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Mojo picón (Canarian red mojo)

Vegetarian

Mojo picón

The Canary Islands' fiery red sauce of soaked dried red peppers, garlic, toasted cumin, paprika, vinegar and olive oil, served with wrinkly salt-crusted potatoes.

Mojo picón (Canarian red mojo) is a Spanish sauce from Spain, ready in about 47 minutes and made with dried whole chillies, garlic and cumin seeds. It serves 10 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
2 min
Rest
30 min
Total
47 min
Serves
10
Level
Easy
Calories
103

Ingredients

10 servings (about 2 tbsp each)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Stem and seed the dried peppers (keep the seeds of the hot ones for more heat) and soak them in hot water for 30 minutes until soft.

    • 2 min

  2. Step 2

    Toast the cumin seeds (opens in a new tab) in a dry pan for a minute until fragrant.

  3. Step 3

    Pound the garlic (opens in a new tab), cumin and coarse salt to a paste in a mortar. Add the drained peppers (and fresh chilli) and pound until smooth; a blender (opens in a new tab) makes this quicker.

    Spices being ground in a mortar and pestle
    How it looks · Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Work in the paprika (opens in a new tab) and vinegar (and the bread if using), then add the olive oil (opens in a new tab) in a stream, stirring or blending until the sauce is thick and emulsified.

    • 3 min

About this dish

Origin
Canary Islands, Spain · Well documentedMore food from Spain
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Sauces · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method
Raw, Blended
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), garlicky, tangy, aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb
Without the optional extras: Whole-food focused, Paleo-style, No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Dried whole chillies · Garlic · Cumin seeds · Paprika · Wine vinegar
Techniques
Spice roasting (dry-roasting) · Wet grinding · Emulsification

Allergens

  • May contain: Milkfrom white bread
  • May contain: Eggsfrom white bread
  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom white bread
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom white bread
  • May contain: Soyfrom white bread
  • May contain: Sesamefrom white bread
  • May contain: Sulphitesfrom wine vinegar

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

103 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 23 g · recipe makes 10

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 1%
  • Carbohydrate 5%
  • Fat 94%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy103 kcal450 kcal
Protein0.3 g1.2 g
Carbohydrate1.2 g5.1 g
Net carbohydrate0.9 g3.7 g
Sugars0 g0.2 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre0.3 g1.3 g
Fat11.1 g48.1 g
Saturated fat1.5 g6.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol——
Sodium235 mg1021 mg
Salt equivalent0.6 g2.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
37 mg
Calcium
6 mg
Iron
0.4 mg
Magnesium
3 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
14 µg
Vitamin C
1 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
—
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: fresh red chilli, white bread.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Let the mojo stand for 30 minutes before serving so the garlic mellows.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the oil all at once — it will not emulsify and the sauce separates into oil and paste.

Serve with

  • Papas arrugadas (wrinkled potatoes)
  • Grilled meat, rabbit or fish
  • Fried cheese

Food safety

  • Raw garlic or herbs kept under oil can support botulism if left at room temperature. Refrigerate and use within the stated time; never store at room temperature.

Storage

  • Refrigerate in a jar up to 1 week; stir before serving.

Variations

  • Mojo verde (Spain): Green mojo with cilantro or parsley, green pepper, garlic, cumin, vinegar and oil — usually for fish.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 3, 4

Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sauce & Drizzle

Reviews & corrections

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