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Loading...Mole Rojo con Pollo is one of Mexico's most celebrated dishes, a deep, brick-red sauce built on dried chiles, warm spices, toasted seeds, and a whisper of chocolate. Each component is layered with care, then slow-simmered with tender chicken until the sauce turns glossy, complex, and gently spiced. Serve it with rice and warm tortillas for a soul-warming meal that tastes like a fiesta in a bowl.
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time75 mins
Total Time105 mins
Servings6
Yield6 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 585 kcalCalories
- 28 gFat
- 7 gSaturated Fat
- 42 gCarbs
- 8 gFiber
- 12 gSugar
- 38 gProtein
- 720 mgSodium
- 950 mgPotassium
- 120 mgCalcium
- 5 mgIron
- 18 mgVitamin C
- 280 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 3 lb bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin on
- 1 small white onion, halved
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp kosher salt
For the chile sauce
- 4 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 3 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2 dried pasilla chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2 cups hot chicken broth or water
- 2 Roma tomatoes, halved
- 2 tomatillos, husked and rinsed
For the mole base
- 3 tbsp lard or neutral oil
- 1 small white onion, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- 2 tbsp raisins
- 1 slice stale bolillo or 1 corn tortilla, torn
- 1 disk (about 1.5 oz) Mexican chocolate or 1 oz dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp brown sugar or piloncillo
Directions
- Place the dried chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast for 20 to 30 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly pliable; do not let them scorch. Transfer to a bowl, cover with the hot broth, and soak for 20 minutes until softened.
- While the chiles soak, place the chicken in a large pot with the onion, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer 25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Reserve 3 cups of the broth and shred the meat from the bones, discarding skin and bones.
- Drain the chiles, reserving the soaking liquid. In the same skillet, char the tomato halves and tomatillos cut-side down for 3 to 4 minutes until blackened. Transfer to a blender with the soaked chiles, 1 cup of the reserved soaking liquid, and blend until very smooth; strain through a fine mesh sieve.
- In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, heat the lard over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook 6 minutes until golden, then add the garlic, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and raisins. Toast, stirring, for 3 minutes until the nuts are fragrant and the raisins plump.
- Stir in the torn bread or tortilla, the chocolate, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, oregano, salt, and sugar. Pour in the strained chile puree and the reserved chicken broth. Simmer uncovered, stirring often, for 25 to 30 minutes until the sauce thickens to coat the back of a spoon and deepens to a brick-red color.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot and simmer another 8 to 10 minutes to let the flavors meld. Taste and adjust salt and sweetness; the mole should be rich, gently spicy, and slightly sweet with a long, deep finish.
- Serve hot in shallow bowls over white rice or with warm corn tortillas on the side, garnished with sesame seeds and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro if desired.
Cook’s Notes
- Toast the chiles just until fragrant; burnt chiles will make the entire mole bitter.
- Mole rojo tastes even better the next day, so consider making it a day ahead and reheating gently.
- For a silkier sauce, strain the blended chile puree twice through a fine mesh sieve.
- If the sauce gets too thick while simmering, loosen it with additional chicken broth a few tablespoons at a time.
- Use authentic Mexican chocolate (such as Abuelita or Ibarra) for the most traditional rounded sweetness.
