Vibrant and packed with punchy flavor, these Mojo Chicken Bowls with Sweet Potato and Black Beans are a great addition to your dinner rotation. A bright mojo sauce with citrus, herbs, and garlic does double duty as a chicken marinade and a sauce to drizzle over the finished bowls. With a hearty base of roasted sweet potato and black beans plus some diced avocado, these bowls are filling and delicious.
Pack fresh flavor into these chicken bowls with a combination of orange and lime juice and plenty of citrus zest. Pile on an herb trifecta or fresh oregano, cilantro, and mint and you can't lose! The marinated chicken breasts broil up tender and so juicy you might just want to make extra for dinners later in the week.
Sweet potato and black beans are one of my favorite combinations for hearty meals. They can be flavored in all sorts of ways. Try these sweet potato enchiladas or soyrizo and sweet potato baked tacos for some new dinner options using these inexpensive staple ingredients.
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Ingredients
I include ingredient notes here when I think they'll be helpful, including ways to source, any preparation tips, or why I've chosen a particular ingredient. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and their quantities!
- Citrus - A traditional mojo sauce will use sour oranges. These are in season in tropical and subtropical regions in winter through early spring. They aren't easy to source in the Midwest, so a mix of oranges and limes is a good way to get the sweet-sour-bitter flavor profile of a sour orange.
- Olive Oil - Use a lightly flavored olive oil here, no need to tap into your extra virgin olive oil stash for the marinade or sauce.
- Herbs - Oregano is a traditional addition to mojo sauce and marinade. Cuban oregano has a more intense earthy and minty flavor than standard Greek or Mexican oregano. This recipe was developed with Greek oregano that you will find in most supermarkets. An addition of mint and cilantro fills out the herbal profile of the mojo sauce recipe.
- Garlic - Don't skip the garlic! It's an important flavor in the sauce and marinade. Simply peel and trim the cloves, they'll be going in a blender so no chopping needed.
- Sweet Potatoes - Choose three good sized sweet potatoes with smooth skin.
- Black Beans - One can of black beans that has been drained and rinsed is all you'll need for the base of the chicken bowls. If you want to stretch the recipe to feed more, add an extra can of beans.
- Chicken Breasts - Choose two large chicken breasts, about 1 ½ pounds total. If they are particularly thick, you'll want to cut them in half horizontally. This will ensure even cooking.
- Avocado - Choose a ripe but not mushy avocado to chop and top your chicken bowls.
Prepare the Marinade and Mojo Sauce
You will build one sauce that will be split into the marinade and the sauce. The sauce will have a few more ingredients but making the marinade and sauce is still simple and quick.
Zest and juice the oranges to yield ½ cup of juice and 4 teaspoons of zest. Do the same with the limes to yield 2 tablespoons of lime juice and one teaspoon of zest. Peel and trim the garlic.
Add ¼ cup olive oil, the orange juice and zest, two tablespoons of oregano leaves, the garlic, salt, and pepper to a small blender.
Blend everything until it is smooth and then pour off half of the mixture for the marinade into a small bowl. The remaining mixture will be used as a base for the mojo sauce.
To the remaining mixture, add two tablespoons of olive oil, the lime juice and zest, ¼ cup packed cilantro leaves, and two tablespoons each of oregano leaves and mint.
Blend this until smooth. Pour the sauce into a jar or bowl and store it in the refrigerator until needed.
You now have both a marinade and a sauce ready for the chicken bowls. Store both in the refrigerator until use, a jar with a tight fitting lid is great if you won't be using these right away.
Prepare the Mojo Chicken Bowls
Add the chicken breasts and the mojo marinade to a shallow dish. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least one hour and up to 6-8 hours in the refrigerator.
About 45 minutes before you are ready to cook the chicken, arrange the oven racks so that one is at the bottom and the second is about 6-8" from the broiler element. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into ½ -inch sticks. Cut these into cubes.
Add the sweet potato cubes, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the sheet pan. Toss everything together and arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer. Bake the sweet potatoes for 35 minutes in the heated oven.
Prepare a second sheet pan by lining it with foil and placing a wire rack over the foil.
After the sweet potatoes have been cooking for about 25 minutes, bring the chicken out of the refrigerator and place it on the wire rack.
After 35 minutes, take the sweet potatoes out of the oven and flip them so that the cooking is even. Put them back in the oven and switch the oven to the broil setting.
