🇲🇽 Mexico · Food

Mole Poblano de Pollo

90 min
A recipe worth the effort
🔥 450 kcal
Hearty helping
🍽 4 servings
Great for the family

By eatmundo · August 3, 2026

Mole Poblano de Pollo🇲🇽 MXPabliotecario · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

A rich, complex masterpiece of Mexican cuisine featuring tender chicken bathed in a dark, velvety sauce of chiles, spices, and a hint of chocolate. It is a quintessential celebratory dish that balances heat, sweetness, and deep savory notes.

Ingredients

How to Make It

  • 1

    Place the 1.2kg chicken in a large stockpot, cover with water, add a pinch of salt, and simmer over medium heat for 45 minutes until cooked through.

  • 2

    Remove the chicken from the liquid, let it cool slightly, then shred it into large pieces, discarding the bones and skin.

  • 3

    In a wide skillet or Dutch oven, heat the 2 tbsp of lard over medium heat until it shimmers, ensuring it coats the bottom completely.

  • 4

    Add the finely diced onions and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until they are translucent and just beginning to turn golden.

  • 5

    Stir in the 3 minced garlic cloves, cooking for 30 seconds until fragrant; do not let the garlic brown or it will turn bitter.

  • 6

    Add the 250g of mole paste and slowly whisk in the 500ml of chicken broth, stirring constantly to ensure a smooth, uniform consistency.

  • 7

    Simmer the sauce on low heat for 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld into a thick, glossy, and deeply aromatic sauce.

  • 8

    Gently fold the shredded chicken into the mole sauce, heating through for 5 minutes, ensuring every piece is thoroughly coated before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use store-bought mole paste?+

Yes, high-quality artisanal mole pastes are perfectly acceptable for home cooks and save significant time.

Is chocolate always used?+

Yes, dark chocolate or cacao is a traditional component that helps round out the bitterness of the roasted chiles.

What should I serve this with?+

Mole Poblano is best accompanied by warm corn tortillas and a side of Mexican red rice.

How do I avoid a gritty sauce?+

Whisk the paste vigorously with the broth and strain the final sauce through a fine-mesh sieve if needed for extra velvetiness.

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