Sarah's Kitchen / Mexican / Sauces

Mole Poblano

The King of Mexican Sauces

"Mole is not a dish. Mole is devotion made edible."

6+ Hours
12-16 Servings
Advanced Difficulty
Begin the Journey

The Origin

In the convents of colonial Puebla, nuns created the most complex sauce in the Americas.

Puebla, Mexico
Puebla

Puebla, Mexico

The birthplace of mole poblano — a city where Spanish colonial architecture meets indigenous tradition, where the baroque excess of the church merged with Mesoamerican ingredients.

Capital Puebla de Zaragoza
Famous For Mole, Chiles en Nogada
Cuisine Style Complex, Baroque
Traditional mole preparation

The Legend of the Convent

The legend says that in the 17th century, nuns at the Convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla were tasked with creating a special dish for the visiting viceroy. In a panic, they threw together everything they had — dried chiles, spices, chocolate, nuts, seeds — and simmered it for hours.

Whether the legend is true doesn't matter. What matters is that mole poblano exists, with 20 to 30 ingredients, each one essential.

The word "mole" comes from the Nahuatl word "molli" — meaning sauce or concoction. This is not a chile sauce with chocolate. It's a symphony where each ingredient plays a note, and the chocolate is just one voice in the chorus.

In Oaxaca, there are seven moles. In Puebla, mole poblano reigns supreme. Families guard their recipes. The sauce is made for weddings, quinceañeras, Día de los Muertos, and any occasion worthy of devotion.

"To make mole is to pray. Each ingredient is a word. The simmering is meditation. The serving is communion."

Abuela Says

"Don't be afraid of the mole. Yes, the ingredient list is long. Yes, it takes all day. But each step is simple. You toast, you soak, you blend, you fry. One thing at a time. Before you know it, you've made mole."

The Craft

Mole is not complicated — it's layered. Understand the layers, and the recipe makes sense.

CHILE

The Chile Foundation

Four or five types of dried chiles — each contributing different notes. Mulato for sweetness, ancho for fruitiness, pasilla for earthiness, chipotle for smoke. The chiles are toasted, soaked, and blended. This is the base.

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The Chocolate

Mexican chocolate (Ibarra or Abuelita) adds bitterness and depth, not sweetness. The chocolate does not make the mole taste like chocolate — it rounds the edges and adds complexity.

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The Thickeners

Nuts (almonds, peanuts), seeds (sesame, pepitas), dried fruit (raisins, prunes), fried bread or tortillas — these give the mole body and the ability to cling to meat.

The Ingredients

Yes, the list is long. Yes, every ingredient matters. This is the mountain you climb.

The Dried Chiles

The Foundation
  • 5 Mulato chiles Dark, sweet, chocolate notes
  • 4 Ancho chiles Fruity, mild heat
  • 3 Pasilla negro chiles Earthy, raisin-like
  • 2 Chipotle chiles (dried or canned) For smoke and heat

The Nuts & Seeds

  • 1/4 cup Sesame seeds Plus extra for garnish
  • 1/4 cup Raw almonds
  • 1/4 cup Raw peanuts, skinned
  • 2 tbsp Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

The Dried Fruit

  • 1/4 cup Raisins
  • 3 Pitted prunes

The Aromatics

  • 1 medium White onion, quartered
  • 6 cloves Garlic
  • 3 medium Roma tomatoes
  • 3 Tomatillos, husked

The Spices

  • 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 4 Whole cloves
  • 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns
  • 1/4 tsp Coriander seeds
  • 1/4 tsp Anise seeds
  • 1 stick Mexican cinnamon (canela) About 2 inches
  • 1 tsp Dried Mexican oregano
  • 1/2 tsp Dried thyme

The Chocolate & Sweeteners

The Soul
  • 3 oz Mexican chocolate (Ibarra) About 1 tablet
  • 2 tbsp Piloncillo or brown sugar

The Thickeners

  • 2 Corn tortillas Torn into pieces
  • 1 slice Bolillo or French bread Toasted until dry

The Liquid & Fat

  • 6-8 cups Chicken or turkey stock
  • 1/2 cup Lard or vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp Salt Adjust to taste

The Protein

  • 1 whole Turkey or 2 chickens Cut into pieces, poached

The Method

This is a daylong project. Start in the morning. The sauce will be ready by evening. It will be worth it.

01

Toast and Soak the Chiles

The foundation begins.

1

Stem and seed all the dried chiles. Open them flat. Heat a comal or dry skillet over medium heat.

2

Toast each chile, pressing flat, for 10-15 seconds per side. They should become pliable and fragrant — NOT burnt. Work in batches.

