Red and Green Canarian Mojo Sauce Recipes

If you've ever visited the Canary Islands and tried the local food, you've almost certainly had papas arrugadas con mojo. Or to put it in English, Canarian potatoes with mojo sauce. Red mojo and green mojo are iconic throughout the Canaries and make what would otherwise be rather plain salted boiled potatoes beyond delicious. You can recreate the classic Canarian dish at home with this mojo sauce recipe!

Although this mojo sauce recipe goes great with Canarian potatoes (here's my recipe to make your own!) you can use it on absolutely anything. It makes any meat, fish, seafood or vegetable dish taste gorgeous. Feel free to dollop it on everything in sight or just stick your spoon in the jar and enjoy!

Red and green mojo sauces with a whole wheat baguette

A plate of Canarian potatoes with a duo of mojo sauces will set you back less than €5 in most Canarian restaurants. But a tiny jar of mojo sauce can easily cost upwards of that in a supermarket or at the airport. And there's no way a tiny jar of the amazing sauce is going to last more than a week. It definitely wouldn't in my house, anyway!

So what's the solution? Fly to the Canary Islands every week so you can satisfy your mojo sauce addiction? Pay a small fortune to buy mojo sauce online? Nope! The best way is to use this mojo sauce recipe to make your own at home whenever you feel like it. The ingredients are simple and cheap, the recipe is easy and fast, and the results are just as good (if not better!) than any mojo sauces you've tried in restaurants in the Canary Islands.

A nutribullet used in the blending process of the mojo sauce recipe

How do I know all this? Because I've lived in Tenerife for more than half my life. During this time, I've worked in plenty of restaurants where I've had the unique opportunity to peek behind the scenes and see exactly what makes homemade mojo sauce so flavoursome and moreish.

Before we go any further, I just want to say there isn't one definitive mojo sauce recipe. Each chef has their own favourite recipes and these ones are mine. So yes, they might be different to what you've had, but they're mouth-wateringly good, nonetheless!

Red and green mojo sauces with a whole wheat baguette

Feel free to tweak the ingredients in this mojo sauce recipe to make them better suited to your tastes. The green mojo sauce is cool and smooth, while the red mojo sauce has just the right amount of heat. Don't worry if you don't like spicy food. Just leave the chillies out of the recipe and you'll be fine.

You can use any blender to make this mojo sauce recipe. But I've had much better results since I started using my Nutribullet. This super-powerful blender breaks down the ingredients for these mojo sauces better than any blender I've ever used, resulting in really smooth and delicious mojo sauces in literally seconds. So if you plan on making your own mojo sauces at home on a regular basis, I'd definitely recommend you get one. It will pay for itself in no time!

Ramekins with red and green mojo from the mojo sauce recipe

📖 Recipe

Red and Green Canarian Mojo Sauce Recipe| www.happyhealthymotivated.com

Red and Green Canarian Mojo Sauces

4.94 from 16 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Canarian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Green Mojo Sauce

  • 2 large green bell peppers roughly chopped
  • ½ cup fresh chopped coriander or parsley
  • 4 cloves of garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 slice of bread torn into small pieces

Red Mojo Sauce

  • 2 large red bell peppers roughly chopped
  • 6 cloves of garlic minced
  • 4 small chillies chopped
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 slice of bread torn into small pieces

Instructions

  • Place all the ingredients for the green mojo sauce or red mojo sauce into your blender or Nutribullet and blend until everything is thoroughly broken down and you've got a thick sauce. If you're using a blender, you might have to give it a bit of a shake to move the ingredients around before they'll blend properly.
  • Pour the mojo sauce into a sterilised jar and keep in the fridge for up to two months.

About Nicola

I’m Nicola, the face behind Happy Healthy Motivated – your go-to guide to becoming your best you!
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  1. Angela at A Typical English Home

    Oh yum, thanks for sharing the recipes. Pinning this post!

    • Samantha

      I love canarian potatoes with mojo sauce, I eat them frequently when we are in lanzarote and as a vegan they are a go to starter. I never thought of making them at home, I thought I would be complicated until I found this recipe and gave it a bash. Oh my life this recipe is spot on and it makes so much sauce I had quite a bit left over so froze it (it was quickly unfrozen as my goddaughter pinched it!!) Give it a try you will not be disappointed x

  2. Johnny

    Lovely post...Love this blog

    • Anita Love

      Love blog , ive stayed in las palmas with my daughters grandparents, ive watched how mojo sauce was made , i got told every family have there own way of making it. Your red pepper reciept needs a tweek lol . You havent added tomatos (skinned)...never saw bread put in it ??

