Traditional Mexican Dishes
The Best Recipe for Mexican Mole Poblano in the Style of Mexico
Prepare an intense and silky Mexican mole poblano, with dried chilies, spices, nuts, plantain, and chocolate, served over tender chicken. A traditional recipe full of nuances, ideal for celebrations and family meals.
This mole poblano combines mulato, pasilla, ancho, and chipotle chilies with toasted ingredients, spices, Mexican chocolate, and chicken broth. The result is a thick, aromatic, and balanced sauce to accompany chicken thighs and legs.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓1 kilo of chicken thighs and legs
- ✓1.5 liters of water
- ✓4 cloves of garlic, separated into 2 for the chicken and 2 for the mole
- ✓1 white onion, separated into 1/2 for the chicken and 1/2 for the mole
- ✓1 teaspoon of salt to cook the chicken
- ✓4 mulato chilies
- ✓4 pasilla chilies
- ✓3 ancho chilies
- ✓1 dried chipotle chili
- ✓2 tomatoes
- ✓1/4 cup of almonds
- ✓1/4 cup of unsalted peanuts
- ✓2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
- ✓1/4 cup of raisins
- ✓1 corn tortilla
- ✓1 slice of white bread
- ✓1 small plantain
- ✓1 cinnamon stick
- ✓3 cloves
- ✓3 black peppercorns
- ✓1/2 teaspoon of cumin
- ✓1/2 teaspoon of anise
- ✓4 cups of chicken broth
- ✓80 g of Mexican table chocolate
- ✓2 tablespoons of lard or vegetable oil
- ✓1 teaspoon of sugar
- ✓Salt to taste
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Place the chicken in a pot with 1.5 liters of water, 2 cloves of garlic, …
Place the chicken in a pot with 1.5 liters of water, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 onion, and 1 teaspoon of salt. When it boils, remove the foam, lower the heat, and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, until it is completely cooked. Reserve the chicken in part of its broth and strain the rest; keep the broth hot.
- 02
Remove the stems and seeds from the mulato, pasilla, ancho, and dried chipotle chilies.
Remove the stems and seeds from the mulato, pasilla, ancho, and dried chipotle chilies. For a spicier mole, you can keep some of the chipotle seeds.
- 03
Heat a comal or dry skillet and toast the chilies for a few seconds on each side, without burning them.
Heat a comal or dry skillet and toast the chilies for a few seconds on each side, without burning them. Transfer them to a container with hot water and let them soften for 15 minutes.
- 04
Roast the tomatoes, 1/2 onion, and 2 cloves of garlic on the same comal, until they are tender and have some toasted areas.
Roast the tomatoes, 1/2 onion, and 2 cloves of garlic on the same comal, until they are tender and have some toasted areas. Remove the garlic if it browns too quickly.
- 05
Toast the almonds, peanuts, sesame seeds, tortilla, and white bread separately.
Toast the almonds, peanuts, sesame seeds, tortilla, and white bread separately. Look for them to acquire aroma and color, without burning.
- 06
Fry the plantain in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of lard or oil, until it is golden on both sides.
Fry the plantain in a skillet with 1 tablespoon of lard or oil, until it is golden on both sides. Remove it and add the other tablespoon of fat.
- 07
Add the raisins, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, cumin, and anise.
Add the raisins, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, cumin, and anise. Stir them for less than a minute, until they release their aroma, without burning.
- 08
Drain the chilies and blend them with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, almonds, peanuts, half of the sesame seeds, raisins, tortilla, bread, plantain, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, cumin, and anise.
Drain the chilies and blend them with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, almonds, peanuts, half of the sesame seeds, raisins, tortilla, bread, plantain, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, cumin, and anise. Add 1.5 cups of hot broth and blend until you get a smooth mixture. Work in two batches if necessary.
- 09
Pass the mixture through a strainer, pressing with a spoon, to remove skin and seed remains.
Pass the mixture through a strainer, pressing with a spoon, to remove skin and seed remains.
- 10
Heat a large saucepan and carefully pour in the strained sauce.
Heat a large saucepan and carefully pour in the strained sauce. Cook it over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent it from sticking.
- 11
Add the chopped Mexican chocolate, sugar, and salt to taste.
Add the chopped Mexican chocolate, sugar, and salt to taste. Stir until integrated.
- 12
Gradually add the remaining hot broth until you get a thick and shiny sauce, capable of coating the back of a spoon.
Gradually add the remaining hot broth until you get a thick and shiny sauce, capable of coating the back of a spoon. Cook for another 20 or 25 minutes over low heat, stirring from the bottom.
- 13
Taste and adjust the salt.
Taste and adjust the salt. If the mole becomes too thick, add more broth; if it remains light, reduce it without a lid.
- 14
Add the cooked chicken pieces and coat them with the sauce.
Add the cooked chicken pieces and coat them with the sauce. Heat them for 10 minutes over low heat, without letting the mole boil strongly.
- 15
Serve the chicken with plenty of mole and finish with the reserved toasted sesame seeds.
Serve the chicken with plenty of mole and finish with the reserved toasted sesame seeds. Accompany with corn tortillas if desired.
- Toast the chilies for only a few seconds; if they burn, they can give a bitter flavor to the mole.
- Toast the ingredients in batches, as each one needs a different time.
- Strain the sauce to achieve a finer and more silky texture.
- Add the hot broth gradually to control the consistency of the mole.
- If you can't find Mexican table chocolate, use slightly sweet dark chocolate and adjust the flavor at the end.
- The mole can be prepared a day in advance. Reheat it slowly and add a little broth if it has thickened too much.
- Keep some chipotle seeds only if you want to increase the spiciness, as their smoky flavor can dominate.