Mole Poblano

Authentic Mole Poblano with Chicken

Mole Poblano is a thick, rich red or brown sauce made with chilis, fruit, nuts, seeds and Mexican chocolate. While there are many different types of mole made throughout Mexico, mole poblano hails from Puebla, a region famous for its culinary delights, colonial architecture and Talavera pottery. 

Frequently served during Mexican celebrations, you can bring the flavors of this classic dish into your home by following our step-by-step mole poblano recipe.  

What to Expect from This Recipe

The sweet and spicy flavors in mole poblano are a perfect combination to serve over all kinds of dishes, including chicken, beef and even enchiladas (also called enmoladas). While this mole poblano recipe takes a little longer to make than other Mexican dishes, it’s well worth the wait. And there’s minimal chopping involved!

You’ll start by boiling the chicken. Next, you’ll make the mole sauce. After preparing the chilis and chopping the onions and bread, you’ll alternate frying and draining the ingredients in the lard. Then you’ll toast the seeds and spices, blend it all up, and spoon over your chicken! 

Note: If you’re pressed for time and have a Mexican market near you, you can always work with a store-bought mole paste. But be sure to give this recipe a try when you have more time. There’s nothing like homemade!

Learn How to Make Mole Poblano

Ingredients 

For the Chicken

• 1 chicken cut into pieces
• 8 cups of water

For the Mole Sauce

• 1 corn tortilla
• 1 slice of day-old bread
• 1 ½ cup dried chilies (ancho, mulato, pasilla) lightly fried in oil
• 1 small white onion
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup peanuts
• 1 cup almonds
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds
• ½ cup sesame seeds
• ¼ tsp coriander seeds
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves, whole
• 3 large black peppercorns, or 5 small
• 1 disc of Mexican table chocolate
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 3 ½ tbsp vegetable or pork lard
• 2 tbsp salt

* The amount of salt listed here is only a suggestion. Many times you’ll need to add more salt — a little at a time until you get just the right flavor.

Prepare the Chicken

Place the chicken into a large cooking pot and pour in water to cover the chicken about an inch.

Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the heat and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until no longer pink inside.

Make the Mole Sauce

Fry the Chilis

Before we blend the chilis, we lightly fry them in lard to make sure they don’t taste bitter. First, cut the tops off the dried chilis, and remove the seeds and veins.

Place a large pot over medium-high heat. A clay pot will give you the best flavor, but if you don’t have one, just use any large pot. Add 2 tablespoons of lard to the pot.

Wait for the lard to melt.

Add the dried chilis to the pot in batches. You may see some of the chile seeds you missed release into the oil.

Cook over medium heat for about a minute, drain and reserve the chilis.

Blend the Chili Purée

Add the fried chilis to the blender or food processor.

Set the blender on purée and blend the chilis into a paste.

Periodically press the chilis down into the blender to ensure a smooth paste.

Your chili paste should be a deep red color with a nice, smooth consistency.

Fry the Nuts and Seeds

Heat the same large pot over medium-high heat and add another tablespoon of lard.

Once melted, lower the heat to medium and pour the almonds into the pot.

Next, add the peanuts to the pot.

Then, the pumpkin seeds. Stir carefully as the pumpkin seeds tend to pop as they plump up.

Stir constantly while toasting the nuts and seeds.

Once the seeds have darkened (about two minutes), use a strainer to drain the nuts and seeds. You’ll be left with the juices that the nuts and seeds have released in the pot.

Pour the drained nuts and seeds into a bowl and set aside.

Fry the Bread and Garlic

Add the bread to the pot and fry for one minute.

Stir constantly while cooking the bread.

Once the bread has turned dark brown, remove from the pot with kitchen tongs or a slotted spoon and set aside.

Next, add the three peeled garlic cloves to the pot.

Once the garlic has darkened, drain, remove from the pot and set aside.

Fry the Cinnamon and Raisins

Add the cinnamon stick to the same pot.

Once the stick has darkened, remove and set aside.

Add the raisins to the pot.

Fry the raisins for about 30 seconds or until plump.

Drain raisins in a strainer and set aside.

Fry the Tortilla

Add the tortilla to the liquid in the pot.

Heat the tortilla for 10 seconds, flip and heat another 10 seconds.

Remove tortilla with tongs, let excess liquid drip into the pot and set aside.

Carefully pour the liquid from the pot into a bowl and set aside.

Toast the Seeds and Spices

Add the sesame seeds to the pot.

Stir and toast the seeds for about 30 seconds.

Next, add the peppercorns, cloves and coriander seeds.

Cook, stirring constantly, until the seeds and spices have darkened.

Blend the Mole Paste

Once the seeds and spices have toasted, transfer to a blender.

Break up the fried tortilla and add to the blender.

Add toasted bread to the blender.

Pour in the cooked raisins.

Add the fried cinnamon stick and garlic cloves.

Sprinkle in the salt.

Add in half of the toasted nuts and seeds.

Purée the ingredients.

Add chicken broth as needed to make a paste.

Your paste should be a deep reddish brown color. Looking good!

Pour the paste into a bowl and set aside

Blend Another Batch!

Add the remaining toasted nuts and seeds to the blender.

Blend the nuts and seeds.

Press the mixture down to ensure a smooth paste.

Your paste should look like this. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

Fry and Blend the Onions

Cut the onion into slices and then heat ½ tablespoon of lard in your pot.

Once the lard has melted, add the sliced onions.

Sauté the onions until golden brown.

Transfer onions to the blender and blend until smooth.

Cook the Mole Sauce

Pour the second batch of seed and nut paste into the pot.

Next, pour in the half of the first batch of mole paste.

Stir to combine.

Break up the tablet of Mexican chocolate and add to the pot.

Stir to combine.

Add the chicken bouillon cubes and stir until cubes melt.

Add the other half of the mole paste to the pot.

Add chicken stock to thin out the paste and stir.

Your sauce should have a medium consistency — not too thick and not too runny.

Sprinkle in more salt.

Simmer the mole sauce over medium heat until reduced by about an inch.

Serving Mole Poblano with Bone-In Chicken

Add the cooked chicken to the pot with the mole sauce and turn to cover with the sauce. If you prefer to serve over shredded chicken instead, skip down to the next section.

Place a piece of chicken on the plate, spoon over more sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Your chicken with mole is ready to eat!

Serving Mole Poblano with Shredded Chicken

Separate the meat from some of your cooked chicken pieces and add to a plate. Spoon over the mole sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

You’re ready to dig into your mole poblano with shredded chicken! So good!

Buen provecho! (Enjoy your meal!)

More Authentic Mexican Recipes

• Chiles en Nogada
• Chiles Rellenos de Puerco
• Tomatillo Chicken
• Pork Ribs in Salsa Roja
• Veracruz Style White Fish