Chicken In Mole Sauce

Rich, complex, and utterly delicious, mole sauce is a quintessential Mexican specialty.

This recipe combines the deep flavors of ancho and mulato chilies, dark chocolate, and spices with tender chicken, all wrapped up in a velvety, slightly sweet sauce that’s sure to become a new favorite.

Ready Time

1 hrs 30 mins

Yields

5 servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
2 ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
2 mulato chilies, stemmed and seeded
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup Mexican crema or heavy cream
1 tablespoon honey
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Instructions

Start by toasting the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned. Let cool completely.

In a blender or spice grinder, grind the almonds, raisins, chocolate chips, ancho chilies, mulato chilies, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, and salt until finely ground.

In a shallow dish, mix together the flour, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, shaking off excess.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium and add the diced onion to the skillet.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly caramelized, about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the ground spice mixture, chicken broth, crema or heavy cream, and honey.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return the chicken to the skillet and simmer until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.

Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and serve.

Notes

Make sure to toast the almonds until fragrant and lightly browned, as this will enhance the flavor of the mole sauce. While grinding the spice mixture, be careful not to overprocess, as this can lead to a bitter flavor.

When browning the chicken, don’t overcrowd the skillet, cook in batches if necessary.

The caramelized onions are a key component of the dish, so take your time and cook them slowly. The mole sauce will thicken as it simmers, so be patient and adjust the seasoning accordingly.

If using heavy cream instead of crema, you may want to adjust the amount of honey to your taste.

This recipe makes 5 servings, so feel free to adjust the ingredient quantities as needed.