THIS CHICKEN MOLE IS WAY EASIER THAN IT SOUNDS BUT YOUR GUESTS DON'T HAVE TO KNOW

Mole (meaning “sauce” in Nahuatl) is a traditional Mexican sauce from the Oaxaca and Puebla regions that can come in many different ways. Pollo mole is a dish that may be easily intimidating with its infamous long list of ingredients, but the truth is it’s very straightforward, super delicious, and feels extremely special. You’ll find thousands of recipes for mole sauces out there that have different ingredients, but they all have certain ones in common, such as dried chiles, chocolate, bread, and spices. This chicken mole recipe has very earthy, bittersweet, and layered flavors, which make it an impressive centerpiece for any Sunday dinner.

How To Make Chicken Mole

INGREDIENTS

• Low-Sodium Chicken Broth: Chicken broth is the base of the liquid that is used to braise the chicken. Low-sodium is important so that you can control the levels of salt in this dish!
• Orange Juice: Orange juice adds a touch of sweetness and flavor to the braising liquid.
• Garlic: Garlic is used both in the braising liquid and in the base of the sauce for this dish—layers and layers of umami.
• Bay Leaves: Bay leaves infuse the braising liquid with a subtle, earthy, and slightly woody flavor that balances the intense spices and chocolate.
• Whole Chicken, Quartered: Using a whole, bone-in chicken gives the sauce so much depth of flavor from all the collagen in the bones! Also, this way, everyone gets their preferred cut of meat.
• Yellow Onion: Yellow onion is slightly sweet, which adds to the different layers of sweetness in mole sauce.
• Plum Tomatoes: Plum tomatoes provide body, moisture, and a touch of acidity to this otherwise rich and savory dish. The tomatoes help it feel balanced in both flavor and texture.
• Tomato Paste: Tomato paste gives a concentrated tomato flavor to the sauce that helps to balance the richness and bitterness from the chocolate and other spices.
• Guajillo and Pasilla Chiles: There’s a large variety of chiles out there, but for this recipe, we’re using guajillo and pasilla. These will have their seeds, ribs, and stems removed to control the amount of heat going into the dish. If you want more of a kick, just leave some of them in, and you’ll definitely get what you’re looking for.
• Corn Tortillas: Corn tortillas are traditionally used in mole for their robust and earthy flavor, which balances the savory-sweet balance in the sauce.
• Sesame Seeds: Sesame seeds add a complex and nutty flavor that brings even more richness to this sauce.
• Coriander and Cumin Seeds: Coriander provides a slightly citrusy and floral note that brightens the heavier ingredients, while cumin offers an earthy backbone to the dish that is essential to the sauce.
• Black Peppercorns: Using whole black peppercorns ensures that you get the full pepper flavor in the sauce.
• French Bread: Bread will give you the sauce thickness and body you’re looking for—we prefer to use French bread here, torn into pieces.
• Raisins: Raisins are traditional in chicken mole and add a natural sweetness to the sauce that balances all the heat from the dried chiles.
• Dark Chocolate (90%): Using dark chocolate in a mole sauce is a tradition that goes back centuries. Use 90% dark chocolate so as not to add too much sugar to your sauce. Dark chocolate acts as a bridge between the savory, spicy chiles and the rich nuts and spices.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Start your chicken mole by cooking your chicken! Bring a pot with the stock, orange juice, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and water to a boil. Add the chicken and bring to a simmer until the chicken is fully cooked through (about 10 minutes, or whenever the chicken reaches an internal temp of 160º). Use tongs to transfer the chicken to a plate, then drain the braising liquid. Keep the rest of the liquid and discard any solids.

Next, it’s time to start your sauce! Cook the onion and garlic in a pan over medium-low heat in olive oil until soft and translucent. This will take about 10 minutes, so be patient! Add tomatoes and keep cooking for another 10 minutes, mashing down on them every so often so that they get softened and start to break apart. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more. Blend this entire mixture until completely smooth and transfer to a bowl.

Now for the chiles, spices, and bread: Toast the chiles with olive oil in a pan on the stove, turning occasionally, until they’re lightly browned. Watch out because chiles will burn fast if left unattended! Next, toast the tortillas for about 1 minute per side until they look dark brown (darker than you normally would toast them!). Remove the tortillas and toast your spices in the same pan, stirring constantly for about 1 minute until they are very fragrant.

In the same bowl as the chiles, tortillas, and spices, add the bread, raisins, and the stock from the very first step, then stir together in a large bowl. Let this mixture sit for about 10 minutes before adding it to a blender and blending on high for about 3 minutes, until it’s completely smooth.

Now to put it all together! Add the sauce, chocolate, tomato mixture, and chicken to a large pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes so that the sauce has thickened, the chocolate is melted, and the chicken is warm all the way through. Top with more sesame seeds before serving!

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Storage

This sauce is perfect for making ahead and making a big batch. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the refrigerator or microwave.

Related Video: Chicken Enchiladas

Yields: 8 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 c. low-sodium chicken stock or broth
• 2 c. orange juice
• 1 head of garlic, halved through the equator, plus 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp. kosher salt
• 1 (3 1/2- to 4-lb.) whole chicken, quartered
• 4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 plum tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 6 dried guajillo chiles, stems, seeds, and ribs removed
• 3 dried pasilla chiles, stems, seeds, and ribs removed
• 2 (6") corn tortillas
• 3 tbsp. raw sesame seeds, plus more for serving
• 1 tsp. coriander seeds
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
• 1 oz. French bread, torn into pieces (about 2 cups)
• 1/4 c. raisins
• 2 oz. dark chocolate (90% cacao), chopped

Directions

1. In a large pot over high heat, bring stock, orange juice, head of garlic, bay leaves, salt, and 2 cups water to a boil. Add chicken, reduce heat to medium-low, and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of chicken registers 160°, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl; discard solids.
2. Meanwhile, in a large shallow pan over medium-low heat, heat 2 Tbsp. oil. Add onion and chopped garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and softened, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and increase heat to medium. Cook, mashing down on tomatoes, until softened and almost smooth, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until brick red, about 1 minute more. Let cool slightly.
3. Transfer tomato mixture to a blender. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a medium bowl; wipe out blender.
4. In same pan over medium-high heat, heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil. Toast chiles, turning occasionally, until browned, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl.
5. In same pan over medium-high heat, toast tortillas, turning once, until dark brown, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to same bowl.
6. In same pan over medium-high heat, toast sesame seeds, coriander, cumin, and black pepper, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to same bowl.
7. Add bread, raisins, and 4 cups stock to bowl and stir to combine. Let sit 10 minutes. Transfer to blender and blend on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.
8. Transfer sauce, chocolate, tomato mixture, and chicken to a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low to bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, chocolate is melted, and chicken is warmed through, about 15 minutes.
9. Divide chicken among plates. Spoon sauce over. Top with sesame seeds.

2026-05-11T12:32:26Z