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Chicken Mole With Rice Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 131 reviews

This Chicken Mole with Rice recipe combines rich, smoky aromatics from toasted dried chilies and roasted vegetables with the sweet depth of chocolate and prunes to create a deeply flavorful Mexican classic. The mole sauce is simmered slowly to develop thickness and complexity, and is served generously over tender poached chicken with a side of fluffy Mexican rice.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Mole Sauce

  • 10 dried guajillo chilies, stems removed
  • 4 dried ancho chilies, stems removed
  • 3 dried pasilla chilies, stems removed
  • 5 Roma tomatoes, quartered
  • 1 large white onion, sliced
  • 8–10 garlic cloves
  • 5 dried pitted prunes
  • 2 corn tortillas, toasted until crunchy
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or broth reserved from cooking chicken)
  • 1 tablet Abuelita chocolate (or ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips)
  • 2 tbsp peanut butter
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar

For the Chicken

  • Whole chicken pieces
  • 1 whole onion (for poaching chicken)
  • 3 garlic cloves (for poaching chicken)
  • 2 tsp salt (for poaching chicken)
  • 8 cups water

To Serve

  • Mexican rice
  • Warm tortillas
  • Fresh cilantro (optional garnish)
  • Toasted sesame seeds (optional garnish)

Instructions

  1. Cook the Chicken: In a large pot, combine chicken pieces, a whole onion, 3 garlic cloves, salt, and 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove the chicken and set aside. Strain and reserve the broth for the mole sauce.
  2. Prepare the Dried Chiles: Preheat your oven to 475°F. Place guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chilies on a foil-lined baking sheet. Toast them in the oven for 6 minutes, flipping halfway through to ensure even toasting. Transfer the toasted chilies to a large bowl and soak in warm water for 30 minutes to 1 hour until softened. Drain and set aside.
  3. Roast the Vegetables: Using the same baking sheet, roast the quartered tomatoes and sliced onion at 475°F for 20 minutes. Look for deep browning or light charring on the bottoms; this adds wonderful depth to the mole’s flavor.
  4. Blend the Mole Base: In a blender, combine the roasted tomatoes, onion, remaining garlic cloves, prunes, toasted tortillas, salt, cinnamon, oregano, cloves, and 3 cups of the reserved chicken broth. Blend until smooth, about 3 minutes.
  5. Strain and Cook Base Sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over low heat. Strain the blended sauce through a fine mesh strainer into the pot to remove seeds and skins. Reserve about 1 cup of this strained sauce in the blender for the next step.
  6. Add the Chiles: Add the soaked chilies and 3 more cups of chicken broth to the blender with the reserved sauce. Blend until completely smooth, about 3–4 minutes. Strain this chile sauce mixture into the pot with the first layer of sauce and stir well to combine.
  7. Simmer and Thicken the Mole: Bring the combined sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Once bubbling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer gently for 30–45 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken to a rich consistency.
  8. Finish the Mole: Stir in the chocolate, peanut butter, and sugar into the simmering sauce until completely melted and smooth. Continue simmering for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding more salt, sugar, or spices as desired.
  9. Serve: Arrange the cooked chicken pieces in a large shallow bowl or serving platter. Generously ladle the hot mole sauce over the chicken. Serve immediately alongside fluffy Mexican rice, warm tortillas, and garnish with fresh cilantro and toasted sesame seeds if desired.

Notes

  • Soaking the chilies properly is essential to soften them for blending and to mellow their flavors.
  • Toasted tortillas add body and thickness to the mole sauce.
  • Use low-sodium chicken broth or broth from cooking the chicken to control saltiness.
  • Adjust the level of sweetness and spice by tasting the sauce before finishing.
  • The mole sauce can be made ahead and reheated gently before serving.
  • Serve with traditional sides like Mexican rice and warm tortillas for a complete meal.

Keywords: chicken mole, Mexican mole sauce, guajillo chilies, ancho chilies, pasilla chilies, prunes, chocolate sauce, Mexican cuisine, traditional mole, mole with rice

Find it online: https://cheframiflavor.com/chicken-mole-with-rice-recipe/