Mojo Isleño is a tangy, tomato-based Puerto Rican sauce packed with onions, sweet peppers, and garlic. Originally from Salinas, Puerto Rico. It's traditionally served with fried fish, but it's just as delicious on grilled seafood, shrimp, or even chicken.
This Mojo Isleño is the perfect sidekick to fried snapper, but it's just as delicious with roasted chicken thighs, a whole roasted chicken, or even chuletas fritas. The sweet tomatoes and onions, combined with briny olives and capers, complement whatever you serve them with perfectly.
Make tonight a Puerto Rican feast! Pick a protein from above and serve your Mojo Isleño with arroz amarillo, guineos en escabeche, funche (Puerto Rican grits), or Puerto Rican Chicken Paella with Sausage and Plantains. A tropical red sangria pairs beautifully, and for dessert, a cool serving of tembleque de coco hits the spot.
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Where does Mojo Isleno come from? 🌴🍅🇵🇷
Mojo Isleño originated in the southern town of Salinas, Puerto Rico. Home to Ladi's Place, the first restaurant to make this sauce famous. Today, Salinas celebrates its claim to fame with the International Mojo Isleño Festival, turning this once-humble tomato sauce into a cultural icon.
Why You'll Love This Recipe ❤️🍅🧄
- Easy to Make: One pot, pantry-friendly ingredients, and done in under 30 minutes.
- Authentic Flavor: A true taste of Puerto Rico, straight from the southern coast.
- Perfect for Gatherings: Make it ahead, reheat when ready. It tastes better the next day.
- Customizable: Like it tangier? Spicier? Saltier? You can tweak it to your liking.
- Meal Prep Friendly: Keeps well for days and adds instant flavor to leftovers.
- Authentic Flavor: Captures the heart of Puerto Rican coastal cooking in every bite.
- Budget-Friendly: Uses pantry staples-big flavor without breaking the bank.
Ingredient Notes 📝🧄🍅
- Tomatoes: The base of the sauce. Tomatoes bring body, sweetness, and that classic tang that balances the briny elements.
- Onions: They mellow out as they cook, adding sweetness and depth that ties the sauce together.
- Capers & Olives (tie): These bring the salty, briny punch that makes Mojo Isleño stand out. They're what takes it from basic tomato sauce to this-is-so-Puerto-Rican status.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions 🧂➡️🫒
Mojo Isleño doesn't leave much room for significant changes. Take away too much and it's just tomato sauce. But if you're feeling a little creative (or cleaning out the fridge), here are a few acceptable twists:
- No capers? Add a few extra olives to keep that salty, briny balance.
- No green olives? Kalamata olives bring a deeper, bolder flavor-less traditional, but still delicious.
- Artichoke hearts: Not a classic ingredient in this recipe or the Puerto Rican menu, but they pair surprisingly well with the sauce's acidity and brininess.
- Fresh vs. canned tomatoes: I use canned tomatoes for ease and consistency, but fresh tomatoes will give the sauce a brighter, fresher flavor if you have good ones on hand.
Just don't skip the trifecta: tomatoes, onions, and garlic. That's the soul of mojo.
🔥 Top Tip:
If your olives or capers are too briny, give them a quick rinse before adding them to the dish. This helps keep the sauce balanced and not overly salty.
How to make Mojo Isleno
- Step 1: In a large skillet, heat a little oil over medium heat and add the diced onions. Sauté until they begin to soften and turn translucent.
- Step 2: Add garlic paste and stir for about a minute until fragrant, don't let it burn!
- Step 3: Stir in the sofrito and let it cook for another minute or so. It should sizzle and coat the aromatics.
- Step 4: Add your diced tomatoes and tomato sauce to the pan, stir well to combine. This helps deglaze the pan.
- Step 5: Toss in the green olives and capers. This is where that classic mojo flavor starts to show up.
- Step 6: Pour in the achiote oil for color and richness. You could use the achiote oil at the beginning to sauté the onions, but in this application it's added for coloring. Stir to combine and let everything simmer gently.
