Mole Poblano (Puebla-Style Chili and Chocolate Sauce)

About This Recipe

Mole poblano is widely considered the most complex sauce in all of Mexican cuisine — a dark, lustrous reduction of dried chiles, Mexican chocolate, toasted nuts and seeds, dried fruit, charred bread, ground spices and charred tomatoes and onion, simmered for hours until it achieves a consistency between thick gravy and glossy ganache. The word 'mole' derives from the Nahuatl 'molli', meaning sauce or stew, and versions of it predate the arrival of the Spanish — but the iconic chocolate-chile combination that defines mole poblano developed in the colonial period in the convents of Puebla. The recipe demands patience above all else. Each component must be treated separately: the dried chiles are toasted briefly on a comal to activate their volatile oils, then soaked in hot water to rehydrate. Plantain, bread and tortilla are fried separately until golden. Almonds, peanuts, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds are toasted until fragrant. Dried fruit adds sweetness; charred white onion and garlic add bitterness; Mexican canela (true cinnamon), cloves, black pepper and cumin add warmth. The Mexican chocolate — sweetened, cinnamon-forward, with a grainy texture from coarse grinding — melts into the sauce in the final stage, adding depth and a faint bitter edge rather than sweetness. The result is a sauce of extraordinary complexity that is at once earthy, smoky, sweet, spicy, slightly bitter and deeply savory — a combination that reflects 3,000 years of Mexican culinary development. Mole poblano is served at weddings, baptisms, quinceañeras and Day of the Dead celebrations throughout Puebla and Oaxaca. It is not an everyday dish; it is a sacred one.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 4mulato chiles(dried; stemmed and seeded)
• 4ancho chiles(dried; stemmed and seeded)
• 4pasilla chiles(dried; stemmed and seeded)
• 2chipotle chiles in adobo(or 2 dried chipotle chiles)
• 2mulato negro or negro chiles(dried, if available)
• 1 smallripe plantain(peeled, sliced into rounds)
• 2corn tortillas(stale or lightly toasted)
• 1 slicebolillo or French bread(about 30g, fried until golden)
• 50 gblanched almonds
• 50 gpeanuts(raw, unsalted)
• 2 tbspsesame seeds
• 2 tbsppepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• 3 tbspraisins
• 1white onion(halved, charred on a dry comal)
• 5 clovesgarlic(charred on a dry comal, unpeeled)
• 2roma tomatoes(charred on a dry comal)
• 1 stickMexican canela (true cinnamon)(about 5 cm)
• 3cloves
• 5black peppercorns
• 1 tspdried thyme
• 1 tspdried marjoram
• 90 gMexican chocolate(Ibarra or Abuelita brand; chopped)
• 3 tbsplard or vegetable oil(for frying components)
• 1.5 litreschicken broth
• 1.5 kgchicken pieces(legs and thighs, bone-in)
• 1.5 tspsalt(plus more to taste)
• 1 tspsugar(to balance bitterness)

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast and soak the chiles

   Heat a dry comal or heavy skillet over medium heat. Toast each dried chile for 15–20 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly blistered — you should smell a toasty, raisin-like aroma. Do not burn them or the mole will be bitter. Transfer to a bowl, cover with boiling water and soak 20–30 minutes until fully soft. Reserve the soaking water (you may use some of it in the mole).

   Different chiles toast at different rates due to thickness. Toast separately to control each one.

2. 2

   Char the aromatics

   On the dry comal over high heat, char the halved onion and unpeeled garlic until blackened on the cut sides (about 5 minutes for onion, 3 minutes for garlic). Char the tomatoes until the skins blister and blacken. Peel the garlic. These charred elements are what give mole its characteristic roasted, slightly bitter undertone.

3. 3

   Toast nuts, seeds and spices

   In a dry skillet, toast the almonds, peanuts, pepitas and sesame seeds separately over medium heat until golden and fragrant. In the same pan, briefly toast the cinnamon stick, cloves and peppercorns until fragrant. Toast the raisins briefly until they puff slightly. Set all aside.

4. 4

   Fry the bread, tortilla and plantain

   In a heavy pot, heat 2 tbsp lard or oil over medium heat. Fry the bread slice until golden. Fry the tortilla pieces until crisp. Fry the plantain rounds until golden on both sides. Remove each with a slotted spoon.

5. 5

   Blend in batches

   Blend the soaked chiles with some of the chicken broth until smooth. Transfer to the pot. In batches, blend the charred aromatics, toasted nuts and seeds, fried bread/tortilla/plantain, raisins, spices, and more chicken broth until very smooth. Pass everything through a fine-mesh strainer for a silky sauce if desired.

   A high-powered blender gives the smoothest results. Blend each batch at least 2 minutes at high speed.

6. 6

   Cook the mole

   Heat 1 tbsp lard in the heavy pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully pour in the blended chile mixture (it will splatter). Stir constantly for 5 minutes as it fries and darkens. Add the remaining chicken broth gradually, stirring. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

7. 7

   Add chocolate and adjust

   Add the chopped Mexican chocolate, salt and sugar. Stir until the chocolate melts and integrates fully. Taste and adjust: add more chile soaking water for depth, more chocolate for richness, salt for balance, sugar if too bitter. The mole should coat a spoon thickly and taste complex with no single flavor dominating.

8. 8

   Simmer the chicken

   Add the bone-in chicken pieces to the mole. Simmer on low heat 35–40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender, turning occasionally. Serve over white rice or with warm corn tortillas, garnished with sesame seeds.

Variations

• •

  Mole negro (Oaxacan style): uses chilhuacle negro and mulato negro chiles plus charred dried chile seeds for an even darker, smokier sauce with chihuacle peppers and chocolate in equal balance.

• •

  Mole verde (green mole): tomatillos, pumpkin seeds, poblano chiles and herbs replace the dried chiles and chocolate — a completely different flavor profile, bright and herbal.

• •

  Mole amarillo: a thinner Oaxacan mole with guajillo and ancho chiles, no chocolate, typically served with green beans, zucchini and pork.

Storage

Mole poblano stores beautifully refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for 3 months (it actually improves with time). Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of chicken broth to loosen. Store separately from the chicken; combine when reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions