La Piña en la Cocina

Embracing my Mexican heritage and sharing all the wonderful flavors, colors and foods I grew up with. Join me on this journey as I also learn new foods and cooking techniques. Dedicated to my parents Ramiro and Blanca.

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Oaxacan-Style Mole (Mo-Leh) Sauce

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Deciding to prepare mole sauce from scratch requires some planning. I often go into it thinking I will be done in one afternoon. Hours later, I realize that just like tamales, you really can’t rush the process.

Oaxacan-Style Mole Sauce

Take your time and enjoy the process.

It’s a process that you could break down into several days just to make your life easier, lol! Then, on the other hand, you could purchase a mole paste from the market. Unfortunately for many of us, we are limited to just one brand. There is nothing wrong with using the mole paste. It’s delicious and I enjoyed that version when I was growing up.

When I first researched different styles of mole sauce, it really was just to challenge myself. But after preparing it for a few years now, I do it more so as a learning experience. Deciding whether to dry toast your ingredients or fry them in oil. What kind of dried chiles you use will give you a different color or slightly different flavor in the end. And for me, straining the sauces along the way make a big difference.  This recipe was inspired by a recado negro (black chile paste) that my friend Norma sent me. Although I enjoyed that version very much, I wanted to develop a version that you could prepare at home. We are just getting a taste of fall weather and thinking back on this low and slow Oaxacan-Style Mole with all its aromas made for a nice afternoon in my kitchen.

My Version of a Oaxacan-Style Mole (Mo-Leh) Sauce

Oaxacan-Style Mole Sauce

Oaxacan-Style Mole Sauce~Chile Mulata and Chile Pasilla

The most common used dried chiles used in the Oaxacan-style mole are the chile mulato, pasilla and chilhuacle. Unfortunately, the chilhuacle is not available where I live. These particular dried chiles are so dark, almost completely black in color.

First~Prepare The Recado
Recado de Chile Pasilla y Chile Mulato

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This version of a liquid recado negro or black chile sauce will still have a dark red hue to it. Typically the chiles are charred until they look like black ash. Not really interested in filling my house with smoke though, lol! This recado can also be used as a marinade or flavor base for sauces, soups and stews.

Second~Toasting and Roasting

Oaxacan-Style Mole Sauce

 
 

Third~Grinding and Blending Seeds, Spices and Fresh Ingredients

Oaxacan-Style Mole Sauce

After toasting the seeds, nuts and spices I grind them down in batches using my coffee grinder. I only use it for this purpose.  

 
Oaxacan-Style Mole Sauce

This is the sauce that includes all the seeds, nuts, spices and fresh ingredients.

Oaxacan-Style Mole Sauce

Notes:

This variety of Mexican chocolate contains sugar but will just add a subtle sweetness to the finished sauce.

The sauce will thicken and darken in color as it cooks and reduces. Thinning out the sauce with more broth is totally up to you and how you would like the finished product. The sauce is freezer friendly and will only improve with age.

Oaxacan-Style Enchiladas(Enchiladas Oaxaqueñas). Depending on what region you visit in Mexico, the recipes may be called by different names. I grew up knowing these as enmoladas, where the tortilla is dipped in the mole sauce, filled and rolled like an enchilada. In some regions this dish is known as Enchiladas Oaxaqueñas. Either way you call them, they are delicious! 

Oaxacan-Style Enchiladas~Enmoladas

Check out the enmoladas recipe in the notes below!

Oaxacan-Style Enchiladas~ Enmoladas

I enjoy pairing these enchiladas with Mexican Style Rice and Charro Beans.

Mexican-Style Rice

To see full recipe for Mexican-Style Rice, click onto picture. On this day, I left the onions in larger pieces as my Mom used to. They were added to flavor the rice and could be removed easily. I also used fresh carrots that I diced and steamed for a few minutes before adding to the rice.

