Description
Easy Chicken Mole is a modern twist on a traditional Mexican recipe. The sauce is savory and sweet, with a hint of spice and smokiness, serve it over some roasted chicken and rice. This recipe is great for feeding a large crowd and it freezes nicely.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- Mole Sauce
- 5 dried ancho chilies or passilla chilies (found in the fresh herbs section of your grocery store. OR on Amazon)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth (plus about 1/2 cup to 1 cup more if needed)
- 2 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter (can sub almond butter or tahini paste)
- 3/4 cup tortilla chips, broken slightly
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg*
- 3 to 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, brocken up or chopped (or Mexican chocolate, if you can find it)
- 2 to 4 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract*
- salt to taste
- Chicken
- 2 pounds chicken pieces, skin on and bone in (could also use chicken breast for a lighter dish)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Options to serve with
- cooked rice (I suggest quick cooking rice)
- sour cream
- Queso fresco, crumbled
- cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Soak chilies: Soak the chilies in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until soft. Drain and remove stem and seeds, set aside.
- Prepare the chicken & bake: Place all of the chicken into a 9×13 baking dish. Brush with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Saute onion and garlic: Returning to the sauce heat a medium sized sauce pot over medium heat. Heat the oil and add onions. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Blend Sauce: To a high speed blender add the soaked chilies that have been drained and stemmed. Along with the chicken broth, sauteed onions and garlic, peanut butter, tortilla chips, dried oregano, and cinnamon and nutmeg (if not using Mexican chocolate). Blend until smooth. About 1 to 2 minutes.
- Cook the sauce: Transfer the sauce into the same sauce pot that you cooked the onions in. Turn the heat on high, reduce to a simmer. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. If the sauce seems too thick feel free to add more chicken broth. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Careful because the thick sauce may bubble up. Once done simmering stir in the almond extract. Taste test and add another ounce of chocolate if not chcolate-y enough, add salt to taste, and coconut sugar to taste. You want the sauce to taste of a hint of chocolate, slightly sweet to bring out the chocolate taste but mostly savory. Adjust accordingly to your taste buds.
- Assemble and Serve: Spoon sauce over cooked chicken and serve with rice on the side. Garnish with sour cream, crumbled queso fresco, or chopped cilantro, if desired.
- Store leftovers in separate containers for up to 4 days. You can freeze both the chicken and the sauce separately for up to 6 months.
Notes
* If you use Mexican chocolate you can omit the cinnamon, nutmeg, and almond extract. If you can’t find Mexican chocolate no problem, just be sure to add in the spices and extract to give it the authentic flavor of Mexican chocolate.
Sauce recipe adapted from Mexican Marcela Valladolid on Mexican Made Easy
