Enmoladas (Mole-Drenched Tortillas with Chicken)

History & Origin

Enmoladas are one of the oldest and most beloved preparations in Mexican cuisine, born from the need to use up leftover mole from the day before. In Mexican homes, when mole is prepared for a celebration, it is tradition that the following day tortillas are drenched in the remaining mole, creating enmoladas. Unlike enchiladas bathed in red or green salsa, enmoladas use mole as their main sauce, giving them an extraordinary complexity of flavours. The mole, with its more than 20 ingredients including dried chillies, chocolate, spices, seeds and dried fruits, wraps the chicken-filled tortillas in a dark, glossy layer full of history and tradition. In Oaxaca they are prepared with black or coloradito mole, in Puebla with mole poblano, and in each region with the local mole. Enmoladas are generally served as a main course accompanied by red rice and frijoles de olla. They are a dish that demonstrates how Mexican cuisine knows how to reinvent itself without losing its roots.