No matter how many times I revisit this recipe for Mole de Pollo Mexicano, I am amazed on how all these different ingredients come together. And they come together so beautifully to yield this complex colorful palette of flavors that can be hard to describe, unless you have tasted it. Mole it could be a bit intimidating and overwhelming, but can also and easily be broken down into steps.
Any recipe broken down into steps can be done!
This is much how I approach some of these traditional recipes. You get such a sense of satisfaction as you see it come together. And when you finally sit down to enjoy your plate of this delicious food you prepared with your own hands, you cannot help but feel that those loved ones that inspired you, were there with you somehow. Even though your version may be different and updated to suit your liking. The fact remains that you immerse yourself in tradition and by doing so, their legacy continues one way or another. This recipe is a mix of things I learned from my Mom and techniques I learned along the way. I continue to learn and I welcome it. #foodieforlife #mexicanfood
It’s about learning the process in your own kitchen
No, we may not have the exact dried chiles or traditional tools like a metate made of lava rock to grind all of the ingredients. Is that going to stop me from attempting to prepare mole? No!
I could walk into my kitchen and have most of the ingredients to prepare a simple mole!
I love spices and dried chiles and keep my pantry stocked for when I need to prepare my recipes. Most of us will have either tortilla chips, tortillas, bread of some sort or crackers in our pantry. No peanuts? Peanut butter works in a pinch. Mom used to use peanut butter and saltine crackers for the popular jarred mole paste. It was delicious!
Step, by step it comes together…..
Tips~ There two ways you can prepare the chicken pieces.
- Place in large pot covered with about 10 cups of water, 1/2 an onion, a whole bulb of garlic, 2 bay leaves, 1 carrot, 1 stalk celery and salt. Bring to a boil and poach for a good hour, skimming the top, as needed.
- Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Sear in preheated oil for 5 minutes per side. Cover with water and the same ingredients as listed above. Cook as directed.
Tips~ Depending on what kind of dried chiles you use, they will yield a different color of mole. The longer the sauce cooks down, the darker it will become. if you have the time, I would suggest cooking the sauce for an extra hour or more.
Mole de Pollo(Chicken In a Mole Sauce)
Ingredients
- 4 pounds previously poached chicken pieces reserve all of the broth
- 10 dried chile ancho
- 10 dried chile guajillo or chile california for a darker mole, replace guajillo( or california) with chile negro(pasilla) or mulato
- 3 dried chile chipotle
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1/3 cup of raisins
- 5 Roma tomatoes
- 1 medium white onion cut into thick slices
- 4 serrano peppers stems removed
- 10 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds 1/4 cup pepitas
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds plus another 1/4 cup for garnish
- 1 teaspoon anise seeds
- 2 inch piece of cinnamon stick broken in half
- 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
- 1/3 cup of roasted peanuts or 1/4 cup of creamy peanut butter
- 12 saltine crackers or 1 toasted bolillo roll sliced
- 2 corn tortilla tostadas, blackened slightly
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil or more traditional pork lard
- 1 disk of Mexican chocolate 3 ounces , broken into pieces
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar, optional
Instructions
Directions
- Preheat comal (griddle) to medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove stems and seeds from the dried peppers. Transfer to comal. Toast for a few minutes, turning as needed. Do not leave them unattended or they will burn and become bitter. Transfer the peppers to a pot of simmering water Cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Drain liquid from peppers, transfer to the blender. Add 3 cups of reserved chicken broth, 1/2 tablespoon of cumin and 2 teaspoons of salt. Blend on high until smooth. Strain the sauce through a wire mesh strainer for a smoother sauce. Set aside. Cover the raisins with enough hot water to cover, set aside.
- In a large pan add the almonds, pepitas, sesame seeds, anise, cinnamon stick and oregano. Heat pan to medium/low heat. Toast, stirring often, do not leave unattended, or they will burn. After about 6 to 8 minutes, remove all spices and nuts from pan and transfer to coffee or spice grinder. You may have to grind in two batches. Grind into a paste, set aside.
- Preheat broiler to high for 5 minutes. Line a baking sheet with foil paper and add tomatoes, serranos, onions and garlic. Broil for 12 minutes, turning after 6 minutes. Remove from broiler and let cool. In the blender, add the ground almonds/spice mixture, broiled tomatoes, serranos, onions, garlic, peanut butter, crackers, tostadas, cumin, drained raisins, 1/2 teaspooon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 cups of reserved chicken broth. Blend until smooth, set aside.
- This is where your mole comes together. In a large, heavy pot, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil to medium heat. After 3 minutes, add the chile sauce and cook for 20 minutes. Add in the other blended sauce. Stir well to combine. When it comes to a boil, taste for salt. Add the Mexican chocolate, brown sugar and remaining 3 cups of chicken broth. Add the cooked chicken pieces and continue cooking for 1 hour The sauce will darken as it cooks. Toast the remaining sesame seeds for garnishing mole. Serve with warm tortillas, rice, beans and a fresh salad.
Notes
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Thank you, Sonia! I just made Mole de Pollo for the first time in my life using your recipe and I am so happy with the way it turned out! It has always been one of my favorite dishes but I was intimidated at the thought of cooking it myself. Quarantine cooking is a real thing though, haha…and I am so grateful I tried it! Super flavorful with just the right amount but of spice. I adjusted a couple of things—like, I learned I needed to add actual peanut butter (as you first recommend) after using the chopped peanuts I had on hand to get the flavor and texture I was hoping for. So I will keep that in mind the next time I make it! And I will! Thanks again! 🙏💗
Hi Heather! I am so happy you tried the mole recipe! Once you get the feel and flavor of the homemade, you won’t like buying it out anymore, lol!
I made your mole recipe today and it was amazing. I have always wanted to make an authentic mole, and wanted to challenge myself. Boy, this did the trick and I felt the love that went into this and put my whole heart into it. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe with the world. I think I would’ve made you proud.
Hi Heather! I am thrilled that you accepted the challenge and prepared mole! Once I started preparing homemade, I never looked back, Lol! It is a process, but it is not difficult. I am proud of you!!
Do you have any recommendations for what to sub the almonds with if you have a tree nut allergy? I am making this for my class and have a student with an allergy.
Hi Leah! In this case, I would just bump up the quantity of the sesame seeds and peanuts to replace the almonds. No problem.
Hey Sonia! Can this recipe be made in a slow cooker?
Hi Maria! You could prepare the sauce then pour it over over the washed chicken pieces in the slow cooker. You would probably have to add some extra broth to the sauce since it will cook for a few hours. You don’t want to skip the steps on preparing the mole ingredients before they get blended. If you are going to add chocolate, just add towards the end. I would cook it on low for 8 hours