Broil the chicken for 4-5 minutes on the first side. Remove the tray from the oven, flip the chicken, and broil for 4-5 minutes on the second side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Remove the sweet potatoes and the chicken from the oven. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes. While it rests, heat the beans in the microwave, slice the avocado, and gather some fresh oregano, mint, and cilantro for garnishing the bowls.
Slice the chicken into thick or thin slices or cubes.
Build the bowls by layering sweet potatoes, black beans, and chicken. Take the mojo sauce from the fridge and give it a shake or whisk. Top the bowls with mojo sauce, herbs, and avocado before serving.
Grilling Option
If you're lucky enough to have grilling weather today, grill your chicken for an extra layer of flavor. Grill the chicken over a moderate flame for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until the internal temp reaches 165°F. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes before slicing up for extra-tasty mojo chicken bowls.
Substitutions and Variations
The substitutions listed below have been tested in this recipe and work well. If you successfully make any other ingredient substitutions, let us know in the comments!
- Bulk Up Your Bowl - Build your bowl over a helping of sazon or cilantro lime baked rice to help this recipe serve a bigger bunch or to make each bowl even more satisfying.
- Marinade Options - Use the marinade to flavor shrimp, fish, or pork. You'll only need to marinate shrimp and fish for about 30 minutes. Marinate pork chops or a pork tenderloin for 4-6 hours.
- Dried Oregano - If you don't have fresh oregano, you can substitute with dried oregano. A general rule is to use one teaspoon of dried herbs for every tablespoon of the fresh version. I would not recommend swapping fresh mint or cilantro for dried versions.
Equipment
Here are our favorite kitchen tools that make prep of these mojo chicken bowls quick and easy:
- Single-Serve Blender - A small blender is a great tool for sauces and marinades that might get lost in a larger blender pitcher. Bullet blenders or smoothie blenders are perfectly sized and offer great power for breaking down ingredients into a smooth puree. The one pictured here is a Ninja Fit. It blends the herbs, garlic, and juices into a smooth mojo sauce in a flash.
- Microplane Zester - These long wand-style graters make quick work of any citrus, Parmesan cheese, or chocolate but don't cut so deeply that you end up with bitter citrus pith. It's a great tool for the orange and lime zest in the marinade and sauce.
- Citrus Reamer - I find pressed glass reamers with a dish to catch the juice and a spout for easy pouring at the thrift store all the time. They work well and help get all the juice out of your oranges and limes.
Serving Suggestions
Build the bowls right at the table, offering extra mojo sauce, herbs, and avocados for garnish. These bowls are hearty enough all on their own! You can also serve them with a simple salad, rice side dish, or sliced mango.
Make This recipe Kid Friendly
Absolutely offer this dinner up as a DIY situation for the best chance of getting everyone to leave the table with full bellies. Roasted sweet potatoes and black beans make a perfectly good dinner all on their own, so if a kid chooses to build their bowl with those, I'm game. Offer all the options separately and add a few safe favorites, like sliced fruit or carrot sticks.
This post on keeping peace with picky eaters at your dinner table has lots of great tips to bring harmony to dinnertime.
Storage
Store all of the bowl components separately for up to three days if you have leftovers. The mojo sauce can go in a sealed jar for easy storage. Store the chicken, sweet potatoes, and black beans in airtight containers. You can reheat the beans and chicken in the microwave. For best texture, reheat the sweet potatoes in the air fryer or toaster oven. Top with a fresh handful of oregano, mint, and cilantro and your leftover lunch will be delicious.
Make-Ahead Options
This meal is a great option for meal prep dinners or lunches all week long. You can roast and broil the sweet potatoes and chicken, store them in the refrigerator, and assemble a fresh bowl right before serving. Or, you can prepare the marinade and mojo sauce and dice the sweet potatoes a day ahead and marinate the chicken on the day you plan to broil it. This will streamline the cooking process and get you from walking in the door to sitting down to dinner in no time!
FAQ
Sour oranges are also called bitter oranges, naranja agria, or Seville oranges. They have a very tart fruit and juice with a bitter peel and pith. You can find bottled sour orange juice in a good Hispanic market, but bottled juices can fall flat in flavor. We like to use a combination of navel oranges and limes to stand in for sour oranges that are hard to come by in the Midwest. Sour oranges are important in Cuban and Latin American cuisine and are also the type of orange used in marmalades.
