Chicken Mole Recipe

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 1 30

Total Time: 2

Servings:

Calories: 798kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Cook a whole chicken in a flavorful homemade mole sauce for a dinner that's perfectly spicy, savory, and all around tasty!

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Equipment

Food Processor (click for my favorite)

Ingredients

For the Chicken

5 pound whole chicken cut into pieces
1 onion cut into 4 pieces
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the Mole Sauce

4 dried Guajillo peppers
6 dried Pasilla peppers
3 dried Ancho Chile peppers
8 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth (can use water from step 1 after chicken is cooked)
6 cloves garlic
1 cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 onion chopped
3 tomatoes chopped
⅓ cup raisins
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup almonds
¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
3 ounces dark chocolate roughly chopped (preferably Mexican chocolate)

Instructions

Place the chicken pieces, onion, garlic, and salt in a large pot. Pour water into the pot until the chicken is completely submerged. Bring the chicken to a boil. Then, reduce to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 45 minutes.
5 pound whole chicken, 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Remove the stems and seeds from the dried peppers. Heat 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in the same skillet. Add in the peppers and pan-fry them for a couple of minutes.
4 dried Guajillo peppers, 6 dried Pasilla peppers, 3 dried Ancho Chile peppers, 8 tablespoons vegetable oil
Add the peppers and 2½ cups chicken broth (can use water from step 1 after chicken is cooked) to a food processor.
2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add in the garlic cloves, cinnamon stick, whole cloves, and salt, and cook for a couple of minutes until slightly browned. And in the onion and tomatoes, and continue to cook for a few minutes until softened.
6 cloves garlic, 1 cinnamon stick, 5 whole cloves, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 onion, 3 tomatoes
Remove the cinnamon stick and whole cloves from the skillet. Then, transfer the vegetables to a food processor.
Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet. Then, add in the raisins, sesame seeds, almonds, and pepitas to the same skillet. Toast until golden brown.
⅓ cup raisins, ¼ cup sesame seeds, ¼ cup almonds, ¼ cup pepitas
Add the toasted nuts, seeds, and raisins to the food processor. Blend everything together until smooth.
Pour the sauce into the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Add in the chocolate and stir until melted. Cook for 30-45 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally. Add in more chicken broth if needed to thin out the sauce.
3 ounces dark chocolate
Add the chicken pieces to the sauce and stir to coat them. Top with a sprinkling sesame seeds and cilantro . Serve with rice and/or tortillas.

Video

Notes

Toasting the spices, nuts, seeds, and chiles before blending them into the sauce can help to bring out their flavors and aromas.
Use a food processor to make the sauce extra smooth and creamy.
The level of spiciness in mole sauce can vary widely depending on the types of chiles used. Be sure to taste the sauce and adjust the spiciness level to your taste by adding more or less chiles.

Storage: Store chicken mole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition