Here’s a classic Mexican Chicken Mole recipe — rich, savory, slightly sweet, and perfectly balanced 🌶️🍫🍗
🍗 Chicken Mole
🧾 Ingredients
Chicken
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4–6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks
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Salt & pepper, to taste
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1 Tbsp oil
Mole Sauce
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2 Tbsp vegetable oil
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1 small onion, chopped
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2–3 cloves garlic, minced
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2–3 dried ancho or pasilla chiles, seeded and stems removed
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1 small tomato, chopped
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2 Tbsp peanut butter or almond butter
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1–2 oz dark chocolate (Mexican chocolate preferred)
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1 tsp cinnamon
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½ tsp cumin
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1–2 cups chicken broth
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Salt & pepper, to taste
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Optional: pinch of cloves or allspice
🔪 Instructions
1️⃣ Cook the Chicken
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Season chicken with salt and pepper.
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Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
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Brown chicken 3–4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
2️⃣ Prepare the Mole Sauce
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Toast dried chiles in a dry skillet 1–2 minutes, just until fragrant.
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Soak chiles in hot water 15 minutes, then drain.
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In a blender, combine soaked chiles, onion, garlic, tomato, peanut butter, chocolate, cinnamon, cumin, and optional spices. Blend until smooth.
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Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan. Pour in the sauce and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3️⃣ Simmer the Chicken
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Add chicken broth to thin sauce to desired consistency.
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Return chicken to the pan, cover, and simmer 30–40 minutes until chicken is fully cooked and sauce is thickened.
4️⃣ Serve
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With Mexican rice, warm tortillas, or refried beans
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Garnish with sesame seeds or fresh cilantro
🟢 Tips
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Mole improves if made a day ahead — flavors deepen overnight.
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Adjust chocolate and chili amounts for sweeter or spicier mole.
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For a smoother sauce, strain before simmering chicken.
🔁 Variations
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Quick mole: use store-bought mole paste, thin with chicken broth
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Vegetarian: replace chicken with roasted vegetables or tofu
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Rich mole: add almonds, raisins, or extra dark chocolate
If you want, I can make a foolproof “one-pot chicken mole” recipe that’s faster but still authentic.