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Clemole (Pueblan Thickened Chilli Broth)

Name: Clemole (Pueblan Thickened Chilli Broth)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 800 g Chicken (muslos y piernas); 4 Dried guajillo chilli; 2 Dried ancho chilli; 100 g Dough de maiz; 150 g Green beans (judias verdes); 1 Chayote; 2 Courgette; 1 White onion; 3 cloves Garlic; 2 sprigs Epazote

90 min (30 prep + 60 cook) Medium 6 servings Puebla

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 20 Mar 2026 · Updated: 23 Mar 2026

Thick Pueblan chicken broth with dried chillies, corn masa and seasonal vegetables.

About this recipe

Clemole is a traditional broth from the state of Puebla, thickened with corn masa and enriched with dried chillies. It is prepared with chicken or pork and complemented with green beans, chayote, corn cobs and courgettes. A comforting dish from Pueblan country cooking that combines the smoothness of a thick broth with the moderate heat of chillies.

History & Origin

Clemole, also known as tlemole or tlemoli, is one of the oldest stews from the Puebla and Tlaxcala region. Its name comes from the Nahuatl tlemoli, meaning fire mole, referring to the heat provided by the chillies. Unlike celebratory moles such as poblano or negro, clemole is an everyday peasant dish, prepared with ingredients available from the milpa and family garden. It is a close relative of chileatole and mole de olla, but is distinguished by its thick consistency achieved with nixtamalised corn masa dissolved in the broth. The women of the Sierra Norte de Puebla and the Central Valleys have prepared clemole for centuries as sustaining food for long days of work in the fields. The vegetables used change according to the season: in summer courgettes and green beans abound, in autumn chayote and tender corn cobs. Clemole is cooked in a clay pot over firewood, which imparts a subtle smoky flavour. It is served in deep clay bowls with freshly made tortillas and fresh serrano chilli for those who desire more heat.

Estimated cost

£8.00

Total cost

£1.33

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

340

Calories

24g

Protein

34g

Carbohydrates

12g

Fat

Fibre

500mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Cook the pollo in water with salt, onion and garlic for 30 minutes. Set aside the stock and the piezas of pollo.
💡 You can use cerdo in lugar of pollo si prefieres.
2
Deseed and soak the guajillo chillies and ancho in hot water 15 minutes. Blend them with a littlel water of remojo until you get a sauce lisa. Strain.
💡 Toast the chillies slightly in the comal (flat griddle) before of remojar.
3
Dissolve the dough of maiz in 1 taza of stock cold, asegurandote of that not queden grumos.
💡 La dough es the that da the texture thick caracteristica of the clemole.
4
In a large pot, frie the sauce of chillies in a little oil for 5 minutes. Anade the chicken stock and the dough dissolved. Mix well.
💡 Mueve constantemente to the anadir the dough for evitar grumos.
5
Add the verduras cortadas (green beans, chayote and courgette) and the epazote. Cook over medium heat 20 minutes until the verduras esten tiernas.
6
Fold in thes piezas of pollo, cook 5 minutes mas and serve in plates hondos with tortillas of maiz.
💡 Acompana with serrano chilli fresh and limon.