By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 4
295 cal · 65 min
Mojo de Ajo
Recipe GLPR851da4a19ea0b8
A vibrant Latin American garlic sauce with roasted garlic cloves infused with citrus and warm spices. The garlic becomes tender and golden, mellowed by the brightness of lime and orange juice, with a subtle heat from red pepper flakes. This versatile condiment pairs beautifully with grilled proteins, roasted vegetables, or fresh seafood.
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Ingredients
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
30 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Pour the extra virgin olive oil into a small baking dish and add the peeled garlic cloves, stirring to coat them evenly with oil.
Roast the garlic in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cloves are very soft, golden brown, and caramelized. The garlic should be tender enough to break apart easily with a fork.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and let cool slightly for about 5 minutes. Transfer the roasted garlic and oil to a mixing bowl.
Add the fresh lime juice and fresh orange juice to the roasted garlic and oil, stirring well to combine.
Sprinkle the dried oregano and crushed red pepper flakes over the mixture and stir thoroughly to distribute the spices evenly throughout the sauce.
Season with fine sea salt to taste, adjusting as needed. The sauce should have a balanced flavor with sweetness from the citrus, warmth from the spices, and gentle heat from the pepper flakes.
Allow the mojo de ajo to cool to room temperature before serving. You can serve it warm or at room temperature alongside grilled meats, seafood, or roasted vegetables.
Comments
Mojo de ajo is a staple marinade and sauce with ingredients stocked at every Charlotte grocery chain—olive oil, garlic, citrus, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes need no special trips. The cost per serving is trivial, likely under fifty cents, since you're buying pantry staples in standard quantities. The stated 65 minutes is misleading because actual hands-on work is five minutes of mincing and mixing, with the rest passive marinating or sitting time; if you're using this as a quick condiment rather than letting protein marinate for an hour, the real prep is ten minutes maximum. This is a workhorse sauce that reheats beautifully, keeps for a week in the fridge, and pairs with chicken, pork, or shrimp—exactly the kind of thing a busy household buys or makes in a double batch and uses all week.
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