Mole tamales: the Mexican classic with chicken and mother sauce

What is it?

Mole tamales are one of the pillars of the Mexican tamale repertoire. They feature nixtamalised maize masa whisked with lard until fluffy, a piece of shredded chicken and a generous spoonful of mole, almost always poblano or red. They are wrapped in maize husk and steamed in large iron tamale pots. In Mexico City, Puebla and Tlaxcala they are the preferred option for an early breakfast, accompanied by café de olla, chocolate atole or inside a telera as a tamale torta. Together with the green tamale with chicken and the rajas tamale with cheese, they form the classic trilogy offered by tamale vendors at dawn from a white cart.

Origin and history

The mole tamale is the direct fruit of colonial mestizaje between the pre-Hispanic cuisine of the tamale and the convent cuisine of mole, both perfected in Puebla from the seventeenth century onwards. Tamales predate the Conquest; mole poblano, according to the most widespread legend, was developed at the Convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla, attributed to Sor Andrea de la Asunción to honour the viceroy. The combination of both took hold during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in Puebla kitchens and spread throughout central Mexico. Recetas Nestlé and Cocina Fácil document that the current version with chicken cooked in its own juices, mole poblano or red mole and fluffy masa comes from twentieth-century Mexican family kitchens, where the use of leftover mole to fill tamales was a common practice. Milenio highlights that in the towns of the Mixteca and Sierra Norte de Puebla they continue to be prepared for patron-saint feasts and mayordomías.

Characteristic ingredients

The masa for mole tamales is prepared with finely ground nixtamalised maize, well-whisked lard until fluffy and floating in water, salt and degreased chicken broth. Some recipes add baking powder to guarantee fluffiness. The filling is shredded chicken cooked in broth with onion, garlic and bay leaf. The mole can be poblano (with chocolate, spices, ancho, mulato, pasilla chillies and almonds) or a simpler red mole (chile ancho, guajillo, sesame and bread). Dried maize husks are hydrated for 30 minutes in hot water to make them flexible. To assemble the tamale, a layer of masa is spread on the husk, shredded chicken is placed on it and bathed with mole, the wrap is closed and they are steamed for 1 to 1.5 hours. The masa comes out fluffy, the chicken juicy and the mole permeates the whole piece.

Cultural significance

Mole tamales represent the heart of the mestizo Mexican table and are protagonists of the Day of Candelaria (2 February), Christmas, Day of the Dead, mayordomías and patron-saint feasts across much of central and southern Mexico. Traditional Mexican cuisine, with its tamales and moles, was recognised by UNESCO in 2010 as Intangible Heritage of Humanity. In Mexico City, tamale carts are an economic mainstay for thousands of migrant families (especially Oaxacan, Pueblan and Guerrerense ones) who sell from before dawn through the streets. In Puebla and Tlaxcala, mole tamales are ritual food at mayordomías and indigenous weddings, where they are prepared by the hundred to feed entire communities. The synergy between mole, considered the national mother sauce, and the tamale, as a vehicle for sacred maize, makes them one of the most complete symbols of Mexican culinary identity.

Frequently asked questions

Which mole is used for mole tamales?

The most traditional is mole poblano (with ancho, mulato, pasilla chillies, chocolate, almonds, sesame and spices). In Mexico City and many stalls, homemade red mole or industrial mole paste diluted in broth is used. In Oaxaca it may be made with mole negro or coloradito; in Guerrero with green or red mole; in Morelos with mole de olla. Each region has its favourite mole for tamales.

What is the difference between a mole tamale and a green tamale?

Both contain shredded chicken and fluffy masa, but the mole tamale comes with mole poblano or red mole (dried chillies, chocolate, spices), while the green tamale contains green salsa of tomatillo, chile serrano and coriander. The mole one has a deep, complex and slightly sweet flavour; the green is acidic, fresh and spicy. They are the two best-selling chicken versions in Mexico City.

Where do mole tamales originate?

They originate from central Mexico, especially Puebla, Tlaxcala and Mexico City, where mole poblano was created in the colonial convents of the seventeenth century and combined with the pre-Hispanic tradition of the tamale. Today they are typical across the central and southern strip of the country: Oaxaca, Guerrero, Morelos, the State of Mexico and Veracruz have their own versions with local moles.

How are mole tamales served?

They are served hot, freshly removed from the steamer, one or two per person, accompanied by café de olla, chocolate atole or pinole atole. The emblematic chilango form is the tamale torta or guajolota: the mole tamale inside a bolillo or telera. At parties they are served on a plate with refried beans, crema and queso fresco on top.