Chicken Mole
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
25 mins
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Total Time
40 mins
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Servings
8
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Calories
582 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Lunch, Dinner
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Cuisine
Mexican
Chicken Mole
Description
This Chicken Mole recipe features a sauce built from dried ancho chiles soaked and blended with roasted tomatoes, toasted almonds and sesame seeds, dark baking chocolate, raisins, and seasoned with chipotle chiles in adobo, cumin, cinnamon, and Mexican oregano. Garlic adds pungency, while chicken stock ensures a smooth sauce base. Cooking the bone-in, skinned chicken thighs under pressure in the sauce tenderizes the meat and concentrates the flavors.
The chicken is shredded after cooking and mixed back into a thickened mole sauce, resulting in a rich, hearty preparation. The dish is complemented by toasted corn tortillas, crumbled cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges to provide freshness and contrast to the sauce’s depth.
Serving this mole with warm tortillas allows for a hands-on experience that brings out the traditional Mexican character of the dish. The sauce’s blend of spicy, sweet, and savory notes from the chocolate, chiles, and nuts deliver a layered flavor profile typical of mole preparations.
For best results, bone-in chicken thighs add flavor but can be substituted with boneless thighs by reducing pressure cooking time to 20 minutes. Saving some mole sauce for future use extends the value of the recipe. Toasting tortillas directly on a burner lightens them and adds a smoky element.
Ingredients
- 3 ancho chile dried
- 28 oz roasted tomatoes whole
- 1 white onion roughly chopped, medium
- 1/2 cup almonds toasted, sliced
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds toasted
- 1/2 cup baking chocolate dark
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- 1 tbsp cumin ground
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 lbs chicken thighs bone-in, skinned (See Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 16 corn tortillas 6 inch
- 1/4 cup cotija cheese crumbled
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped, leaves
- 2 lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- In a bowl cover ancho chiles with boiling water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain and discard stems and seeds.
- In a small sauté pan toast the almonds and sesame seeds for 3 minutes. Set aside.
- In a blender or food processor add seeded chiles, tomatoes, onion, almonds, sesame seeds, chocolate, raisins, chicken stock, chipotles and adobo sauce, cumin, cinnamon, Mexican oregano and garlic in a food processor until smooth.
- Season chicken with salt and place inside Instant Pot. Pour in mole sauce mixture. Cover, seal vent and hit Manual setting, High Pressure, 25 minutes.
- Open vent and allow steam to release. Remove chicken and place on a cutting board to remove bones. If sauce is thin, cook on Sauté to reduce and thicken while you shred chicken.
- Shred chicken into large pieces then return to Instant Pot and mole sauce. Reserve 2 cups of the mole sauce for another use.
- Toast and slightly char corn tortillas on both sides over medium-high directly on burner or toast on both sides in a small skillet over medium heat.
- Top tortillas with chicken mole sauce, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Stove Top
- Cook the mole sauce for 3 1/2 hours covered on low heat adding water to loosen sauce if needed. Add the chicken in last hour of cooking. Remove chicken and shred meat. Return to mole and serve.
Notes
- Bone-in chicken thighs add depth of flavor, but boneless thighs can be used by lowering cooking time to 20 minutes.
- Toasting the tortillas on a burner adds a slight char and enhances aroma.
- Reserve 2 cups of the mole sauce for use in other dishes or later meals.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 582 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 582kcal | 29% |
| Carbohydrates | 52g | 17% |
| Protein | 27g | 54% |
| Fat | 30g | 46% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Cholesterol | 115mg | 38% |
| Sodium | 494mg | 21% |
| Potassium | 806mg | 17% |
| Fiber | 11g | 44% |
| Sugar | 12g | 24% |
| Vitamin A | 4035IU | 81% |
| Vitamin C | 12.5mg | 14% |
| Calcium | 171mg | 17% |
| Iron | 5.3mg | 29% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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