Print

Authentic Chicken Mole Sauce Recipe

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.1 from 2 reviews

This authentic Mole Sauce recipe offers a rich and complex Mexican sauce made from a blend of dried chiles, nuts, seeds, spices, and chocolate. Perfectly paired with tender chicken, this mole is simmered to develop deep flavors that deliver a perfectly balanced sweet, savory, and slightly spicy taste. Serve with rice and warm tortillas for a traditional and satisfying meal.

Ingredients

Chicken and Broth

  • 1 whole raw chicken, cut into pieces or 4-5 chicken leg quarters, bone in, skin on
  • 8 cups water (1.9 liters or half gallon)
  • 1/4 onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 Tablespoon chicken bouillon (powder or paste)

Chiles

  • 6 dried pasilla chiles
  • 6 dried mulato chiles or guajillo chilies
  • 5 dried ancho chiles

Nuts and Seeds

  • 1/2 cup sesame seeds (71g), divided
  • 1/4 cup raw almonds (36g)
  • 1/4 cup raw shelled peanuts (36g)

Dried Fruits and Breads

  • 1/4 cup raisins (37g)
  • 1/2 cup animal crackers (60g)
  • 1 corn tortilla
  • 2 slices white bread (French bread or small bolillo roll, cut in half)

Vegetables and Aromatics

  • 1/2 of a white onion, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 ripe plantain (or banana), peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch slices

Spices

  • 5 whole cloves
  • 5 whole black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon whole aniseed
  • 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Additional Flavorings

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon paste
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 ounces chopped Mexican chocolate (or semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate)
  • 1-4 Tablespoons brown sugar, to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons oil or lard
  • Oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Cook Chicken: In a large pot, combine chicken pieces, garlic, chopped onion, bay leaves, chicken bouillon, salt, oregano, and water. Bring to a low boil and simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken, reserve the broth, and keep chicken warm.
  2. Toast Sesame Seeds: Heat a large dry skillet over medium heat and toast sesame seeds, stirring constantly to avoid burning, until golden and fragrant. Set toasted seeds aside.
  3. Prepare Liquid Base: Add 2 cups of water to a large saucepan over medium-low heat. This will hold the toasted and fried ingredients as they are added.
  4. Toast Chiles: Using scissors, cut a line down each chile to open them flat. Remove veins and seeds. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in the skillet over medium heat, and briefly fry chiles on each side for a few seconds, watching carefully to avoid burning. Transfer chiles to the saucepan with water.
  5. Pan Fry Ingredients: Add oil as needed to the skillet. Fry peanuts first, stirring constantly for about 45 seconds, then transfer to saucepan. Repeat frying and transferring each ingredient one by one in this order: almonds, raisins, animal crackers, corn tortilla, and bread slices, pressing them into the water in the saucepan to soften.
  6. Fry Aromatics and Plantain: Increase skillet heat to medium-high and add oil if needed. Fry sliced onion for 1-2 minutes, then add garlic and fry briefly for a few seconds. Transfer both to the saucepan. Fry plantain slices on both sides until golden, then add to the saucepan.
  7. Toast Whole Spices: Reduce heat to medium. Add peppercorns, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, aniseed, and crushed red pepper flakes to the hot oil. Fry for a few seconds while stirring constantly, then add to the saucepan.
  8. Add Dry Spices and Chicken Bouillon: Stir in 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon paste into the saucepan with all ingredients.
  9. Blend the Mole Base: Working in batches, transfer the contents of the saucepan with the chiles and other ingredients into a blender. Add some reserved chicken broth to facilitate blending. During one batch, add 1/4 cup reserved toasted sesame seeds. Blend each batch thoroughly until completely smooth, adding more broth as needed.
  10. Heat Fat: In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of lard or oil just until melted, then remove from heat.
  11. Strain Mole Sauce: Pour the blended sauce through a fine mesh strainer into the saucepan with melted fat, discarding the solids left in the strainer.
  12. Melt Chocolate and Sweeten: In a bowl, combine chopped Mexican chocolate with some chicken broth to help it melt smoothly. Add melted chocolate and 1 tablespoon brown sugar to the sauce, stirring well. Add more brown sugar to taste.
  13. Simmer Mole Sauce: Cook the sauce over medium-low heat for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring frequently. Add additional reserved chicken broth if the sauce is too thick. Adjust salt and sugar to taste.
  14. Serve: Place cooked chicken on a serving plate and ladle generous amounts of mole sauce over it. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds. Serve with Mexican rice and warm corn or flour tortillas.

Notes

  • Remove veins and seeds from chiles to avoid excessive bitterness and heat.
  • Be careful when toasting sesame seeds and frying chiles; both can burn quickly and impart bitterness.
  • Use Mexican chocolate if possible for authentic flavor, otherwise semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate works.
  • The length of simmering the mole sauce affects depth of flavor; longer simmering results in richer taste.
  • Adjust brown sugar and salt during final simmer to balance sweetness and seasoning.
  • Reserve enough chicken broth from cooking chicken as it is essential for blending and adjusting sauce consistency.
  • Serve mole with warm tortillas to enjoy the full traditional experience.

Find it online: https://dishcooks.com/authentic-chicken-mole-sauce-recipe/