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Pot Mole Stew (Mole de Olla)

Name: Pot Mole Stew (Mole de Olla)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 150 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 Pumpkin criolla; 1 kg Chambarete de res; 4 Ancho chilli; 3 Pasilla chilli; 3 Corn on the cob; 2 Chayote; 200 g Green beans; 3 sprigs Fresh epazote; 3 cloves Garlic; 1 Onion; to taste Salt

150 min (30 prep + 120 cook) Medium 8 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 11 Mar 2026 · Updated: 16 Apr 2026

Beef broth with dried chiles, corn, chayote, and squash.

About this recipe

Mole de olla is a comforting soup-stew from Mexican cuisine that combines bone-in beef (shank, ribs, or backbone) slow-cooked in a dried chile broth with vegetables like chayote, corn on the cob, green beans, and squash. Unlike thick, complex moles like poblano or negro, mole de olla is a lighter but deeply flavorful broth where ancho and pasilla chiles take center stage. Vegetables are added at staggered intervals based on their cooking times so each retains its texture. It is served in clay bowls with fresh epazote, lime, and warm tortillas. This is a soul-warming dish for cold days, and every Mexican grandmother makes it with her own secret touch.

History & Origin

Mole de olla is one of the oldest stews in Mexican cuisine, with roots dating back to pre-Hispanic times. Before the Spanish arrival, Nahua peoples prepared similar broths with venison or turkey, chiles, and wild greens. With the introduction of cattle, the recipe evolved into the version we know today. The word "mole" comes from the Nahuatl "molli" meaning "mixture" or "sauce," and "de olla" refers to its cooking in a clay pot over a wood fire. Unlike other moles that are ground and fried, mole de olla is characterized by cooking the chiles directly in the broth. It is a dish found throughout central Mexico, from Puebla to Queretaro, with each region adding its own local vegetables and chiles. In traditional markets, mole de olla is a star dish at food stalls, especially on rainy and cold days. It is considered a restorative dish, recommended for recovering from illness and hangovers.

Estimated cost

£28.00

Total cost

£3.50

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

280

Calories

22g

Protein

26g

Carbohydrates

10g

Fat

Fibre

480mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Place the beef in a large pot with 3 litros of cold water, the onion into quarters and the garlic. Bring to the boil and remove the espuma that forme. Reduce the heat and cook over low heat for 1.5 hours until the meat is tender.
💡 Empezar with cold water ayuda a extraer more flavour of the bone and produce a stock more limpio.
2
While the meat cook, desvena and soak the chillies ancho and pasilla in hot water for 20 minutes. Blend them with a taza of the stock of the meat until you get a sauce soft. Strain the sauce.
3
Add the sauce of chilli colada to the stock with the meat. Mix well and deja hervir 10 minutes for that the flavours integren.
4
Add primero the corn cobs and the chayote, that necesitan more tiempo of cooking. Cook 15 minutes.
💡 Add the verduras escalonadamente for that each a is in its punto.
5
Add the pumpkin and the green beans. Cook 10-12 minutes more until all the verduras they are tiernas pero firmes.
6
Add the ramas of epazote fresh, season with salt and cook 3 minutes more. Serve in cazuelas of barro with a trozo of meat, verduras variadas and bastante stock. Serve with lime and tortillas.
💡 El epazote add to the final for preservar its aroma; not it cocines of more.