      • Steve Lees

        My friend (whom is a 73 year old Canarian burst out laughing when he read your comments. He always includes bread and never includes tomatoes. He showed me several canarian recipes non of which do.

  3. Carolyn

    Those look delicious. I can't wait to try them.

  4. Lacey

    I am totally pinning these for later. They look sooooo yummy. I bet they make great dips not just for potatoes, but other veggies as well!

  5. Trish @ Uncommon

    They both look incredible! Thanks for sharing with us this week at Monday Funday!

    Take care,

    Trish

  6. Bex

    Just flown home and I'm already missing my mojo haha.....the jarred ones just aren't the same! Trying this tonight thank you!

  7. Bex

    I had to comment again after trying the green. It's really is the best I've ever tried! And I've tried some serious mojo! Muchas gracias 🙂

  8. Steve

    Hi Guys,

    Just a quick one - if i make up a batch of this, how long would it last before it went off in the fridge thanks

    • Nicola Quinn

      Hi Steve,
      I've kept these sauces in the fridge for up to one month and they've been great 🙂

      Thanks,
      Nicky

  9. Thea

    hi I've been craving these sauces since i came back in October.
    quick question, red or green chilies for the red or sauce? x
    Thea x

    • Nicola Quinn

      Hi Thea!
      Thanks for stopping by 🙂
      I used red chillies in the red mojo sauce.

  10. Nigel Davies

    Can you freeze these sauces?

    • Nicola Quinn

      Hi Nigel,
      Thanks for stopping by.
      I've never tried to freeze the sauces myself, but I don't see why not.

      Nicky

      • Nigel Davies

        Will give it a try,let you know what happens

  11. Blotchie

    Just back from tenerife and having mojo with-drawals. Are tomatoes part ot the mix for the red version? Thanks Blo'tchie

  12. Nicola Quinn

    Hi Blotchie,
    Hope you enjoyed your holiday in Tenerife and glad you got to try some local food! 🙂

    Some people use tomatoes in the red mojo, but I never have. I'd suggest making the recipe as it is above and if you think it needs more of a tomato flavour, throw it back into the blender with 1 medium-sized tomato cut into pieces with the seeds remove. Blend until the mojo is smooth and try that out.

    Hope this helps and thanks for stopping by,
    Nicky

  13. Michael King

    Hi,

    I was recently in Tenerife and loved both sauces when eating my dinner. I bought a jar of each at the airport. Is it only potatoes that the sauces go with or are there other foods you can have them with? Also, can you use the sauces while cooking foods such as steaks?

    Thanks

    Michael

    • Nicola Quinn

      Hi Michael,
      Thanks for stopping by!
      The mojo sauces go with absolutely everything and anything - from vegetables to meat and fish!
      I can't say I've ever tried cooking with them, but I imagine if you brushed some of the sauce onto the steaks and then cooked them in a frying pan, they would work out wonderfully and taste amazing.

  14. Bob barbour

    Hi Nicky,

    Just back from Tenerife, as my siter lives their so freebie holidays are a must. Got to say i may consider buying your book in the future as my wife and i just love it there. Just about to get the ingriedients to make mojo sauce to your recipe. Will let yo know how i get on.
    Thanking you.

    Bob

    • Nicola Quinn

      Hi Bob,
      I wouldn't pass up a freebie holiday myself, either!
      I hope you love the sauces as much as I do and thanks so much for the interest of the book! 🙂

  15. Scott Hatwood

    As Gary Barlow would say "Absolutely fan-tas-tic". I'm able to relive my recent holiday in Fuertaventura! Just made a batch of both red (for potatoes) and the green (for fish etc..). I did a couple of minor adjustments. Only one tblspoon of red wine vinegar, and one less clove of garlic in each and a pinch of sugar. I found that the red sauce needed half a slice of bread more to thicken it up. But.... this is a very cheap receipt that is fun to produce, easy and tasty. In fact, my sauce is now almost as hot as you are Nicola! lols. Thanks for this, will be making it regularly I can see from now on.

