What Is Cuban Sauce? Every Sauce in Cuban Cooking Explained
Mario CruzIf you've ever asked "what is Cuban sauce?" you're not alone. Cuban cooking has several signature sauces, and they're all different from what most Americans think of as "sauce." There's no ketchup, no BBQ sauce, no thick dipping sauce in traditional Cuban food. Instead, Cuban sauces are fresh, garlicky, citrus-forward, and built to enhance the natural flavor of the food, not cover it up.
Here's a breakdown of every major Cuban sauce, what it's made of, and how to use each one.
The Main Cuban Sauces
1. Mojo Criollo (Cuban Garlic Citrus Sauce)
Mojo criollo is the most important sauce in Cuban cooking. It's a raw or lightly cooked sauce made from sour orange juice (naranja agria), garlic, olive oil, cumin, and oregano. Cubans use it as a marinade for pork and chicken, a dipping sauce for yuca and tostones, and a finishing drizzle over rice and beans.
Key flavors: Tangy, garlicky, bright, herby.
Best on: Lechon asado, yuca con mojo, grilled chicken, tostones.
Recipe: Cuban Mojo Marinade Recipe
2. Sofrito (Cuban Cooking Base)
Sofrito isn't a sauce you pour on food. It's a sauteed aromatic base (onion, green pepper, garlic, olive oil) that starts almost every Cuban dish. Think of it as the flavor foundation. Black beans, ropa vieja, picadillo, arroz con pollo: they all begin with sofrito in the pan.
Key flavors: Savory, aromatic, sweet from slow-cooked onions.
Best for: Starting soups, stews, beans, rice dishes.
Recipe: Cuban Sofrito Recipe
3. Cuban Hot Sauce (Salsa Picante Cubana)
Traditional Cuban food isn't spicy. The heat comes from hot sauce served at the table, not cooked into the dish. Cuban hot sauce is different from American-style hot sauces (like Tabasco or Frank's) because it starts with a mojo base: citrus, garlic, and cumin first, then peppers for heat. The result is a sauce that's tangy and flavorful before it's hot.
Key flavors: Citrus-garlic heat, not vinegar-forward.
Best on: Everything. Lechon, black beans, eggs, sandwiches, tostones.
Try: Barbaro Mojo Jalabao (medium), El Havanero (hot), Best Day Ever (extra hot)
4. Salsa Criolla (Cuban Onion Sauce)
A fresh, uncooked sauce made from thinly sliced onions (usually red or white), lime juice, olive oil, salt, and sometimes cumin. It's the Cuban version of a relish. You'll find it on the table at Cuban restaurants next to the bread basket. It's tangy, crunchy, and cuts through the richness of roasted meats.
Key flavors: Sharp, tangy, fresh, crunchy.
Best on: Lechon, grilled steak, Cuban sandwiches, fried fish.
5. Cuban Tomato Sauce (Salsa de Tomate Cubana)
Not the same as Italian marinara. Cuban tomato sauce is a lighter, sofrito-based sauce made by cooking tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes into a sofrito base with cumin, oregano, and sometimes vino seco (dry cooking wine). It's used as the braising liquid for ropa vieja, carne con papas, and other stews.
Key flavors: Savory, cumin-forward, lighter than Italian tomato sauce.
Best on: Ropa vieja, carne con papas, enchilado de camarones.
6. Mojo de Ajo (Cuban Garlic Sauce)
A garlic-heavy version of mojo with less citrus and more olive oil. Whole garlic cloves are slowly cooked in olive oil until golden and soft, then finished with a squeeze of lime. It's served warm over seafood, yuca, and vegetables.
Key flavors: Rich, garlicky, mellow, buttery.
Best on: Shrimp, fish, boiled yuca, grilled vegetables.
Cuban Sauce vs Other Latin Sauces
- Cuban mojo vs Mexican salsa verde: Mojo is citrus-garlic based with no tomatillo. Salsa verde is tomatillo-based with chili. Completely different flavor profiles.
- Cuban sofrito vs Puerto Rican sofrito: Cuban sofrito is chopped and sauteed. Puerto Rican sofrito is blended raw with culantro and aji dulce peppers.
- Cuban hot sauce vs American hot sauce: Cuban hot sauce is citrus-garlic forward. American hot sauces (Louisiana, Tabasco) are vinegar-forward. See our full comparison.
How to Build a Cuban Sauce Collection
If you want to cook authentic Cuban food, you need three things in your kitchen:
- Mojo criollo for marinating and finishing. Make it from scratch or keep a jar in the fridge.
- Sofrito for starting every dish. Freeze it in ice cube trays for quick weeknight cooking.
- Cuban hot sauce for the table. Barbaro Mojo Jalabao or El Havanero are both built on the same mojo flavor base, so they blend seamlessly into any Cuban dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cuban sauce called?
The most famous Cuban sauce is mojo criollo, a garlic-citrus marinade and table sauce. Other Cuban sauces include sofrito (aromatic cooking base), salsa criolla (fresh onion relish), and salsa de tomate cubana (cumin-forward tomato sauce for stews).
Is Cuban sauce spicy?
Traditional Cuban sauces like mojo and sofrito are not spicy. Cuban food gets its heat from hot sauce served at the table, not cooked into the dish. Cuban hot sauces like Barbaro Mojo add citrus-garlic heat without overpowering the food.
What is the difference between mojo and hot sauce?
Mojo criollo is a marinade made from sour orange, garlic, and olive oil. It's tangy and garlicky but not spicy. Hot sauce adds chili pepper heat. Barbaro Mojo combines both: the mojo flavor base with jalapeño, habanero, or Carolina Reaper peppers. Read more about mojo vs hot sauce.
What is Cuban red sauce?
Cuban red sauce (salsa de tomate cubana) is a light tomato sauce cooked with sofrito, cumin, oregano, and sometimes dry white wine. It's used for braising meats in dishes like ropa vieja and carne con papas. It's lighter and more cumin-forward than Italian marinara.
What sauces come with a Cuban sandwich?
A traditional Cuban sandwich uses yellow mustard only. No mayo, no ketchup, no special sauce. Some modern versions add mojo as a dipping sauce. For a spicy kick, try Barbaro Mojo Jalabao instead of mustard.