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Chicken Mole Poblano

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Tender chicken covered in glossy chocolate-brown mole poblano sauce with sesame seeds, rice, and tortillas.
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Chicken mole poblano is one of Mexico’s most celebrated dishes, pairing tender chicken with a complex sauce of toasted chiles, spices, nuts, fruit, and cocoa.

Toast the chiles and aromatics gently, blend the sauce until smooth, and simmer it with the chicken so the flavors become deep, savory, and rounded.

Keep the chiles moving as they toast. They should smell fragrant and turn pliable, not blacken, or the mole will taste bitter.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with white rice, warm corn tortillas, sesame seeds, sliced onion, and a little fresh cilantro.

Close-up of chicken mole poblano with velvety sauce, sesame seeds, cilantro, rice, and warm tortillas.

Recipe Notes

Mole keeps refrigerated for four days and freezes well. Reheat gently with a splash of stock to loosen the sauce.

Tender chicken covered in glossy chocolate-brown mole poblano sauce with sesame seeds, rice, and tortillas.

Chicken Mole Poblano

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Tender chicken simmered in a rich Mexican mole sauce made with toasted chiles, spices, nuts, and cocoa.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
 
 

Mole Sauce
  • 3 large dried ancho chiles stemmed and seeded
  • 2 large dried pasilla chiles stemmed and seeded
  • 2 cups hot water for soaking
  • 1 medium yellow onion quartered
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup almonds toasted
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds plus more to garnish
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 stick cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp fine salt
Chicken
  • 2 lb boneless chicken thighs
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
To Serve
  • 3 cups cooked white rice
  • 8 small corn tortillas warmed
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Equipment

  • Large skillet
  • Blender
  • Dutch oven
  • Fine-mesh strainer
  • Wooden spoon

Method
 

Toast and Blend:
  1. Toast the dried chiles in a dry skillet for 30 to 45 seconds per side until fragrant. Transfer them to a bowl, cover with hot water, and soak for 20 minutes.
  2. Toast the almonds, sesame seeds, cinnamon, and cumin briefly. Blend the softened chiles with the toasted ingredients, onion, garlic, raisins, cocoa, salt, tomatoes, and 1 cup of stock until smooth.
  3. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl.
Simmer:
  1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven. Brown the chicken in batches, then return it all to the pot.
  2. Pour in the mole sauce and remaining stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 45 to 50 minutes until the chicken is tender.
Serve:
  1. Taste the mole and adjust salt or sweetness if needed. Spoon the chicken and sauce over rice.
  2. Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro, and serve with warm tortillas.

Nutrition

Calories: 560kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 38gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 890mgFiber: 7gSugar: 12g

Notes

  • A small piece of dark chocolate can replace some of the cocoa for extra richness.
  • Blend the sauce in batches if your blender is small, and vent the lid carefully when blending hot ingredients.

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