Mole Sauce with Chicken

This authentic mole sauce recipe combines dried chiles, spices, nuts, seeds, and Mexican chocolate for a rich, flavorful sauce served over tender chicken. Perfect for family dinners, holidays, or special occasions, this traditional Mexican dish pairs beautifully with rice and warm tortillas.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (or 4–5 chicken leg quarters, bone-in, skin-on)
• 8 cups water (1.9 liters)
• ¼ onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon (powder or paste)

For the Mole Sauce

• 6 dried pasilla chiles
• 6 dried mulato or guajillo chiles
• 5 dried ancho chiles
• ½ cup sesame seeds (71 g), divided
• ¼ cup raw almonds (36 g)
• ¼ cup raw peanuts (36 g)
• ¼ cup raisins (37 g)
• ½ cup animal crackers (60 g)
• 1 corn tortilla
• 2 slices white bread (or French bread or bolillo roll halves)
• ½ white onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 5 whole cloves
• 5 black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ¼ teaspoon aniseed
• ¼–½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 ripe plantain (or banana), peeled and sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ teaspoons chicken bouillon paste
• 2 ounces Mexican chocolate (or semi-sweet/bittersweet chocolate), chopped
• 1–4 tablespoons brown sugar, to taste
• Reserved chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons oil or lard, plus more for frying
• Salt, to taste

Instructions

Cook the Chicken

1. In a large pot, add chicken, garlic, onion, bay leaves, bouillon, salt, oregano, and water.
2. Bring to a gentle boil and cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
3. Remove the chicken and cover to keep warm. Reserve the broth for the sauce.

Prepare the Mole Sauce

1. Toast sesame seeds: In a dry skillet over medium heat, stir constantly until golden. Set aside.
2. Toast chiles: Remove stems, veins, and seeds. Heat oil in the skillet and fry chiles for a few seconds per side (do not burn). Transfer to a saucepan with 2 cups water.
3. Pan-fry ingredients one by one: Fry peanuts, almonds, raisins, animal crackers, tortilla, and bread slices, adding each to the saucepan of water.
4. Fry onion until softened, then garlic briefly. Add both to the saucepan. Fry plantain slices until golden, then transfer to the saucepan.
5. Fry spices (cloves, peppercorns, coriander, cumin, anise, red pepper flakes) for a few seconds, then add to the saucepan.
6. Stir in oregano, cinnamon, and bouillon.

Blend and Cook the Sauce

1. Working in batches, transfer contents of the saucepan to a blender. Add enough chicken broth to blend smoothly.
2. In one batch, add ¼ cup sesame seeds. Blend each batch for several minutes until completely smooth, adding more broth as needed.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil or lard in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and strain the blended sauce into the pot, discarding solids left in the strainer.
4. Melt chocolate with some hot broth, then stir it into the sauce. Add 1 tablespoon brown sugar to start, then adjust sweetness to taste.
5. Simmer over medium-low heat for 30–60 minutes, stirring frequently. Add more broth if too thick. Adjust salt and sugar to balance flavors.

Serve

Place chicken on plates and spoon mole sauce generously over the top. Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve with Mexican rice and warm corn or flour tortillas.

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Tips

• Work in batches when blending to achieve a smooth texture.
• Toast ingredients carefully—burnt chiles or seeds will make the sauce bitter.
• Use a fine mesh strainer for the sauce to achieve a silky consistency.
• Mole sauce thickens as it cooks; add broth gradually to maintain the right balance.

Variations and Substitutions

• Protein: Use turkey, pork, or even vegetables instead of chicken.
• Chocolate: If Mexican chocolate is unavailable, substitute bittersweet chocolate with a pinch of cinnamon.
• Sweetness: Swap raisins for prunes or dried apricots.
• Nuts: Use cashews or hazelnuts instead of almonds or peanuts.

FAQs

Can mole sauce be made ahead of time?
Yes. Mole develops deeper flavors when made ahead. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Why is my mole sauce bitter?
This usually happens if the chiles or seeds were over-toasted. Fry lightly and watch carefully.

Do I need all the ingredients?
Mole is traditionally complex, but you can simplify while still achieving a rich flavor. Focus on chiles, nuts, spices, and chocolate as the foundation.

Serving Suggestions

• With Mexican rice and tortillas for a complete meal.
• As a topping for enchiladas, tamales, or burritos.
• Paired with roasted vegetables for a vegetarian option.
• Served during holidays, special occasions, or family gatherings.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This authentic mole sauce is deeply flavorful, combining smoky chiles, warm spices, nuts, seeds, and Mexican chocolate into a rich, velvety sauce. It’s the perfect centerpiece for a festive meal, versatile enough for chicken, turkey, or vegetarian dishes, and ideal for sharing with family and friends.