Mole poblano is the kind of sauce that makes you reach for another tortilla just to swipe up what’s left on your plate. This deep, velvety sauce from Puebla, Mexico, gets its earthy flavor from dried chiles and its richness from ingredients like toasted nuts or seeds. A little chocolate rounds out the sauce, giving it a bittersweet finish that goes beautifully with chicken or turkey.
Where Did Mole Poblano Come From?
The word mole comes from the Nahuatl molli, meaning “sauce.” Indigenous cooks in what is now Mexico made chile-based sauces long before Spanish colonization. Over time, cooks incorporated ingredients such as cinnamon and black pepper, and different regions developed their own styles of mole. Poblano means “from Puebla,” home to one of Mexico’s best-known versions.
One of Puebla’s best-known legends credits Sor Andrea de la Asunción, a nun at the Convent of Santa Rosa, with creating mole poblano for a visiting viceroy. Several versions of the story circulate, and the older Indigenous tradition of chile sauces is part of the dish’s history. Today, mole remains a staple of celebrations such as weddings and patron saint festivals. Turkey is a traditional pairing, and chicken is also commonly served with mole poblano.
What Gives Mole Poblano Its Signature Flavor?
Dried chiles are the foundation. Traditional recipes often use a blend that includes ancho, mulato, or pasilla chiles. Ancho, a dried poblano pepper, has a mild heat and a raisin-like sweetness, making it a good choice when you’re shopping for just one kind. In this simplified recipe, peanut butter brings body, cinnamon adds warmth, and an ounce of dark chocolate gives the sauce a gentle bittersweet finish. Look for whole dried anchos in the Mexican foods aisle. The rest of the ingredients are everyday grocery staples.
This recipe is easier and short. If you want a more traditional recipe with the very long standard list of 18 ingredients I would suggest Dora's Table.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 whole dried ancho chiles
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- 1 ounce dark chocolate, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
DIRECTIONS
- Soften the chiles. Pull off the stems, split the chiles open, and shake out the seeds. Press them briefly against a dry skillet over medium heat, about 5 to 10 seconds per side, just until fragrant. Cover them with hot water and let them soak for 15 minutes. Drain.
- Cook the onion and garlic. Heat the oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for about 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute.
- Blend the sauce. Put the softened chiles, onion mixture, peanut butter, and 1½ cups of the broth in a blender. Blend until smooth. If the mixture is still hot, vent the blender lid and cover the opening loosely with a folded kitchen towel while blending.
- Simmer and finish. Pour the sauce back into the skillet. Stir in the chocolate and salt, then simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining broth a splash at a time until the sauce pours easily and still coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust the salt.
- Serve. Spoon the warm mole over sliced rotisserie chicken or leftover roast turkey. Add rice to catch the extra sauce, or serve with warm corn tortillas for scooping.
