Mexican recipe

Mole Poblano

Name: Mole Poblano
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 45 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Mexican cuisine
Ingredients: 1200 g bone-in chicken pieces; 70 g dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded; 55 g dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded; 35 g dried mulato chiles, stemmed and seeded; 80 g sesame seeds; 50 g almonds; 40 g peanuts; 35 g pumpkin seeds; 40 g raisins; 500 g ripe tomatoes; 180 g white onion; 5 garlic cloves; 2 corn tortillas, torn; 60 g day-old bolillo or baguette, sliced; 90 g Mexican chocolate; 2 g Mexican cinnamon; 1 g whole cloves; 2 g black peppercorns; 1500 ml unsalted chicken stock, plus more as needed; 80 ml neutral oil or lard; 10 g fine salt

A layered Puebla mole built from toasted dried chiles, nuts, seeds, spices, tomato, tortilla and restrained Mexican chocolate, blended silky and simmered until dark and glossy.

Puebla

Prep: 1 hr 15 min
Cook: 1 hr 45 min
Total: 3 hr
Servings: 8

Chicken in dark glossy mole poblano sprinkled with sesame — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by jay galvinSource page · Original file · CC BY 2.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

1200 g
bone-in chicken pieces
70 g
dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
55 g
dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
35 g
dried mulato chiles, stemmed and seeded
80 g
sesame seeds
50 g
almonds
40 g
peanuts
35 g
pumpkin seeds
40 g
raisins
500 g
ripe tomatoes
180 g
white onion
5
garlic cloves
2
corn tortillas, torn
60 g
day-old bolillo or baguette, sliced
90 g
Mexican chocolate
2 g
Mexican cinnamon
1 g
whole cloves
2 g
black peppercorns
1500 ml
unsalted chicken stock, plus more as needed
80 ml
neutral oil or lard
10 g
fine salt

Method

01
Poach the chicken gently
Simmer the chicken gently in stock for 25 minutes until just cooked through; lift it out and reserve the stock.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Toast the dried chiles
Heat a dry heavy skillet over medium heat and toast the dried chiles for about 30 seconds per side until fragrant, never blackened.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Soak the toasted chiles
Cover the toasted chiles with hot water and soak for 20 minutes until fully pliable; drain.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Toast the sesame seeds
Toast the sesame seeds in the dry skillet for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until pale gold; reserve some for garnish.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Brown the nuts and seeds
Add a little oil and fry the almonds, peanuts and pumpkin seeds for 3 minutes until fragrant and lightly coloured; remove.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Plump the raisins
Fry the raisins in the same pan for about 1 minute until they swell, then remove before they scorch.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Char the tomato, onion and garlic
Cook the tomatoes, onion and garlic on the hot skillet for 8–10 minutes, turning until softened with scattered charred spots.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
08
Toast the tortilla and bread
Fry the tortilla pieces and bread slices in a thin film of oil for 2–3 minutes until crisp and golden at the edges.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
09
Toast the whole spices
Toast cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns in the dry pan for 45 seconds until aromatic, shaking constantly.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
10
Blend the mole in batches
Blend the softened chiles, toasted nuts, seeds, raisins, vegetables, tortilla and bread in two batches with enough reserved stock to move freely, adding the toasted whole spices to the second batch; make both batches as smooth as possible.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
11
Fry the mole puree
Heat the remaining oil in a wide heavy pot, add the puree carefully and cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring often, until darker and visibly thick.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
12
Loosen the mole and melt in chocolate
Gradually whisk in reserved chicken stock until the mole flows like a thick sauce, bring it to a gentle simmer, then add the Mexican chocolate and stir for 3–4 minutes until completely melted and integrated.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
13
Simmer until glossy
Simmer the mole very gently for 20 minutes, stirring from the bottom often, until the flavour is rounded and the surface glossy.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
14
Warm the chicken in mole
Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer for 8 minutes so it heats through and picks up the mole without overcooking.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
15
Finish with sesame
Spoon the chicken and plenty of mole onto a warm platter and finish with the reserved toasted sesame seeds.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Build colour in the early stages, then keep the finished pot at a gentle simmer so meat stays tender and starches do not catch.
Taste for salt only after smoked meat, stock and reducing liquid have contributed their seasoning.

Common mistakes

A hard boil can toughen meat and reduce the liquid before the flavours have time to meld.
Letting a thick chile sauce sit unstirred over direct heat can scorch the bottom quickly and turn the whole pot bitter.

Substitutions

Use unsalted or low-sodium stock when possible so you can control seasoning after chiles, roasted vegetables and reduced cooking liquid have concentrated.
If the exact dried chile is unavailable, choose another Mexican dried chile with similar heat and fruitiness; the dish will remain workable but its regional flavour will shift.

Storage

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C for up to 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed until piping hot throughout.

Cultural context

Mole poblano is strongly associated with Puebla and exemplifies the long blending of Indigenous Mexican ingredients and techniques with ingredients introduced during the colonial era; chocolate is one element in a much broader chile-and-spice sauce.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Mole Poblano i.e the city of Puebla's mole — Photograph by jay galvin; CC BY 2.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Mexican recipes

Mole Poblano

Ingredients

Method

Poach the chicken gently

Toast the dried chiles

Soak the toasted chiles

Toast the sesame seeds

Brown the nuts and seeds

Plump the raisins

Char the tomato, onion and garlic

Toast the tortilla and bread

Toast the whole spices

Blend the mole in batches

Fry the mole puree

Loosen the mole and melt in chocolate

Simmer until glossy

Warm the chicken in mole

Finish with sesame

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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