Oaxacan-Style Enchiladas-Enmoladas

Oaxaca-Style Mole Sauce

Complicated, No! Labor intensive, Maybe! Lol! I promise you that once you begin preparing your own molé sauce at home, the store bought will not be quite as tasty as you thought. I grew up with mole paste out of a jar and it’s great! But I feel the need to challenge myself when it comes to cooking especially. This is how I learn new things. 
4.50 from 4 votes
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Course: Salsa/Sauces
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 8 Servings

Ingredients

Ingredients For Recado(Chile Sauce)

  • Manteca pork lard or canola oil
  • 10-12 chile pasilla stems and seeds removed
  • 8 chile mulato stems and seeds removed
  • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 2 full teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 8-10 cloves garlic sliced
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/4 to 1/3 cup white vinegar optional
  • salt to taste
  • *I decided not to add any chile de arbol to this variation to keep it on the more mild side. If I wanted a spicier version, I would add at least 8-10 chile de arbol for this amount of sauce

Seeds and Nuts

  • 1/4 cup blanched almonds
  • 1/4 cup natural pepitas
  • 1/2 cup sesame seeds

The Spices

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon anise
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 6 to 8 peppercorns
  • 1 inch piece of Mexican cinnamon

Other Ingredients

  • 1 large roma tomato
  • 2 to 3 chile serrano
  • 1/2 large white onion sliced into thick rings
  • 6 to 8 cloves garlic skins on
  • 1/3 cup raisins steeped in hot water
  • 2 corn tortillas toasted until charred(toast and char on a dry skillet at medium heat. Turn as needed)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter I used this since I had no peanuts
  • 1 disc Mexican chocolate 3 to 3.5 ounces
  • 8 to 10 cups water or chicken broth
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • I also wanted to note that I did not include any platano macho or plantains. It is a common ingredient used, but again not always easy to find where I live.

Instructions

Directions For Recado

  • Heat 1/3 to 1/2 cup oil to medium heat. After a few minutes, add two of the dried chiles. Cook for just about 20 to 30 seconds per side. They will become brighter in color at first, then start to darken in color. As soon as they become darker, take them out and transfer to a plate. Repeat until all peppers are done.  Once peppers are done, break them into smaller pieces(they should be very brittle) and cover them with boiling water. Let them steep.
  • In that same pan, add a little more oil and heat to medium/low. Add the cumin seeds, oregano and garlic. Cook stirring often until the spices and garlic become aromatic and slightly toasted. Remove from heat.
  • Drain the water from the chiles and transfer them to the blender. Add 2 cups of fresh water or chicken broth, vinegar and all of the remaining ingredients, including the oil that you cooked the spices in. I prefer not to use the water that the chiles were soaking in. It can be bitter at times. Blend on high until smooth. Taste for salt. Strain sauce through a wire mesh strainer.

Directions For Toasting and Roasting

  • In one skillet, combine the almonds and pepitas(pumpkin seeds). Heat to medium and add just a drizzle of oil. When they begin to sizzle, stir as needed and cook just until lightly toasted. remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl.
  • Wipe out that same skillet and add the sesame seeds. Heat to medium and toast until golden in color. Stir as needed. Transfer to a bowl. Wipe out the skillet. Reserve 1/2 of the toasted sesame seeds for garnish on the mole.
  • In the skillet, add the spices and heat to medium. When they become aromatic, stir often. Toast for just a few minutes and remove from heat. Wipe out the skillet. Again and finally in this same skillet, add the tomato, onion, serrano and garlic. Drizzle with a little oil and heat to medium. Cook until they begin to char in some spots and cook through. remove the garlic after 15 minutes. If you feel comfortable toasting several ingredients at once using a few pans, you could do that as well.

Directions for Finishing The Sauce

  • Using a  coffee grinder or mini chopper, add the toasted nuts.  Grind by pulsing until it resembles a thick paste. Set side. Using a coffee grinder(I use mine strictly for spices) add the toasted spices and seeds. Grind until you have a fine paste/powder. Set aside.
  • Once everything is toasted, roasted and charred, add the ground seeds, nuts and spices to the blender. Also add the charred tomato, onion and serrano. Remove skins from garlic and add them, along with the raisins, charred tortillas and peanut butter. Add 2 cups of broth. Blend on high until smooth. For a smoother sauce, strain sauce through wire strainer and set aside.
  • In a large dutch oven pot, add 2-3 tablespoons of pork lard(manteca)  or oil of choice, and heat to medium. After a few minutes when oil is hot, add the strained chile sauce(sauce from dried chiles). Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring as needed. Add the other blended sauce and 6 cups of broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the Mexican chocolate. Stir as needed to melt chocolate. Cover 3/4 of the way and continue simmering the mole sauce for a good hour or two. The sauce will become darker and thicker as it cooks and reduces. add extra broth (2 or more cups)depending on how thick you like it. Taste for salt along the way.

