Mexico’s Most Famous Sauce
If you are lucky enough to live near a market where you can buy mole paste in bulk, you are in luck. You can take a culinary tour of Mexico without leaving home. Mole, a generic term for smooth sauces made from dried chiles, comes in countless regional variations.
The most famous is mole poblano from the city of Puebla which most people know as the “chocolate sauce.” A common misconception is that mole must contain chocolate. Most don’t.
There are red moles, yellow and black moles from the state of Oaxaca, green moles from Veracruz, and Querétaro. There are state moles like mole Michoacana from the state of Michoacán and mole Guanajuato from the state of Guanajuato. Try as many as you can.
Store-bought mole will save you a tremendous amount of time, although preparing mole from scratch is well worth the effort. Many mole pastes are imported from Mexico and have an authentic taste. If you are unable to find mole paste in bulk, you can also buy mole paste in a jar. Check the Hispanic section of your supermarket.
How Much Paste to Buy?
1 cup of mole paste will make about 4 cups of sauce once you have added liquid which is enough for 4 to 6 servings.
How to Prepare
Preparation is very simple. Start by adding the mole paste to your pot to reconstitute.
Pour in triple the amount of liquid, chicken broth, or water. If you have 1 cup of mole paste, you will add 3 cups of liquid. You will be adding the remaining liquid during the cooking process.
Break up the paste.
Stir continually. The paste will start absorbing the liquid.
Simmer for 20 minutes. Keep stirring. The mole will continue to absorb water. Add ¼ cup liquid as needed if the mole is becoming too thick. Mole should be on the thick side. It shouldn’t be runny.
How to Use Mole
Mole is commonly served with chicken in a dish called pollo en mole. It is also served with enmoladas which are enchiladas prepared with mole instead of salsa. It may sound strange, but you should try scrambled eggs with mole. You will be surprised by how good it is.
In the picture, we are preparing cheese enchiladas with mole poblano. Try making them with our red enchilada sauce.
Storing
Prepared mole will last for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. You can prepare it in advance to keep on hand.
Seve says
Can bulk mole be frozen
Bruno says
Mole paste can be frozen.
Carol Taylor says
Thank you, Douglas, for a very informative post on Mole which I have never tasted before and yes I did think it was chocolate I now know different… I will definitely be giving it a try :)
Fabiola Rodriguez says
The other day I made cauliflower fritters (because of Lent) which my husband hates, but I decided to bathe them in mole sauce and even my husband loved them! Mole definitely makes everything better.
Susan says
I live right on the Mexican border, and most of our population is Mexican, but I have never seen bulk mole. I will have to check out the one market where I think I might find it. You have given me a great idea for using mole poblano: a dipping sauce of the quesadillas I make with Oaxaca cheese… Yum!
Douglas Cullen says
The dipping sauce sounds great. Mole makes everything better. Glad we gave you some inspiration! Cheers!
Robert Sugg says
Sources for mole paste?
FRANK MICHELI says
for making pico degiao. how do i remove the excess water from the tomatoes
Bruno says
Pico de Gallo. Cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze them cut side down over the sink.
Karla Forgaard-Pullen says
YOu can also cut them lengthwise and push out the juice and seeds with a spoon.
Gayle Rollins bennett says
My husband used to say he would eat a tennis shoe if it had mile on it.
Diana Araiza says
Why does the mole get too thick the next day
J Sharp says
Just thin it out with some water or broth. Follow the instruction that says it should remain thick but not too thick. Some of the ingredients continue to absorb moisture as it sits, plus fat congeals when it gets cold. So the mole will thin somewhat just with heat, but probably requires a little liquid to reconstitute properly.
Crevel Europe says
I love your site. My thanks for sharing such a good post. I was looking for thoughts on this topic last Thursday. I will come back to read more and inform my coworkers about your site.
Jackie says
I bought bulk mole in Guadalajara and they told me it would last unrefrigerated for six months. One of your posts says three days so I’m confused. I’ve already had this mole 3 weeks and it’s just fine. Could it be a different process or am I endangering my family by keeping this?
Kris says
He said “prepared mole” sauce which is after you have added liquid and cooked it. He wasn’t speaking of the paste which lasts longer.
Sylvia says
Mole as a cauliflower sounds delicious.
I found bulk mole in DTLA at the old central market on broadway. But not sure if they are closed with the Covid 19
Douglas says
Grand Central market was open and bought some mole paste as of 1/29/21. About 6-8 varieties
Joseph Scott says
I have been mixing ‘Dona Maria -mole verde- ‘ and adding chipotle peppers and various Asian sauces for flavor and adding nutritional yeast to make a pasta or stirfry sauce. makes a very creamy sensation. more experiments to come. I’m sure there are tons of uses for this. glad I found it.
Carole Fontana says
What a wonderful site google led me to!
I just returned from CDMX with two beautiful moles. Can you please tell me what the shelf life is? Should it be refrigerated? Can it be frozen?
Thank you
Jessica says
I brought home mole paste from Mexico and froze it. Was fine!
Adam says
I also will add some mole to my fajita as I cook with nopal. I add the water and juice from the nopales in the pan after the meat is seared…. Its a little twist with a tasty result.
Carol Bible says
Is there a mole paste that doesn’t have horrible unhealthy ingredients? It has every color dye and palm oil!
John T says
Juquilita brand does not contain any artificial dyes or flavors, and is made with canola oil.
J says
Garage article, doesn’t do what the title says.
Yo mama says
You’re garbage.
Rebecca Fox says
Question: Do I cook chicken in the mole sauce or separately? (I brought mole paste home from Oaxaca, and will prepare the sauce as per your helpful instructions above.). Thanks!
Betty Rubble says
Is there a Mexican brand that you can recommend? That would be very helpful. It is difficult to shop without guidance. One chi-chi cooking show sells mole poblano on their website for $22 for a 10oz jar, plus shipping. HEB has an 8oz jar of Dona Maria for $4. It took ten minutes to root around to find the ingredients for Dona Maria’s mole, and the first two ingredients are soybean oil and crackers. So that’s a no. Thank you in advance.
Nicki says
$22 gosh that’s high. In Oaxaca you can get a kilo for around $6 (serves 20 people) haha. I guess import fees and whatever. I’m in Oaxaca so I can’t answer your question as I just go to the market and they are all natural here.
Cristina Rios Adams says
I love Mole Sauce on Tamales! Yum!!!
Albert Garcia says
Can you use mole sauce on shrimp!!!