Chicken Mole with Homemade Mole Sauce
This Chicken Mole recipe pairs tender chicken with a rich, velvety homemade mole sauce that's savory, smoky, subtly sweet, and deeply complex. Made completely from scratch, the sauce can also be prepared on its own for enchiladas, tacos, and more.
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 623kcal
Tools
- Professional-Grade Blender see notes
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken - preferably whole chicken legs or a combination of thighs and drumsticks
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups orange juice
For the Mole Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions - chopped
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- 8 cloves garlic - sliced
- 4 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 4 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole anise seeds - see notes
- 4 whole cloves
- 5 ounces dried pasilla chiles - stems removed, seeded if desired, torn into 1-inch pieces, and rinsed
- 1 ounce dried ancho chiles - stem removed, seeded (optional), torn into 1-inch pieces, rinsed
- 1 ounce dried chipotle chiles - stem removed, seeded (optional), torn into 1-inch pieces, rinsed
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup raisins
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3.1 ounces dark Mexican chocolate - chopped
- salt and black pepper - to taste
For Serving
- sesame seeds
- Chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Cook the Chicken
- Brown the chicken. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches as needed, add the chicken skin-side down and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until lightly golden. The chicken will not be cooked through yet. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.2 tablespoons olive oil, 5 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken
- Simmer the chicken. Return the browned chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the chicken broth and orange juice and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of at least 165°F.3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, 3 cups orange juice
- Reserve the cooking liquid. Transfer the chicken to a clean bowl or platter and set aside. Do not discard the cooking liquid. You will use it to make the mole sauce.
Make the Mole Sauce
- Cook the onions, nuts, seeds, and spices. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring often, until softened, golden, and beginning to caramelize. Reduce the heat to medium and add the sesame seeds, almonds, garlic, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, star anise, and cloves. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously, until fragrant.1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 medium yellow onions, ¼ cup sesame seeds, ⅓ cup sliced almonds, 8 cloves garlic, 4 teaspoons cumin seeds, 4 teaspoons coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon whole anise seeds, 4 whole cloves
- Add the dried chiles. Stir in the pasilla, ancho, and chipotle chiles. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, just until the chiles begin to soften. Take care not to burn them.5 ounces dried pasilla chiles, 1 ounce dried ancho chiles, 1 ounce dried chipotle chiles
- Simmer the mole. Pour the reserved chicken cooking liquid into the saucepan. Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, raisins, marjoram, thyme, and oregano. Bring to a low boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 30-35 minutes, or until the dried chiles are very soft.1 cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves, ½ cup raisins, 1 teaspoon dried marjoram, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- Add the tomato paste and chocolate. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the chopped Mexican chocolate. Let sit for about 10 minutes, allowing the chocolate to melt and the mixture to cool slightly.2 tablespoons tomato paste, 3.1 ounces dark Mexican chocolate
- Blend until smooth. Remove and discard the bay leaves, but leave the cinnamon stick in the sauce. Working in batches as needed, carefully transfer the mixture to a high-powered blender and blend until completely smooth and velvety.
- Finish the mole. Pour the blended mole back into the pot and warm gently over low heat. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. The finished sauce should be thick, smooth, and easily spoonable.salt and black pepper
- Serve. Leave the cooked chicken pieces whole or shred the meat, then spoon the warm mole generously over the chicken. Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro, if desired.sesame seeds, Chopped fresh cilantro
Notes
- Making just the mole sauce: Skip the chicken steps and use 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth plus 2 cups orange juice in place of the reserved chicken cooking liquid. Begin with the onions and continue with the mole sauce as directed. No other changes are needed.
- For a milder mole: Remove the seeds and inner membranes from the dried chiles and reduce the amount of chipotle chile. I strongly recommend wearing gloves when handling the chiles.
- Whole spices: Remove and discard the bay leaves before blending. The cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds are blended directly into the sauce.
- Chocolate substitution: If Mexican chocolate is unavailable, substitute an equal amount of good-quality dark or bittersweet chocolate, preferably around 60-70% cacao.
- Seasoning: I prefer to add the salt at the end, once the mole has been simmered and blended. Don't skip it. Enough salt is important for balancing the sauce's deep, complex flavors.
- Storage: Store the chicken and mole sauce separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The mole sauce can be frozen separately for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 623kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 189mg | Sodium: 209mg | Potassium: 929mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1260IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 4mg
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