Mole Poblano with Chicken
Mexico's most famous festive sauce: dried chillies, nuts, seeds, spices, tomato and a little chocolate, cooked into a dark, velvety mole and served over tender chicken with sesame seeds.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Poach the chicken
Put the chicken, onion half and salt in a large pot, cover with the water and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for 35-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, then set it aside and keep about 1.5 litres of the broth for later.
- 1.8 kg chicken pieces
- ½ white onion
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 litres water
✅ Done when: chicken reaches 74C/165F and juices run clear
Toast and soak the chillies
Toast the ancho, mulato and in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 15-20 seconds per side, just until fragrant (burnt chillies make the mole bitter). Transfer to a bowl, cover with about 1 litre of the hot chicken broth and soak for 20 minutes.
- 4
- 4
- 3
- about 1 litre chicken broth (from step 1)
✅ Done when: chillies are soft and pliable
Fry the nuts, seeds and bread
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Fry the onion and tomato
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Blend
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Cook the mole
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Serve
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Poach the chicken
Put the chicken, onion half and salt in a large pot, cover with the water and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for 35-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through, then set it aside and keep about 1.5 litres of the broth for later.
- 1.8 kg chicken pieces
- ½ white onion
- 2 tsp salt
- 3 litres water
✅ Done when: chicken reaches 74C/165F and juices run clear
Toast and soak the chillies
Toast the ancho, mulato and in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 15-20 seconds per side, just until fragrant (burnt chillies make the mole bitter). Transfer to a bowl, cover with about 1 litre of the hot chicken broth and soak for 20 minutes.
- 4
- 4
- 3
- about 1 litre chicken broth (from step 1)
✅ Done when: chillies are soft and pliable
Fry the nuts, seeds and bread
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Fry the onion and tomato
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Blend
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Cook the mole
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Mole poblano is often called Mexico's national dish. It blends pre-Hispanic ingredients, like chillies, tomato and chocolate, with spices and almonds brought by the Spanish: a whole history of Mexico in one sauce.
It is the dish of weddings, baptisms and big family celebrations, and grandmothers often spend days toasting, grinding and stirring their family recipe.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Dozens of ingredients melt into one deep, complex sauce that is smoky, sweet, spicy and savoury all at once.
💡 Fun Fact
Legend says nuns at the Convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla invented mole in a panic, throwing together everything in the kitchen to feed a visiting archbishop.
Puebla
19.04°N, -98.21°W
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