Notes

To prepare these Oaxacan-Style Enchiladas or Enmoladas you will need:
Ingredients
Oil of your choice
Corn tortillas
Cooked, shredded chicken
Mole sauce
Toasted sesame seeds
Onion. thinly sliced
Mexican crema
Guacamole sauce or avocado slices
Oaxaca cheese, shredded
Directions
In a skillet, preheat 1/4 to 1/3 cup of oil to medium heat for a few minutes. Cook the desired amount of corn tortillas, one at a time, until they just start to crisp, but are still soft enough to roll. Turn as needed. Stack onto plate.
Into the shredded warmed chicken mix in just enough of the warm mole sauce to coat evenly. You could dip each tortilla in the warm mole sauce, fill with chicken and then roll and transfer to serving plate. Or, you can fill and roll plain tortilla, place on serving plate and then ladle the warm mole sauce over top. I prefer to do it this way myself.
Garnish the enchiladas or enmoladas with sesame seeds, onion, crema, guacamole sauce and Oaxaca cheese.
Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Amy

    I would like to use peanuts instead of peanut butter. How many peanuts do you use and what kind? Roasted, raw, salted, unsalted? Thank you so much. Can’t wait to make this.

    Reply

    • Sonia

      Hi Amy, I would definitely use unsalted peanuts if you can find them. I cannot always find them, so in a pinch peanut butter gets the job done for me. I would use about 1/2 cup for this recipe. Thanks for the feedback.

      Reply

  3. Paul Stoppelmann

    Looks awesome! How does your recipe differ than the one from your friend, Norma? Something about yours is one you can prepare at home and hers wasn’t?

    Reply

    • Sonia

      Well, mine is prepared from scratch completely. The other one, I used a chile based paste that Norma gave me. The texture and flavors were quite different from each other. That particular paste is prepared by charring and blackening ingredients tot he point where it looks like ashes. That is why it is so dark in color, the paste from Norma.

      Reply

  4. Terry

    I loved your mole sauce! How long does it keep in the refrigerator?
    Do you have any other recipe suggestions for the leftover sauce. Thanks Terry

    Reply

    • Sonia

      Terry you can use the sauce for all kinds of Mexican dishes. I like the mole sauce for enchiladas, basting grilled chicken, flautas ahogadas, torta ahogada. Great as a topping over burritos with melted cheese. Any of those would be tasty. So happy you liked the sauce. If you are not going to use it right away, I would freeze it flat in quart size bags. Just reheat on medium once defrosted.

      Reply

  6. May

    This sounds amazing! My daughter has a tree nut allergy. Is there a substitute I could use for the almonds? Can you just increase the pepitas and sesame?

    Reply

    • Sonia

      You would fry the plantains until dark golden brown and include them when you blend everything. One large plantain is good enough

      Reply

    • Sonia

      Hi Melissa! If I wanted to make the mole a little spicier, I would add 8-10 chile de arbol for my spice level. You could blend the sauce with a few at a time then taste it before you add them all.

      Reply

    • Sonia

      It is very difficult to find recado negro in the states. But if you do find it, you can add it to all the mole ingredients. I tried dissolving it with some broth once a few years ago, but I felt like it was lacking what I love about mole. It did not yield that glossy luxurious mole sauce that I was used to seeing. Recado negro is essentially charred chiles, tortillas, garlic and onions. It adds smoky flavor to your recipes, but for mole you would have to use larger quantities. The charred ingredients can give off a bitter flavor. If you are not accustomed to it, it may not be pleasant. The recado is used in Yucatan style mole.

      Reply

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