    • Nicola Quinn

      So glad you liked my recipe, Scott! I normally change the ingredient quantities according to what I have on hand - good job on changing it to suit your personal tastes, too. 🙂 Glad I could help you relive your recent Fuerteventura holiday!

  16. Sue

    Wow at last mojo at home bit hit and miss with the first try added a bit extra spice hey presto muy bien xx

    • Nicola Quinn

      Glad your second try worked out well for you, Sue! 🙂

  17. Mira Herman

    just spending my last few days in Tenerife and have been searching for a recipe for mojo sauce. So grateful to find you post. Thank you! Can't wait to make it at home! Would it work with gluten free bread?

    • Nicola Quinn

      Although I've never tried it with gluten-free bread myself, Mira, I'm sure the recipe would work out just the same. 🙂

  18. Pam

    Hi Nicola
    Have just returned from La Gomera and like your other followers, want to make mojo! I'm curious about the bread though. Do you mean to add this to the ingredients or to dip in it and eat? In La Gomera, it always arrived with bread as a starter.

    • Nicola Quinn

      Hi Pam! The bread in the ingredients list should be thrown into the blender along with everything else - it's what thickens up the mojo 🙂

  19. Christine

    Thank you for posting this recipe! I lived on Gran Canaria for several years and I love love love the red mojo. The only thing I was missing was the 2 red bell peppers on my recipe so I haven't made it in a very long time. Thanks again for filling in the blanks for me!

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  21. Alison

    Hi I have tried your red and green mojo sauce recipe and come back on to make some more but the recipe is not coming up please could you send it me

      • Alison

        Thank you so much for that this is the best mojo sauce I have tasted I will look forward to trying some of your other recipes.

        • Nicola

          I'm so happy to hear you love it! 🙂

  22. Nicola ward

    Hi what can I use as a vinegar substitute? I'm unable to have vinegar or alcohol in my diet

    • Nicola

      Hi Nicola! You could try using lemon or lime juice instead.

  23. Kevin

    I have visited Tenrife on many occasions as my parents had a timeshare in Fanabe, so it was just a cheap flight down there. Sadly I haven't been since 2013 for various reasons.
    I found myself missing the red mojo sauce which I fondly remembered from most places on the island but particularly from Otelo on the beach and also on top of the hill in Adeje.
    This recipe has brought it all flooding back, frequent trips up the mountain, walking the shoreline, watching the crazy dudes paragliding off the hills, being quite convinced that La Gomera moves and having a sing a long at the Moonlight bar.
    Thank you for bringing it all back with this simple and versatile recipe which goes with anything and everything and is the best mojo I have ever tasted.

    • Nicola

      It sounds like you've got such wonderful memories of Tenerife, Kevin! So happy my recipe could bring them back. You'll have to re-visit the island and re-live all your memories again soon 🙂

  24. Cindy Gordon

    Wow, these sauces look amazing! This flavor profile is exactly what my husband and I LOVE in our recipes! Can't wait to try!

    • Nicola

      Thanks, Cindy! I'm sure you'll love them 🙂

  25. Michelle @ Vitamin Sunshine

    I love healthy flavorful sauces like these-- and it does look so simple to make. Pinning to try!

    • Nicola

      They really are super easy. Throw everything into a blender and you're done!

      • Jeni

        Can I just use tomatoes instead of bread for the red one a d can you use any bread like the ones with olives or sun-dried tomatoes..I want to make them at weekend

        • Nicola

          Hi Jeni! The bread is used to thicken the sauce up. You can skip it, it just means the sauce will be thinner. And yep, you can use any kind of bread 🙂

  26. Camilla Hawkins

    I've never come across these mojo sauces before so would really like to try:-)

    • Nicola

      I'm sure you'll love them, Camilla!

  27. Tara

    Yum! I have never been to the Canary Islands, but definitely want to go now just to try this sauce! Will definitely need to try this soon.

    • Nicola

      You can totally bring a taste of the islands to your own home with these recipes! 😀

  28. Michael

    Made both of these with superb results, thanks. I added a teaspoon of sugar to the green sauce as it was slightly sharp initially. Thanks again!

    • Nicola

      I'm so glad you enjoyed them Michael! 🙂

  29. Stine

    Oh, This is good stuff. I just made a batch and just want to eat it with a spoon... buuuuuut I have to wait until my canary potatoes are done.

