Learn how to make authentic mole sauce (mole poblano) from scratch! This unique and beloved traditional Mexican dish is made from a combination of various ingredients, including dried chiles, nuts and seeds, spices, chocolate, and dried fruit. Serve it over chicken or turkey, as a sauce for enchiladas, or in tamales for a showstopping meal.
Making your own mole sauce at home can be a little intimidating, but once you see just how easy it is, you’ll be a pro in no time!
I’m not going to lie – making mole sauce (specifically mole poblano) from scratch takes a little bit of time, but it’s not difficult or complicated. As long as you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go, you can totally do it. And the end result is so worth it!
If you want to make a quick and easy mole sauce made from a jar of store-bought mole paste, take a look at my recipe for enmoladas. The mole sauce I use there is a shortcut version.
What Is Mole?
Mole is a traditional Mexican dish known for its rich and complex flavors that have been around for decades. The word mole comes from the Nahuatl word mōlli, which means “milled” or “pounded”, and is the term often used to refer to a variety of sauces that are typically chile-based.
There are many different types of mole across Mexico, and one of the most popular versions is mole poblano. The birthplace of this iconic, world-renowned dish is traced back to Puebla and Oaxaca.
Mole poblano is made from a unique combination of over 10 ingredients, including dried chiles, spices, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and even chocolate.
Each ingredient fits into one of these four categories – sweet, sour, chile, or thickener.
After being toasted and fried, they’re all blended together to create a deep, rich, and flavorful reddish-brown sauce that’s absolutely delicious!
Mole Sauce Ingredients
- Dried chiles: A combination of ancho and pasilla chiles. You can find them in the international foods aisle of your local grocery store or in a specialty Mexican grocer. If you can’t find them in your area, buying them online is always a great option.
- Nuts and seeds: Raw almonds, unroasted and unsalted peanuts, raw pumpkin seeds, coriander seeds, and sesame seeds. Make sure to get the raw and unsalted variety if possible.
- Black peppercorns: Adds a surprising touch of heat to the dish.
- Corn tortilla: 1 plain store-bought corn tortilla is perfect.
- White bread: 1 slice of white bread or French bread. This, along with the tortilla, acts as a thickener.
- Raisins: Adds a nice fruity element to the sauce without making it overly sweet.
- Mexican chocolate: 1 round disc of Mexican chocolate adds a beautiful depth of flavor to the mole sauce and some sweetness that pairs perfectly with the chiles. You can find Mexican chocolate in the international foods aisle of your local grocery store or in a specialty Mexican grocer. If you can’t find it in your area, you can buy it online.
- Mexican cinnamon stick: If you can’t find Mexican cinnamon sticks (also known as Ceylon cinnamon sticks), you can use 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.
Did You Know?
There are actually over 7 types of common mole recipes – manchamantel, chichillo, verde, negro, coloradito, amarillo, and mole poblano! Even within these familiar recipes, there are infinite variations to them.
How to Make Mole
Cook the chicken: Add the chicken to a large pot and cover it with water. Bring it to a boil, reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
Toast ingredients: In a large Dutch oven, add oil and dried chiles, separate into two batches, cook for 1 minute until fragrant, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Do this with the second batch of dried chiles, all nuts, seeds, tortilla, bread, cinnamon stick, and onions.
Soak: Once all ingredients are toasted and in a large mixing bowl, add 7 cups of chicken broth. Allow it to soak for 15 minutes.
Blend: Working in two batches, place half of the soaked ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the blended mixture through a fine mesh strainer and into the same large Dutch oven used for frying. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and liquid.
Heating: Add Mexican chocolate, chicken bouillon, and salt in the large Dutch oven, mixing it with the mole sauce. Heat over medium heat and cook for 8 minutes.
Serve: Add in cooked chicken and heat for 2 minutes. Place a piece of chicken with sauce on a plate and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Watch the chiles closely when frying, and try not to burn them. This can happen quickly and taste bitter if burned.
- If you just want to make the sauce and not the chicken that goes along with it, you’ll need 7 cups of chicken broth.
