the sweet, tangy and savory flavors.  It makes grill night or a camping trip meal something special.

We grill every Saturday’s night at our house. My husband is the grill master and I come up with the recipes.

Since we loved recipes with an international flare, I decided to try this version of a Cuban mojo marinade to give our steaks some extra flavor.

Sirloin steak with Cuban mojo seasoning.

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Take grill time to a whole new level with these steaks with a Cuban mojo marinade. It's zesty and sweet and is very easy to prepare. Get the recipe on The Gardening Cook. Share on X

What is a Cuban mojo marinade?

Mojo (pronounced MO HO) marinade is a mix of some type of citrus, garlic, onions, olive oil and herbs used to season protein dishes.

When you combine these ingredients, you end up with a slightly peppery, tangy and spicy/sweet citrus flavor with a bite.

The marinade is commonly used to flavor pork, chicken or yucca.

Each family in Cuba has their own version of the marinade. Some use olive oil, some omit it.

Mojo marinade with steak and limes.

Today, we’ll be making my version of the traditional signature marinade with some Grill Mates Montreal steak seasoning as well as other herbs, and we’ll be using steak instead of pork.

Cuban mojo marinade gives this steak recipe a boost of flavor

This Cuban steak recipe could not be easier to make.  It takes just five minutes preparation, some time to marinate the steaks  in the fridge and about 15 minutes to cook.  Serve it with your best tropical salad for a great barbecue night.

The robust blend of coarsely ground peppers, garlic and spices in Grill Mates seasoning makes for bolder tasting steaks.  You can see it used in another way in this recipe.  

Ingredient for making a mojo marinade.

For tonight’s meal, I combined the spice mix with ground cumin, onions, garlic, olive oil, oregano, orange juice and lime juice for a spectacular taste that mimics a traditional Cuban mojo recipe.

Making the Cuban mojo marinade

To make the marinade for this Cuban steak recipe, mix the onions and garlic, with cumin, oregano, Grill Mates seasoning, olive oil, orange juice and the juice and zest of 1/2 of a fresh lime in a bowl. 

Combine the ingredients well and pour them over the steaks. Turn to coat both sides. Refrigerate the marinated steaks for at least 30 minutes.

Hands pouring marinade on steaks.

As with all marinades, the flavors get better the longer the steaks sit in the marinade. 

Grill the steaks over medium high heat for 6-8 minutes until your meat thermometer reaches a temperature of 145 degrees F.

Let the steaks rest for 3 minutes before serving them.

Cuban steaks with mojo marinade

Serve this Cuban steak recipe with a tropical salad to keep the citrus flavors going, or add fried green tomatoes for a more hearty meal.

What is your favorite way to grill steak? Are you a fan of rubs and marinades?  Please leave your comments below.

Admin note: this post for my Cuban steak with mojo marinade first appeared on the blog in April of 2013. I have updated the post to add new photos, a printable recipe card with nutritional information ad video for you to enjoy.

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Grilled steak with words Cuban Steaks with Mojo Marinade.

Yield: 6 servings

Steak with Cuban Mojo Marinade

Steak with Cuban Mojo Marinade

This robust Cuban mojo marinade gives a great flavor to steak. It's time to fire up the grill!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds of boneless sirloin strip steak
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 2 tablespoon McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup of orange juice
  • juice of 1/2 fresh lime
  • grated lime zest

Instructions

  1. Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Combine well.
  2. Place the steak in a casserole dish and add the marinade and turn to coat both sides.
  3. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes (it gets better the more you leave the steak in the marinade.)
  4. Grill the steak on medium high for 6-8 minutes until meat thermometer registers 145 degrees.
  5. Let rest 3 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1/6th of the recipe

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 396Total Fat: 24gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 578mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 35g

Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.

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