Recipe

Chicken Mole

Tender chicken simmered in a deep, smoky mole-style sauce with toasted chiles, warm spices, and a small but mighty hit of chocolate.

By Matt Campbell

•

4.8

A shallow bowl of chicken mole with glossy dark sauce, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and chopped cilantro, served with warm tortillas on a wooden table in soft natural light

Jump to Recipe

Mole is one of those sauces that feels like it should require a passport, a day off work, and a helpful abuela standing behind you saying, no, not like that. Good news. We can make a very legit, deeply flavored chicken mole at home with accessible groceries, a blender, and a little willingness to toast things until your kitchen smells like you know what you are doing.

To be clear, this is a weeknight-friendly, simplified mole-style sauce, not a full traditional mole poblano with a long ingredient list and an all-day timeline. It is rich and savory first, with heat that you can control, plus that signature mole vibe from warm spices, nuts or seeds, and a touch of chocolate to round out the bitterness. It is cozy, it is bold, and it is wildly good on rice, tortillas, and basically anything starchy that will hold still long enough to get sauced.

Ancho, guajillo, and pasilla chiles on a cutting board with garlic and spices arranged nearby on a kitchen counter

Why It Works

Big flavor without mystery: Toasting chiles and spices builds depth fast, then the blender does the heavy lifting.
Balanced, not sweet: The chocolate is there to smooth and deepen the sauce, not turn it into dessert.
Flexible heat: Use more guajillo for a brighter, warmer sauce and more ancho for a sweeter, raisin-like depth. Heat varies by brand and freshness, so taste and adjust.
Meal-prep friendly: Mole tastes even better the next day, and it freezes like a champ.

Dried chiles toasting in a cast iron skillet on a stovetop, lightly blistered with a wooden spatula nearby

Pairs Well With

Storage Tips

Refrigerate

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours. Store chicken and sauce together in an airtight container for up to 4 days (best quality range). The sauce will thicken as it chills, which is a good thing.

Freeze

Freeze in portioned containers for up to 3 months (best quality). If possible, freeze with extra sauce since it is the part you will miss most.

Reheat

Warm gently in a saucepan over medium-low, adding a splash of chicken stock or water to loosen. Avoid hard boiling, which can make the sauce taste a little flat and the chicken feel dry.

Two glass meal prep containers filled with chicken mole, lids off, on a kitchen counter next to a small jar of sesame seeds

Common Questions

Is mole supposed to taste like chocolate?

Nope. If it tastes like a chocolate sauce, something went sideways. In savory mole, chocolate is a background player that softens bitterness, rounds out chile heat, and adds a subtle roasted depth.

What kind of chocolate should I use?

Use Mexican chocolate if you have it. If not, use unsweetened cocoa powder or dark chocolate (60 to 70 percent). Skip milk chocolate.

Can I make this less spicy for kids?

Yes. Stick with ancho and pasilla, use fewer guajillos, and skip chipotle. Also remove seeds and stems from all chiles. Serve with plenty of rice and crema.

Do I have to use dried chiles?

For real mole flavor, yes, dried chiles matter. That said, they are usually available in the international aisle. If you can find only one, use ancho and build from there.

What if I cannot find pasilla?

Use another ancho (easiest) or a mulato if you see it. Chile labels can be weird, so go by aroma too: you want something dried, raisiny, and mild, not a super-hot chile.

Can I use chicken breast?

You can, but thighs stay juicier and forgive you if you get distracted. If using breasts, simmer gently and pull them as soon as they hit 165°F.

A blender jar filled with smooth dark red-brown mole-style sauce on a kitchen counter with a ladle and toasted spices nearby

Matt Campbell

I have always had a huge passion for the culinary arts, people, working as a team, and so on. I wanted to pursue my love for cooking initially at Virginia Commonwealth University with a culinary arts degree; however, I instead decided to apply myself and acquire more practical skills. My end goal is to eventually open my own restaurant or similar establishment.

