Mexican

Serving

Mole Poblano

Name: Mole Poblano
Total time: 180 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (or 3 lbs bone-in thighs/drumsticks); 4 dried Mulato, 4 Ancho, and 3 Pasilla chilies, stemmed and seeded; 1 tablet (3 oz) Mexican chocolate (like Ibarra or Abuelita), roughly chopped; 1/4 cup almonds, 1/4 cup sesame seeds, and 1/4 cup raisins; 1/2 plantain, sliced and fried; 4 cups chicken broth; 1/2 onion; 3 cloves garlic; 2 tbsp oil or lard

A complex, rich, dark sauce poured over poultry, containing chilies, spices, and chocolate.

180 minutes

Serves 4

63 min prep

99 min cook

Contains common allergens

Sesame Tree nut

In the app, Listahan checks these against your household automatically.

Instructions

6 steps

1
Poach Chicken: In a large pot, cover the chicken pieces with water, half an onion, and garlic. Simmer gently for 45 minutes until cooked through. Reserve 4 cups of the broth.
2
Toast Ingredients: In a dry skillet over medium heat, individually toast the dried chilies, almonds, sesame seeds, and raisins until fragrant. Soak the chilies in hot water for 20 minutes to soften.
3
Blend the Mole: In batches, blend the softened chilies, toasted nuts/seeds, raisins, fried plantain, and 2 cups of the reserved chicken broth until a very smooth, thick paste forms.
4
Fry the Paste: Heat 2 tbsp of oil or lard in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Carefully pour in the mole paste. Fry for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly, until it darkens and thickens significantly.
5
Simmer and Melt: Stir in the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth and the chopped Mexican chocolate. Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate melts and the sauce reduces to a velvety consistency.
6
Serve: Add the cooked chicken pieces into the mole sauce to warm through. Serve over white rice and garnish generously with toasted sesame seeds.

Mole Poblano — plated and served — Serving moment. How Mole Poblano looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

59/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 80

Kid-friendly 27

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 72

Great leftovers 87

Pantry-friendly 37

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

105

Calories

6 g

Protein

11 g

Carbs

5 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Mole poblano is the celebrated dark sauce of Puebla, often called Mexico's national dish, built from dozens of ingredients including multiple chiles, seeds, spices, and a small amount of chocolate. Legend credits convent nuns with improvising it for a visiting archbishop, though its roots blend indigenous and colonial pantries. The chocolate is a seasoning for depth, not a dessert note, which surprises many first-timers.

Listahan note

This version respects the long ingredient list but organizes it into stages so a home cook can actually finish the sauce. It serves the mole over chicken, the most traditional pairing.

Technique cues

Toast each component group separately and to its own doneness, since chiles, seeds, and spices burn at different rates and bitterness ruins mole.
Blend the sauce in batches and strain it, then fry the strained paste in hot fat until it darkens and thickens, the step that develops the flavor.
Add the chocolate at the very end off direct high heat so it melts smoothly without seizing or turning grainy.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Set up toasting stations and toast chiles, seeds, nuts, and spices in sequence while the chicken poaches in the background.
Make-ahead: Mole improves with rest, so make the sauce a day or two ahead and reheat gently with reserved broth to loosen.
Leftover move: Spoon leftover mole over scrambled eggs, fold into enchiladas, or freeze in portions for a fast future dinner.
Cleanup rhythm: Wipe the toasting pan between batches to avoid burnt residue, and soak the blender immediately since mole stains quickly.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

dried mulato, ancho, and pasilla chiles

sauce foundation

Purpose: This blend gives mole its dark color and layered, raisiny depth without sharp heat.

Handling: Stem, seed, toast carefully, and soak before blending.

Adaptation: Guajillo can fill in for one chile type, but the trio is what makes it mole poblano.

Mexican chocolate

depth and roundness

Purpose: A small amount adds bitterness and body that ties the spices together.

Handling: Chop and stir in at the end until melted.

Adaptation: Dark chocolate plus a pinch of cinnamon approximates Mexican chocolate.

sesame and pumpkin seeds

thickener and nutty flavor

Purpose: Toasted seeds thicken the sauce and add a savory, nutty backbone.

Handling: Toast until golden and fragrant, reserving some sesame for garnish.

Adaptation: Almonds or peanuts can stand in but shift the flavor and add tree-nut or peanut allergens.

chicken

main protein

Purpose: Mild poached or roasted chicken is the classic canvas for the bold sauce.

Handling: Poach in seasoned broth and reserve the broth to thin the mole.

Adaptation: Turkey is traditional for holidays; the sauce also suits enchiladas or roasted vegetables.

warm spices (cinnamon, clove, anise)

aromatic complexity

Purpose: They give mole its faintly sweet, perfumed character.

Handling: Toast briefly and grind, using a light hand so no single spice dominates.

Adaptation: A quality mole paste shortcut can replace the from-scratch spice work.

Technique notes

Fry the strained mole paste in a little hot lard or oil until it leaves a trail when you drag a spoon; this caramelization is where mole gains its signature depth.
Adjust at the end with a touch of sugar or salt to balance the chile and chocolate, tasting as you go.
Garnish with toasted sesame seeds for texture and a visual nod to the layered effort inside the sauce.

Ingredient swaps

Tree-nut-free direction: Build the thickener from pumpkin and sesame seeds rather than almonds or peanuts.
Gluten-free direction: Skip any bread or cracker thickener and lean on seeds, confirming the chocolate is gluten-free.
Weeknight shortcut: Start from a good-quality mole paste and bloom it in fat, then thin with broth and finish with chocolate.

Serve alongside

Mexican red rice
Warm corn tortillas
Refried beans
Pickled red onions
Horchata
Mexican hot chocolate
Jamaica agua fresca

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerate mole for up to 5 days; it thickens and deepens, so reheat with a splash of broth to loosen. The sauce freezes exceptionally well for up to 3 months in portions. Reheat gently and stir often so the chocolate and seeds do not scorch.

Equipment

Heavy dry skillet for toasting
High-powered blender for a smooth paste
Fine-mesh sieve for straining
Wide deep pot for frying and simmering the sauce

Make this household-aware

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