Best Chicken Mole Recipe

Oct 13, 2023

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, and you’ll end up with something very special on your dinner table. Mole (meaning “sauce” in Nahuatl) is a traditional Mexican sauce that can come in many different ways. You’ll find thousands of recipes of mole sauces out there that have different ingredients, but they will have some things in common, like dried chiles, chocolate, bread, and spices. This dish has very earthy, bittersweet, and spiced flavors making an amazing main to pair with a refreshing side. Make our Mexican rice for some grains, the best baked yuca fries to get that starch, and a salad like our black bean and corn salad, cucumber, tomato, onion salad, or a creamy and fresh avocado salad.

Ready to make this chicken dinner? Here's everything you need to know:

The 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. Just one tip though: When removing the seeds, ribs, and stems, use gloves! If you don't have gloves handy, that’s perfectly fine—just wash your hands (and under fingernails) thoroughly with lots of soap and warm water.

The bread:Bread gives the sauce thickness and body—we prefer to use French bread here, torn into pieces. When simmering, the sauce will get thicker with time. It should be able to heavily coat the back of your spoon. If it gets thicker than that, add water or chicken stock a tablespoon at a time to thin it out.

Variations:If you wanna make this for taco night, just shred the chicken, mix it with some sauce, and add some toppings, like pickled red onion or pico de gallo!

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.

Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below!

low-sodium chicken broth

orange juice

head of garlic, halved through the equator, plus 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped

bay leaves

kosher salt

(3 1/2- to 4-lb.) whole chicken, quartered

extra-virgin olive oil, divided

medium yellow onion, finely chopped

plum tomatoes, finely chopped

tomato paste

dried guajillo chiles, stems, seeds, and ribs removed

dried pasilla chiles, stems, seeds, and ribs removed

(6") corn tortillas

raw sesame seeds, plus more for serving

coriander seeds

cumin seeds

whole black peppercorns

French bread, torn into pieces (about 2 c.)

raisins

dark chocolate (90% cacao), chopped

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