Kitchen Essentials

Large skillet or Dutch oven
Skillet for toasting chiles, nuts, and seeds (use the same one and wipe it out as needed)
Blender (standard or high-speed)
Fine mesh strainer (optional, for ultra-smooth sauce)
Tongs
Instant-read thermometer (helpful for chicken)
Measuring spoons and cups

I used to treat mole like it was reserved for special occasions and people with way more patience than me. Then I started approaching it the same way I approach most good kitchen problems: toast the flavor, blend the chaos, taste aggressively, and adjust until it makes you do that little quiet nod.

This chicken mole is the version I make when I want something that feels like a project but still fits in real life. It is the kind of dinner that makes a Tuesday feel like you planned ahead, even if you absolutely did not.

Chicken Mole

(4.8 Reviews)

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

Chicken

2 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or 2 lb boneless thighs), about 6 to 8 thighs
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp neutral oil (avocado, canola)

Mole sauce

3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
3 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
1 dried pasilla chile, stems and seeds removed (see FAQ for swaps)
2 tbsp sesame seeds, plus more for serving
1/4 cup sliced almonds (or peanuts)
1 small onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves (optional but great)
1 chipotle in adobo (optional, for smoke and heat)
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock, plus more as needed
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar (or piloncillo if you have it)
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (or 1.5 oz Mexican chocolate)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lime juice

To serve

Warm tortillas or steamed rice
Chopped cilantro
Sliced red onion (optional)
Mexican crema or sour cream (optional)

Measured mole ingredients on a kitchen counter including dried chiles, sesame seeds, almonds, onion, garlic, cocoa powder, and chicken stock

Instructions

Toast and soften the chiles. Heat a dry skillet over medium. Toast the dried chiles for about 10 to 20 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly pliable. Do not burn them. Transfer to a bowl and cover with very hot (near-boiling) water so they are fully submerged. If they float, press them down with a small plate. Soak for 15 minutes, then drain.
Brown the chicken. Pat chicken dry. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high. Sear chicken until golden, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Carefully spoon off excess fat, but keep the browned bits in the pot (that is flavor).
Toast the nuts and seeds. In the same pot (or a clean skillet), toast sesame seeds and almonds over medium heat until lightly golden and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir constantly. Sesame seeds go from perfect to burned fast. Remove to a small bowl.
Cook the aromatics. Add onion to the pot and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, cinnamon, and cloves. Cook 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute to deepen it.
Blend the mole. In a blender, combine soaked chiles, toasted sesame seeds and almonds, onion mixture, chipotle (if using), brown sugar, cocoa powder, vinegar, and 2 1/2 cups chicken stock. Blend until very smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add a splash more stock if it is too thick to blend. Safety note: if anything is warm, vent the blender lid (or remove the center cap), cover with a towel, and blend in batches to avoid pressure buildup.
Simmer the sauce. Pour blended sauce back into the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium, stirring often so it does not scorch. Simmer 10 minutes. If you want it ultra-silky, strain through a fine mesh strainer back into the pot. If your sauce seems gritty, blend longer next time, or use a high-speed blender and skip straining.
Braise the chicken in mole. Nestle chicken back into the sauce and add remaining 1 cup stock. Cover partially and keep it at a low simmer (occasional bubbles, not a boil) for 25 to 35 minutes, until chicken is tender and reaches 165°F. For bone-in thighs, you can let them ride to 175°F to 185°F for that extra-fall-apart texture. Turn chicken once or twice so it stays coated.
Taste and adjust like you mean it. Add up to 1/2 teaspoon more salt if needed. If it tastes a little bitter, add a touch more sugar. If it tastes heavy, add a squeeze of lime or a splash of vinegar. If it is too thick, loosen with stock. If it is bitter and harsh, that is often from burned chiles or sesame, so next time toast a little less aggressively.
Serve. Spoon chicken and plenty of sauce over rice or tuck into warm tortillas. Finish with sesame seeds, cilantro, and crema if you want the full cozy effect. Serves 6 with rice or tortillas.