Cuban Mojo Shrimp Skewers with Bárbaro Mojo Hot Sauce Recipe
Mario CruzCuban mojo shrimp skewers are shrimp marinated in a garlic and citrus mojo, threaded on skewers, and grilled hot and fast, two to three minutes a side. This version uses El Havanero as the mojo: it is already built on the same citrus and garlic base as a Cuban mojo criollo, so one bottle plus lime, garlic, and olive oil gives you the whole marinade with habanero heat built in. Thirty minutes in the fridge, ten minutes on the grill, and you are eating.
Why El Havanero works as a shrimp marinade
A classic Cuban mojo is sour orange, garlic, oregano, and cumin. Every Barbaro Mojo sauce starts from that marinade, then adds the peppers. El Havanero adds habanero and tomato, which is why it reads as a hot sauce on the table and as a mojo in a mixing bowl. Whisk it with lime juice and olive oil and you have a marinade that tastes like the one on a lechón asado, with a 9 out of 10 on our Cuban heat scale underneath it.
Shrimp is the ideal partner for it. It is sweet, it cooks in minutes, and it does not need hours in a marinade to pick up flavor. Thirty minutes is enough. Past an hour, the lime juice starts to cook the shrimp the way it does in ceviche and the texture goes soft, so do not marinate overnight.
Ingredients
Serves 4 as a main, 8 as an appetizer.
- 1 pound large shrimp (16 to 20 count), peeled and deveined, tails on or off
- 1/4 cup Barbaro Mojo El Havanero
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes), plus wedges for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
Frozen shrimp are fine. Thaw them fully in the fridge or under cold running water and pat them dry before they go in the marinade; wet shrimp will not take the glaze.
How to make Cuban mojo shrimp skewers
1. Whisk the marinade
In a bowl, whisk the El Havanero, olive oil, garlic, lime juice, salt, and pepper until the oil is fully mixed in. It should look like a loose, orange dressing.
2. Marinate the shrimp, 30 minutes
Add the shrimp and toss until every piece is coated. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. If you are short on time, 15 minutes still works; if you are running late, do not go past an hour.
3. Thread the skewers
Thread 4 or 5 shrimp onto each soaked skewer, going through the thick end and the tail so they lie flat. Leave a little space between each shrimp. Crowded shrimp steam instead of char, and the gap is what gives you the grill marks in the photo.
4. Grill, 2 to 3 minutes a side
Heat a grill to medium-high and oil the grates. Lay the skewers down and leave them alone for 2 to 3 minutes, until the underside is opaque with some char, then flip and give the second side 2 minutes. Pull them the moment the shrimp curl into a C and turn opaque all the way through. A tight O means they went a minute too long.
No grill? A cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat does the same job in the same time. In the oven, broil on a sheet pan 4 inches from the element, 3 minutes a side.
5. Serve hot with lime
Squeeze fresh lime over the skewers and serve right away. We plate them over white rice with a side of Cuban black beans, the way the plate in the photo is built, with extra El Havanero on the table for anyone who wants more.
Dial the heat up or down
El Havanero is the hottest sauce in our everyday line, a 9 on the Barbaro Mojo Cuban heat scale, and a quarter cup across a pound of shrimp lands as a solid medium-hot once it is grilled. To take it down, swap in Piñazo (6, pineapple and Carolina Reaper, which happens to be excellent on shrimp) or Jalabáo (3, jalapeño and green bell pepper) at the same quantity. To take it up, brush the skewers with a little extra El Havanero in the last minute on the grill. The whole scale, from mild to Matanza, is in our sauce pairing guide.
What to serve with them
- White rice and black beans, the plate above.
- Tostones or a bag of Chifles for a backyard version.
- Over a green salad with the leftover lime as the dressing for a lighter meal.
- Pulled off the skewer into warm tortillas with avocado for tacos.
If you like this style of shrimp, our Cuban shrimp boil and the Jalabáo shrimp sauté are the other two we cook most.
Tips
- Soak bamboo skewers for 30 minutes so they do not burn through before the shrimp are done. Metal skewers skip the soak.
- Dry the shrimp before marinating. Surface water dilutes the mojo and stops it from clinging.
- Keep the shrimp cold until they hit the grill. Cold shrimp on a hot grate char outside before they overcook inside.
- Leftovers keep 2 days in the fridge. Eat them cold in a salad; reheating shrimp makes them rubbery.
Frequently asked questions
How long should I marinate shrimp in mojo?
Thirty minutes is the sweet spot, and 15 works in a pinch. Do not go past an hour: the lime juice starts to cook the shrimp the way it does in ceviche, and the texture turns soft on the grill.
Are these shrimp skewers very spicy?
Medium-hot. El Havanero is a 9 on our 1 to 10 Cuban heat scale, but a quarter cup spread over a pound of shrimp, cut with lime and oil, grills into a warm habanero heat rather than a punishing one. For a mild version use Jalabáo at the same amount.
Can I use frozen shrimp?
Yes. Thaw them completely, in the fridge overnight or under cold running water for 10 minutes, then pat them dry before they go into the marinade.
Can I cook them without a grill?
Yes. A cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat, 2 to 3 minutes a side, gives the same result. Under the broiler, 3 minutes a side on a sheet pan about 4 inches from the element.
What do you serve with mojo shrimp skewers?
White rice and Cuban black beans are the classic plate. Tostones, a green salad, or warm tortillas for shrimp tacos all work too.