Warning

Burnt chiles make bitter mole. If you see smoke or smell burning, the heat is too high. Better to under-toast than over-toast.

3

Place toasted chiles in a large bowl. Cover with hot water. Let soak for at least 30 minutes until completely soft. Reserve the soaking liquid.

02

Toast the Nuts, Seeds, and Spices

Building complexity.

4

In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast the sesame seeds, stirring constantly, until golden. About 2-3 minutes. Remove to a bowl.

5

In the same skillet, toast almonds until golden. Then peanuts. Then pepitas. Toast each separately — they cook at different rates. Add all to the sesame seeds.

6

Toast the whole spices together (cumin, cloves, peppercorns, coriander, anise, cinnamon) until fragrant — about 1-2 minutes. Add to the nut mixture.

7

In a tablespoon of lard, fry the torn tortillas and bread until crispy. Add raisins and prunes to the hot fat briefly (30 seconds). Set aside.

03

Char the Aromatics

Fire creates depth.

8

On a dry comal or under a broiler, char the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion quarters, and garlic until blackened in spots and softened throughout. Turn occasionally. This takes 10-15 minutes.

04

Blend (In Batches)

Transforming components into sauce.

9

Batch 1: Blend the soaked chiles with 2 cups of the soaking liquid until very smooth. Strain through a medium-mesh sieve. Set aside.

10

Batch 2: Blend the charred tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and garlic with 1/2 cup stock until smooth. Set aside (no need to strain).

11

Batch 3: Blend the toasted nuts, seeds, spices, fried tortillas, bread, raisins, and prunes with 1 cup stock until completely smooth. This may take several minutes.

Texture Note

Traditional mole is silky smooth. Blend longer than you think. If your blender struggles, add more liquid. Strain this mixture if any grittiness remains.

05

Fry and Simmer

Where alchemy happens.

12

Heat remaining lard in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. When shimmering, carefully add the chile puree. It will splatter — stand back.

Critical Technique

Frying the chile paste is essential. It deepens color, concentrates flavor, and transforms the sauce. Fry, stirring constantly, for 10-15 minutes until it darkens and the fat separates.

13

Add the tomato mixture. Fry for another 5 minutes, stirring.

14

Add the nut/seed mixture. Fry for 5 more minutes.

15

Add 4 cups chicken stock, the Mexican chocolate, piloncillo, oregano, thyme, and salt. Stir until chocolate melts.

16

Reduce heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, for at least 1 hour — ideally 2-3 hours. Stir occasionally. The mole should thicken to coat a spoon. Add more stock if it gets too thick.

Patience

The longer the mole simmers, the more the flavors marry. Some families simmer overnight. Time transforms good mole into transcendent mole.

06

Season and Serve

The feast is ready.

17

Taste the mole. Adjust salt, add more sugar if too bitter, or more chocolate for depth. The flavor should be complex — no single element should dominate.

18

Add the poached turkey or chicken pieces to the pot. Simmer for 15-20 minutes to allow the meat to absorb the mole.

19

Serve on a platter, meat pieces arranged and generously coated with mole. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve with warm tortillas and Mexican rice.

The Revelation

Mole improves the next day. And the day after. Make extra. Freeze it. It lasts for months and only gets better.

Troubleshooting

When things don't go as planned.

Mole Is Bitter

Chiles were burnt, or chocolate was poor quality. Add more piloncillo/sugar and simmer longer. A tablespoon of peanut butter can help round out bitterness.

Mole Is Too Thin

Simmer uncovered longer to reduce. Or blend extra fried tortilla with a bit of the mole and stir it back in.

Mole Is Too Thick

Add more stock, a half cup at a time, until it reaches the consistency of heavy cream.

Lacks Depth

Didn't fry the chile paste long enough, or didn't simmer long enough. Both steps develop flavor. Next time, more patience.

Variations

Mole has many siblings across Mexico.

Mole Negro (Oaxaca)

The darkest mole, with chilhuacle negro chiles and more chocolate. Even more complex than poblano.

Mole Rojo

Simpler, redder, with guajillo and ancho. Less chocolate. A good weeknight mole.

Mole Verde

Made with green chiles, tomatillos, and pepitas. Fresh, herbaceous, lighter.

Mole Amarillo (Oaxaca)

Yellow mole with chilhuacle amarillo. Often served with masa dumplings (chochoyotes).

Terminology

The language of mole.

Mole

From Nahuatl "molli" — sauce or concoction

Poblano

From Puebla — this style originated there

Recado

Spice paste — similar to mole base

Metate

Traditional stone grinding surface for mole

Piloncillo

Unrefined cane sugar in cone form

Canela

Mexican cinnamon — Ceylon, softer than cassia