- Strain the sauce for a silky smooth consistency.
Serving Suggestions
Mole is often served with some traditional Mexican sides that complement its rich and complex flavor. Here are a few suggestions:
Storing and Reheating
Mole poblano can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
To reheat, rewarm it on the stove and add additional chicken broth to reach desired consistency.
More Mexican Recipes
Mole Sauce (Mole Poblano)
Ingredients
- 1 4-6 pound whole chicken*, cut into pieces
- Water, as needed
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 8 ancho chiles, (about 4 ounces), rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and torn into pieces
- 8 pasilla chiles, (about 2 ½ ounces), rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and torn into pieces
- 1 cup raw almonds
- 1 cup unsalted peanuts
- ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 corn tortilla
- 1 slice white bread
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 4-inch Mexican cinnamon stick
- 10 whole black peppercorns
- ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds
- 3 clove garlic
- 2 cloves
- 1 medium white onion, sliced
- ½ cup sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
- 3.1 ounces Mexican chocolate (about 1 round disc)
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
Instructions
- Add the chicken to a large pot and cover with enough water to fully submerge it plus 1 inch. Bring it to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 15 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Carefully transfer the chicken pieces to a large plate and set aside to cool. Cover the pot to keep the chicken broth hot and set aside for later use.
- Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add ½ of the ancho chiles, ½ of the pasilla chiles, and fry for 1 minute until fragrant, stirring frequently to avoid burning them. Shake off any excess oil from the chiles and transfer them to a large heat-safe bowl. Add in the remaining batch of ancho and pasilla chiles, and repeat.
- To the same pot, add the almonds, peanuts, and pumpkin seeds. Pan fry for 1 minute until lightly toasted and fragrant. Transfer them to the same large heat-safe bowl.
- In the same pot, heat 1 more tablespoon of oil. Add the corn tortilla and lightly fry for 30 seconds on each side. Transfer it to the bowl.
- In the same pot, add the white bread and lightly toast for 30 seconds on each side. Transfer it to the bowl.
- Heat another ½ tablespoon of oil in the same pot and add the cinnamon stick. Fry for 30 seconds, stirring often, then add in the raisins and continue frying for 2 minutes. Transfer everything to the large bowl.
- Heat another ½ tablespoon of oil in the same pot. Add the black peppercorns, coriander seeds, garlic, and cloves, and lightly fry for 1 minute, stirring often. Transfer it to the bowl.
- Heat another ½ tablespoon of oil in the same pot and add the onions. Fry for 3 minutes until softened, then transfer them to the large bowl.
- Heat another ½ tablespoon of oil in the same pot and add the sesame seeds. Fry for 1 minute until lightly toasted, stirring often, then transfer them to the bowl. Remove the pot from the heat and set aside.
- Add 7 cups of the reserved hot chicken broth to the large bowl of fried ingredients. Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and let everything soak for 15 minutes.
- Transfer half of the softened ingredients along with half of the liquid to a large blender and blend for 3 to 5 minutes on high until it’s as smooth as possible. Pour the blended mixture through a fine mesh strainer and into the same large Dutch oven or pot used for frying. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and liquid.
- Add the Mexican chocolate, chicken bouillon, and salt in the large Dutch oven or pot filled with the strained mole sauce. Heat over medium heat and cook for 8 minutes, until the chocolate has completely melted and the chicken bouillon has fully incorporated into the sauce. Taste and season with additional salt if necessary.
- Add in the cooked chicken pieces and cook for 2 more minutes to heat everything through. Serve chicken with a generous helping of mole sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.
Notes
- Chicken: If you just want to make the sauce and not the chicken that goes along with it, you’ll need 7 cups of chicken broth.
- Mexican cinnamon: If you don’t have a Mexican cinnamon stick (also known as Ceylon cinnamon), you can use 2 teaspoons of ground Ceylon cinnamon instead. If using ground cinnamon, add it in step 12 along with the Mexican chocolate, chicken bouillon, and salt.
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