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Pipian Verde Recipe with Chicken (Mole Verde)
5 from 21 votes

Pipian Verde Recipe with Chicken (Mole Verde)

Pipian Verde with Chicken is a vibrant mole verde featuring chicken simmered in a sauce made from tomatillos, poblano and serrano peppers, garlic, and a blend of seeds and nuts including sesame, pepitas, and peanuts. The mole is seasoned with cumin and peppercorns, and fresh greens like romaine, radish greens, and cilantro finish the sauce.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs
Servings: 6
Calories: 935 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 pound chicken breast thighs, drums, and wings, broken down into individual breasts
  • 6 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 10 cups chicken stock water, or vegetable stock
  • 2 onion yellow, peeled, cut into wedges
  • 6 tomatillo peeled
  • 2 poblano pepper seeded
  • 1 Serrano pepper seeded
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon peppercorns
  • ½ cup sesame seeds
  • ¾ cup Pepitas pumpkin seeds
  • ¾ cup peanuts
  • 4 romaine lettuce leaves
  • ½ cup radish greens
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves and stems
  • 2 epazote leaves optional
  • sea salt coarse, to taste
  • black pepper coarse, to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. Next, add the 3 tablespoons of avocado or olive oil to a rondeau pot over high heat until it smokes lightly.
  2. Place in the chicken skin side down and then turn the heat down to medium-high. Sear the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until well browned on both sides. Set it aside on a plate.
  3. This is optional, but add in 1 peeled yellow onion cut into wedges, 2 roughly chopped carrots, 2 roughly chopped ribs of celery, 2 garlic cloves, and 1 bay leaf and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. If not, proceed straight to adding in the chicken stock.
  4. Pour in the chicken stock and season it with salt and pepper. Place the chicken back in the liquid, add on a lid, and cover over medium heat for 1 hour.
  5. On a sheet tray lined with parchment paper, evenly spread out 1 onion, poblano peppers, serrano peppers, garlic cloves, and tomatillos.
  6. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of avocado or olive oil over the top of the vegetables and season them with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 425° for 25 to 30 minutes or until browned.
  7. In the meantime, toast the cumin seeds and peppercorns for 3 to 4 minutes over low to medium heat while frequently stirring or until fragrant. Place in a bowl or a mortar.
  8. Next, toast the sesame seeds in that same pan for 3 to 4 minutes over low to medium heat while frequently stirring or until lightly browned. Add in the same bowl or mortar.
  9. Repeat the process for the pepitas and then the peanuts. Using a pestle, finely grind all the spices, seeds, and nuts.
  10. Transfer the roasted vegetables, ground spices, nuts, and seeds to a blender along with romaine leaves, radish greens, cilantro, and epazote. Next, pour 2 cups of chicken stock from the pan with the braising chicken. Blend on high speed until it becomes smooth.
  11. Transfer the mixture to a large rondeau pan and season it to taste with salt and pepper.
  12. Remove the chicken from the braising liquid pan and place in the pan with the pipian sauce, and cook over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes or until the sauce is infused into the chicken.
  13. Serve the chicken with optional garnishes of pepitas and chopped fresh cilantro.

Notes

  • This dish can be prepared up to one day in advance and reheated before serving.
  • Store covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days or freeze for 3 months; thaw completely before reheating over low heat.
  • Increase heat with more serrano peppers or hotter chiles like habanero if desired.
  • If fresh epazote isn’t available, substitute with 1 teaspoon dried epazote or use greens such as green leaf lettuce, spinach, or parsley.
  • Use a food processor if a mortar and pestle aren’t available for grinding seeds, spices, and nuts.
  • The leftover chicken braising liquid can be reserved for other recipes or frozen for later use.

Nutrition Information

Calories 935kcal (47%) Carbohydrates 21g (7%) Protein 58g (116%) Fat 70g (108%) Saturated Fat 15g (75%) Polyunsaturated Fat 17g (100%) Monounsaturated Fat 33g (165%) Trans Fat 0.2g (10%) Cholesterol 175mg (58%) Sodium 399mg (17%) Potassium 1120mg (24%) Fiber 6g (24%) Sugar 7g (14%) Vitamin A 1115IU (22%) Vitamin C 60mg (67%) Calcium 254mg (25%) Iron 6mg (33%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 935

% Daily Value*

Calories 935kcal 47%
Carbohydrates 21g 7%
Protein 58g 116%
Fat 70g 108%
Saturated Fat 15g 75%
Polyunsaturated Fat 17g 100%
Monounsaturated Fat 33g 165%
Trans Fat 0.2g 10%
Cholesterol 175mg 58%
Sodium 399mg 17%
Potassium 1120mg 24%
Fiber 6g 24%
Sugar 7g 14%
Vitamin A 1115IU 22%
Vitamin C 60mg 67%
Calcium 254mg 25%
Iron 6mg 33%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.