Recipe

Causa Limeña with Mojo Chicken and Avocado

Name: Causa Limeña with Mojo Chicken and Avocado
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 195 min
Ingredients: 450 g skinless, boneless chicken breast, in fillets 1.5 cm thick (raw weight); 60 ml sour orange juice; 1 garlic clove, grated; ¼ teaspoon cumin; ¼ teaspoon dried oregano; 15 ml cooking oil; 80 g store-bought mayonnaise; 800 g yellow or Yukon Gold potato (peeled, raw weight), in large chunks; 30 g ají amarillo paste (about 2 tablespoons); 30 ml lime juice; 30 ml neutral oil; 1 large avocado (about 200 g flesh); 20 g pitted black olives; Salt to taste (for the marinade, the potato cooking water and the seasoning); Pepper to taste

A fusion adaptation of causa limeña: yellow potato with ají amarillo, shredded mojo chicken with mayonnaise, and avocado. Served cold.

CiberCubaNovember 7, 2026

AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Preparation25 min
Cooking35 min
Total time3 h 15 min
Servings4 servings
DifficultyMedium

Causa limeña is a Peruvian dish of pressed yellow potato seasoned with ají amarillo, lime and oil. It is built in layers and served cold. This recipe is a contemporary fusion adaptation, not the exact traditional formula.

The ají amarillo potato base is kept, because it gives the dish its identity. The Cuban touch is in the filling: chicken marinated in mojo with sour orange, garlic, cumin and oregano. After it is cooked and chilled, it is shredded and mixed with mayonnaise. Sliced avocado goes between the layers.

If you live in the United States, Yukon Gold potato is a home-kitchen alternative to yellow potato. Allow about 3 hours and 15 minutes in total, following the stages consecutively as set out in the steps. The time includes the initial marinating, cooking, chilling and the final rest in the refrigerator.

Method

In a bowl, mix the sour orange juice, grated garlic, cumin, oregano and a pinch of salt. Add the chicken fillets and turn them to coat well. Cover and marinate at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
After the first 30 minutes of marinating, keep the chicken covered in the refrigerator and put the peeled potatoes in a pot with cold salted water. Boil them 20–25 minutes, until a knife slides in without resistance.
Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Set it over low heat for 1–2 minutes to let the moisture evaporate. Press them while hot with a potato ricer or a food mill; do not use a blender or mixer.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the raw marinade. Heat the 15 ml of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the fillets about 4–5 minutes per side, until the centre reaches 74 °C/165 °F on a kitchen thermometer.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Transfer the chicken to a board. When you can handle it, shred it with two forks.
Divide the pressed potato and the shredded chicken into separate shallow containers. Refrigerate them about 45 minutes, until cold. Do not leave them to cool for long on the countertop.
Mix the cold potato with the ají amarillo paste, the lime juice and the 30 ml of neutral oil. Adjust the salt and pepper. The mixture should be soft, smooth and moldable.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
In another bowl, mix the cold shredded chicken with the mayonnaise until creamy and well combined.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Slice the avocado. Use a springform pan about 20 cm in diameter and at least 6 cm tall, or four rings 10 cm in diameter and 6 cm tall set on plates. Spread a layer of potato on the base, then the avocado, then the chicken, and finish with another layer of potato. Press each layer down gently.
Cover and refrigerate at least 60 minutes so the causa firms up.
Unmold carefully, top with the black olives and serve cold.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Tips and variations

There is no substitute for ají amarillo in this recipe. Ají cachucha, bell pepper or food colouring do not give the same flavour or colour, and the causa loses its identity. Ají amarillo paste is sold in jars; look for it in the Latin foods section.

Potato: Yukon Gold is a practical alternative to yellow potato, but it is not the same variety. Weigh the potatoes peeled and raw. Press them while hot with a potato ricer or a food mill; a blender or mixer makes them gluey.

If you don't have sour orange, make the marinade with 40 ml of orange juice and 20 ml of lime juice.

Safety: always discard the raw marinade. Cook the chicken until the centre reads 74 °C/165 °F. The mayonnaise is added only once the chicken is cooked and cold. Chill the potato and chicken in the refrigerator, not on the countertop.

Storage: keep the causa covered in the refrigerator until serving. Preferably eat it within 24 hours.