    • Nicola

      I'm so glad you like it, Stine! 😀

  30. Jacqui

    Wow! Just tried the red mojo sauce- it tastes EXACTLY the same as I enjoyed in Lanzarote! Had it with sea bass, Canarian potatoes and roasted veg- mmmmm! Will the green next time. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes 🙂

    • Nicola

      Thanks so much for your kind words, Jacqui! I'm so glad I was able to help you relive your delicious memories of Lanzarote! 🙂

  31. Josephine Smith

    I've made these several times using this fab recipe, thanks so much!

    • Nicola

      Hi Josephine,
      I'm so happy you like my mojo recipes! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

  32. Jane

    I made both of these mojo dips exactly as described in the recipe. They were both absolutely amazing and really are authentic in taste. Thank you for sharing.

  33. Graham

    Well, it's nearly 2 years into Covid lockdown and not being able to travel freely and easily from the UK. I do miss my annual pre-Xmas trip to Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife and I really miss mojo!!

    Anyway, I've just followed the recipe for the green one and have to say it's great and really does taste lovely. I had to tweak a bit as my green bell peppers were on the small side so I used three. On the other hand, my garlic cloves were very large so I used 2 of those. Everything else was exactly as per the recipe. I don't have a nutri-blend type gadget so threw everything into a food processor for a few mins to get the initial fine chopping done and then put it all in a traditional upright blender to do the smooth blend. Made a bit of washing up to do but well worth it.

    I'm not worried about the mojo keeping for up to 2 months - it tastes so nice it will most likely all be used within 2 weeks (if not sooner).

    And then I can make the red version...

    • Nicola

      I'm so glad you liked my recipe, Graham! Maybe this year you'll get to do your pre-Christmas trip 🙂

  34. Dale

    I stayed in Tenerife a month years ago with my kids. I've tried sooo many recipes this was perfect. I made a jar last night it's gone already. Thee best version I've come across. Thank you thank you!! Making more tonight!

    • Nicola

      Thank you so much for your kind words, Dale! I'm so glad you like it 🙂

  35. Andrew

    Made these for a BBQ yesterday. Love both sauces after visiting Lanzarote pretty frequently.

    This recipe is absolute class! Thank you so much. I took some artistic licence and roasted the peppers and a whole head of garlic prior to blending...it was delicious. Might try raw next time and see how different it is. The bread really works!!

    Thanks for sharing this one 🙂

    • Nicola

      Roasting the peppers and garlic? That sounds incredible! I'm definitely going to do that myself next time, too!

  36. Stephen K

    Having been on annual holidays to the canaries most of our lives I can confirm that this recipe is amazing! My brother in law said he could happily eat this with every meal! I'm making a batch this morning to take to a bbq for fathers day.

  37. James Law

    Frequent visitor to Tenerife love these sauces love this recipe very authentic prepared this many times at home great every time

  38. Stephanie

    I lived in the Canaries for a year (Gran Canaria) and have tried different mojo recipes (red). This recipe is GREAT. I made happy noises when I ate it. I roasted the garlic and red peppers, skipped the chiles, put only 1 tsp (not 2) of kosher salt, only 1 TBS (not 2) of red wine vinegar (it's always such a strong taste, I figure I can add more if needed), and only 1/2 tsp (not 1 tsp) of cumin. It was DELICIOUS. My wife thought it was still too salty so I added a small/medium tomato in it and it remained delicious! Wife said it was still a little too salty, but she still kept spooning it into her mouth. Thank you! I bookmarked the recipe!

  39. Stephanie

    Whoops, forgot to put a rating on it. I gave it 5 stars because it's such a good base recipe for people to tweak it according to their tastes...

  40. Olga

    I followed this recipe twice, it’s great every time! Thank you!

  41. Fiona

    We have just returned from Lanzarote and really enjoyed this sauce on our holiday. Made both today and both are delicious.
    Thank you for sharing this recipe!

    • Fiona

      5 ⭐️

  42. Jem

    I just wanted to say that this has been my and my husband’s go-to recipe for mojo for years, one that we’ve made for ourselves, for parties and to gift to friends and family and it always turns out great!

    Thank you!

    Jem

  43. Vic

    Hey! Thanks for the recipe, I’ve tried it and it feels like it tastes a lot of raw garlic which the ones we tried in Canary Islands didn’t, am I doing something wrong? Thanks!!