- Step 7: Right before serving, add a splash of lemon juice to brighten the flavor.
- Step 8: Simmer until thick and saucy, about 10-15 minutes. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve warm.
👩🏽🍳 Expert Tips
- Layer the Flavor: Sauté the onions before adding garlic and tomatoes. Giving the onions a head start helps build that classic sweetness without burning the garlic.
- Tomato Control: If your canned tomatoes are too acidic, a pinch of baking soda can neutralize the acidity and smooth out the flavor. Just a little goes a long way. Start small and taste as you go.
- Flavor Gets Better: Mojo Isleño tastes even better the next day. Store it in a glass container to avoid staining and reheat gently to keep the flavors intact.
- Brighten Before Serving: Right before serving, add a small squirt of lemon juice to bring the sauce to life. It might sound counterintuitive, still, that hit of acidity balances everything, especially after mellowing the tomatoes with baking soda. It's a pro move that wakes up the whole dish.
Recipe FAQs
It's a tomato-based Puerto Rican sauce with onions, garlic, olives, capers, and a few pantry staples like vinegar and bay leaf.
Yes! In fact, it tastes even better the next day. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Not traditionally. But if you like heat, feel free to add a pinch of red pepper flakes or chopped jalapeños.
It's most famous with fried snapper (chillo frito), but it's fantastic with shrimp, grilled chicken, or even funche.
Of course! Freeze it in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Just thaw and reheat gently.
More Puerto Rican Sauces and Marinades
- Puerto Rican Fish Broth, Caldo de Pescado
- Puerto Rican Steamed Mussels With Sofrito White Wine Sauce
- Puerto Rican Homemade Sofrito
- Puerto Rican Mojito Sauce, Savory Sofrito Ketchup Sauce
I'd love to hear from you! Did you try this recipe? Leave a review and rating below. Let's connect on Instagram, and don't forget to join my weekly email list for fresh new recipes.
📖 Recipe
Mojo Isleño, Puerto Rican Tomato Sauce for Fish and Seafood
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 tablespoon garlic paste
- 2 tbsp sofrito
- 1 can diced tomatos
- ½ can tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoon capers
- ⅕ cup green olives
- 2 tablespoon achiote oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat a small amount of oil over medium heat and add the diced onions. Sauté until they begin to soften and turn translucent.
- Add garlic paste and stir for about a minute until fragrant, don't let the garlic burn
- Stir in the sofrito and let it cook for another minute or so. It should sizzle and coat the aromatics.
- Add your diced tomatoes and tomato sauce to the pan, stir well to combine. This helps deglaze the pan.
- Toss in the green olives and capers. This is where that classic mojo flavor starts to show up.
- Pour in the achiote oil for color and richness. You could use the achiote oil at the beginning to saute the onions, but in this application, it's added for coloring. Stir to combine and let everything simmer gently.
- Right before serving, add a splash of lemon juice to brighten the flavor.
- Simmer until thick and saucy, about 10-15 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve warm.
Notes
🔥 Top Tip:
If your olives or capers are too briny, give them a quick rinse before adding-this helps keep the sauce balanced and not overly salty.👩🏽🍳 Expert Tips
🔥 Layer the Flavor:Sauté the onions before adding garlic and tomatoes. Giving the onions a head start helps build that classic sweetness without burning the garlic. 🍅 Tomato Control:
If your canned tomatoes are too acidic, a pinch of baking soda can neutralize the acidity and smooth out the flavor. Just a little goes a long way. Start small and taste as you go. 🫙 Flavor Gets Better:
Mojo Isleño tastes even better the next day. Store it in a glass container to avoid staining and reheat gently to keep the flavors intact. Brighten Before Serving: Right before serving, add a small squirt of lemon juice to bring the sauce to life it might sound counterintuitive. Still, that hit of acidity balances everything, especially after mellowing the tomatoes with baking soda. It’s a pro move that wakes up the whole dish.
Zoe Forestier Villegas says
A Puerto Rican favorite sauce for all things seafood.