This mojo marinade can make humble chicken breasts flavorful and juicy. You can absolutely swap other chicken cuts in these chicken bowls. Chicken thighs will always be my favorite option, they are so moist and they char very well under the broiler or on the grill. You can also use chicken tenderloins, but watch cooking times for these as they cook very quickly.
More Tasty Dinner Bowls
We love a dinner bowl where you can customize each serving with plenty of fresh and savory toppings. Here are some other great options to add to your rotation:
Pairing Ideas
These mojo chicken bowls check all the dinner boxes, but if you want to add a side dish, here are some of our favorites:
Try It and Share
I hope you try these Mojo Chicken Bowls with Sweet Potato and Black Beans and enjoy the recipe as much as we do. I want to see your results! Tag your photo with #planeatpostrepeat and mention me @planeatpostrepeat on Instagram or Facebook. I can give you a virtual high five and thank you for cooking one of my recipes! Comment below with any questions and please leave a review so others can find this recipe more easily.
This post was originally titled Sweet Potato and Black Bean Bowls with Chicken and Citrus Herb Sauce. The post was updated in August 2026 to change the title, modify the marinade and sauce recipes, add extensive preparation details and step-by-step photos, and add additional post structure for easy navigation. The recipe was changed from the original May 2020 version.
Recipe
Mojo Chicken Bowls with Sweet Potato and Black Beans
Ingredients
Marinade and Sauce
- 6 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
- 4 teaspoon orange zest
- ½ cup orange juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoon oregano leaves (packed, divided)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (ground)
- 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ cup cilantro (leaves and stems, packed)
- 2 tablespoon mint leaves (packed)
Mojo Chicken Bowls
- 24 oz chicken breasts
- 3 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (ground)
- 15 oz. black beans (canned, rinsed and drained)
- 1 avocado
- oregano, mint, and cilantro leaves (for garnish)
Instructions
Prepare the Marinade and Mojo Sauce
- Zest and juice the oranges and limes so that you end up with 4 teaspoons of orange zest, one teaspoon of lime zest, ½ cup of orange juice, and two tablespoons of lime juice.
- Peel and trim the garlic cloves. Add the garlic, orange juice and zest, two tablespoons of oregano leaves, ¼ cup olive oil, salt, and pepper to a small blender. Blend until smooth
- Pour half of this mixture into a small bowl. This will be the chicken marinade.
- To the remaining mixture in the blender, add two tablespoons of olive oil, the lime juice and zest, cilantro leaves, and two tablespoons each of oregano and mint. Blend this until smooth. This will be your mojo sauce.
- Refrigerate both the marinade and the mojo sauce until you are ready to use them.
Prepare the Mojo Chicken Bowls
- Pour the chicken marinade into a shallow bowl large enough to hold your chicken pieces. Add the chicken, turn to coat, then cover and marinade in the refrigerator for at least one hour and up to eight hours.
- About 45 before you are ready to cook the chicken, arrange your oven racks so that one is at the bottom and another is about 6 inches from the broiler element. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into ½-inch sticks and then into cubes. Transfer them to the parchment-lined sheet pan and toss them with two tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Bake the sweet potatoes for 35 minutes on the bottom rack.
- While the sweet potatoes cook, prepare a second sheet pan by lining it with foil and placing a cooling rack over the foil. After the sweet potatoes have been cooking for 25 minutes, bring the chicken out of the refrigerator and place it over the wire rack to warm for 10 minutes. Discard the marinade.
- After 35 minutes, take the sweet potatoes form the oven, flip them over and place them back in the oven. Switch the oven to the broiler function.
- Add the chicken to the top shelf and broil it for 4-5 minutes. Remove the pan, flip the chicken, and return it to the broiler. Cook it on the second side for 4-5 minutes, or until the chicken is lightly charred and has reached 165°F.
- Remove the chicken and sweet potatoes form the oven. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes. While the chicken rests, heat the beans in the microwave, slice the avocado, and chop any additional herbs you want for garnish.
- Slice the chicken into your desired sized pieces. Assemble the bowls by adding sweet potatoes, chicken, and black beans to the bowls and then topping with the mojo sauce, avocado, and herbs.
Nutrition facts are sometimes provided below and are calculated using an online calculator. With specific brands of ingredients and additions, omissions, or substitutions the nutrition facts may change. We encourage you to use your own nutrition facts calculator to obtain the most accurate nutrition facts for your meal.
Cassie Waltman says
These bowls bring bright flavor and color, perfect for meal all year round.