MolesHard

Mole Poblano

Name: Mole Poblano
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 180 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 6 Mulato chilli; 4 Pasilla chilli; 100 g Mexican chocolate; 3 Cloves; 0.25 tsp Cumin; 5 Ancho chilli; 2 Dried chipotle chilli; 0.5 Stale bread roll (bolillo); 3 tbsp Sesame seeds; 0.25 cup Almond; 0.25 cup Peanut; 1 White onion; 1 Cinnamon stick; 0.5 tsp Anise seeds; 4 cups Chicken stock; 2 tbsp Sugar; 4 Garlic clove; 4 Tomato; 4 tbsp Lard; 3 tbsp Raisins; 5 Allspice berries; 1 Ripe plantain; 1.5 kilogramos Chicken pieces; 1 to taste Salt; 2 Corn tortilla

180 min (60 prep + 120 cook) Hard 10 servings Puebla

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 4 Feb 2026 · Updated: 10 Mar 2026

A complex sauce of chillies, chocolate and spices served over chicken.

Servings

Custom:

💰 Estimated cost: £25.28

£2.53 per person

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Ingredients

6 Mulato chilli~£1.08find
4 Pasilla chilli~£0.48find
100 g Mexican chocolate~£3.89find
3 Cloves~£1.25find
0.3 tsp Cumin~£0.12find
5 Ancho chilli~£0.90find
2 Dried chipotle chilli~£0.30find
0.5 Stale bread roll (bolillo)~£0.20find
3 tbsp Sesame seeds~£1.13find
0.3 cup Almond~£0.54find
0.3 cup Peanut~£0.26find
1 White onion~£0.18find
1 Cinnamon stick~£1.25find
0.5 tsp Anise seeds~£0.10find
4 cups Chicken stock~£1.00find
2 tbsp Sugar~£0.03find
4 Garlic clove~£0.10find
4 Tomato~£1.20find
4 tbsp Lard~£0.18find
3 tbsp Raisins~£0.68find
5 Allspice berries~£1.50find
1 Ripe plantain~£0.38find
1.5 kilogramos Chicken pieces~£6.75find
1 to taste Salt~£0.03find
2 Corn tortilla~£1.75find

About this recipe

Mole poblano is the most iconic dish in Mexican gastronomy and the pride of Puebla. This extraordinarily complex sauce combines over 20 ingredients including mulato, ancho and pasilla chillies, chocolate, spices, dried fruits and seeds. Traditionally served over turkey or chicken, it is reserved for the grandest celebrations.

History & Origin

Mole poblano is considered the quintessential baroque dish of Mexican gastronomy and a Cultural Heritage of Puebla. According to the most popular legend, it was created accidentally by Sor Andrea de la Asuncion at the Convent of Santa Rosa de Lima in the seventeenth century, when the bishop visited the convent and she mixed together all the ingredients available in the kitchen. It combines more than 20 ingredients representing the fusion of two worlds: chillies and chocolate from pre-Hispanic Mexico with spices, dried fruits and culinary techniques brought by the Spanish. It is traditionally served over guajolote (turkey) at weddings, christenings, quinceaneras and Day of the Dead, making it the most important ceremonial dish in Mexico. Its preparation can take up to three days, and it is said that for the mole to turn out perfectly, it must be prepared with love and patience, for 'mole made in haste has no flavour at all'.

Estimated cost

£21.61

Total cost

£2.16

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

580

Calories

35g

Protein

48g

Carbohydrates

28g

Fat

Fibre

950mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Simmer the chicken in water with onion, garlic, salt and herbs for 35 minutes. Reserve the stock and chicken pieces.
2
Devein all the chillies (mulato, ancho, pasilla and chipotle), removing seeds and veins. Toast on a dry comal over medium heat for 30 seconds on each side. Soak in hot water for 20 minutes.
💡 Toast each variety separately as they have different thicknesses. Do not burn them or the mole will taste bitter.
3
On the same comal, toast the almonds, peanuts, sesame seeds and raisins separately, 2–3 minutes each over medium-low heat until lightly golden.
4
Fry the ripe plantain slices in a little lard until golden on both sides. In the same fat, fry the stale bread until crispy.
5
Dry-roast the tomatoes, onion and garlic on the comal for 10 minutes until softened.
💡 Don't over-toast — burnt chillies make the sauce bitter.
6
Blend in batches: first the soaked chillies with some stock; then the toasted nuts and seeds; then the tomatoes, bread, plantain and raisins. Strain each batch through a sieve into a single bowl.
💡 Blend each batch very well for 2–3 minutes. A poorly blended mole will have a grainy texture.
7
Heat the lard in a large, heavy-based pot over medium-high heat. Pour in all the strained sauce at once (it will splutter). Fry, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes.
8
Add the Mexican chocolate broken into pieces, the sugar and 2 cups of chicken stock. Lower the heat to minimum and cook for 45 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
💡 The mole should bubble gently. If it is splattering, the heat is too high.
9
The sauce is ready when it releases fat around the edges and coats the back of a spoon. Adjust the salt.
💡 The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add a little water if it gets too thick.
10
Add the chicken pieces to the mole and cook for a further 15 minutes so they absorb the flavour.
11
Serve the chicken bathed in mole, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. Accompany with red rice and corn tortillas.
💡 Mole tastes even better the next day. You can prepare the sauce a day ahead and reheat.