Pollo Con Mole Poblano
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Mar 26, 2025 
Authentic Chicken Mole Recipe (Pollo con Mole) – Seared chicken breasts smothered in a smoky, savory chocolate mole poblano sauce is a delicious main dish that is sure to please!
Why We Love This Pollo Con Mole Recipe
We love a certain little Mexican restaurant in town, primarily because of their Pollo con Mole – AKA chicken smothered in a chocolate Mole sauce. The taste is so deliciously smoky, rich, and slightly sweet, it seriously makes you want to lick the plate…
Mole, however, is a labor of love. Although the steps are not complicated, it does take numerous ingredients to create its unique flavor, plus a significant amount of time. But it’s fantastic (and encouraged) to make ahead, and we’ve created a recipe that makes a HUGE amount of mole you can freeze and reheat to use in up to 6 meals!
What Is Mole?
The word mole is Spanish for “sauce,” and in Mexican cuisine, it refers to a savory chile and chocolate sauce often paired with chicken.
Mole poblano is made with three types of peppers: Mulato, Ancho, and Pasilla chiles.
Mulato and ancho chiles are both types of poblano peppers, and neither is particularly spicy. Ancho chiles are smoky and tend to be almost sweet, and are considered mild. The Mulato peppers, however, are more ripened and therefore have a deeply sweet flavor with a bit more heat.
Pasilla chiles (chiles negro) have the most heat, but are still not really spicy – the peppers are considered mild compared to other popular spicy peppers like jalapenos. They add lovely sweet and smoky fruit flavors, similar to prunes or super ripe raisins.
The combination of all three creates a DEEP intoxicating flavor. If you can’t find them all, blend 2 types. If you can only use one, I would go with Mulato peppers for this chicken mole recipe.
Ingredients You Need
- Chiles – use a mix of Mulato, Ancho an Pasilla chiles.
- Almonds – unpeeled variety
- Peanuts – premium, raw and unsalted
- Pepitas – roasted and unsalted
- Sesame seeds – use the white version
- Canela cinnamon stick – use a 2 inch piece
- Juniper berries – use whole berries
- Cumin seeds – use the whole variety, not ground
- Coriander seeds – use whole seeds
- Cloves – use whole cloves or allspice
- Fennel seeds – use a high quality version
- Black peppercorns – use whole peppercorns
- Butter – unsalted butter or lard
- Raisins – sweetened or unsweetened
- Garlic – whole cloves
- Onion – yellow onion
- White bread – use white bread of your choice
- Corn tortillas – use your preferred tortillas
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes – use the canned version
- Vegetable broth – or chicken broth
- Mexican chocolate tablet – powdered or solid tablet works
- Chicken cutlets – butterflied
- Salt and pepper – for seasoning
- Oaxaca cheese – found in specialty stores
How to Make Pollo Con Mole
- Grab a large 6 to 8-quart sauce pot and set it over medium heat. Pop the stems off all the chilies and shake out as many seeds as you can.
- Toss the chilies into the dry pot and toast them for 2 to 3 minutes until they smell amazing. Then, use tongs to remove them and set them aside.
- Now, it’s nut time! Add all the nuts to the pot and toast for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until they turn golden and fragrant. Scoop them out and set them aside.
- Next up—seeds and spices! Add them to the pan and toast for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Once they’re nice and toasty, take them out and set them aside.
- Melt the butter (or lard) in the same pot. Toss in the raisins, garlic, and onions, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until the onions soften. Tear the bread and tortillas into small pieces and stir them in, letting everything toast together for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Now, it’s time for the big flavor party! Add the toasted chilies, nuts, seeds, and spices back to the pot, along with the canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, and salt. Stir well, cover, and let it all simmer for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes so nothing sticks.
- Once the chilies are soft and the nuts have plumped up, turn off the heat. Stir in the chocolate tablet and let it melt right into the sauce.
- Time to blend! Carefully ladle the sauce into a blender, leaving the lid vent slightly open (cover with a towel for safety). Blend until super smooth! If using an immersion blender, just keep blending until it’s silky.
- Give your mole sauce a taste—add salt and pepper if needed. If it’s a little too thick, stir in ½ to 1 cup of water. Pour it back into the pot, cover, and let it rest. Mole gets better with time, so making it a day ahead is a great idea!
- Now, let’s cook the chicken! Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Melt the butter, season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Cook the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side until beautifully golden.
- Reheat 1 ½ cups of that rich, dreamy mole sauce. Plate the chicken, pour the warm mole over the top, and finish with a sprinkle of shredded Oaxaca cheese. Garnish pollo con mole with cilantro if you’re feeling fancy!
Get the Complete (Printable) Chicken Mole Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Mole sauce is amazing to pair with chicken breasts, and many other dishes. Try pouring it over steak, shredded Mexican beef, shredded pork (carnitas), or tofu steaks. Or, try serving your mole sauce over shredded chicken instead!
It’s also fantastic to use on tacos and enchiladas!
Serve chicken mole with Spanish rice and refried beans, crispy Patatas Bravas, or any of your favorite Mexican-inspired sides.
Recipe Variations
- Veggies – Swap the chicken for vegetables like roasted cauliflower, mushrooms, or jackfruit for a vegetarian version of this mole dish.
- Peanut butter – If you love a slightly sweeter mole, stir in an extra tablespoon of peanut butter for a richer, nuttier depth of flavor.
- Tacos – Use shredded chicken tossed in mole sauce and serve it in warm tortillas with avocado, pickled onions, and a sprinkle of cotija cheese. Perfect for taco night!
- Seafood – For a unique twist, serve the mole sauce over grilled shrimp or seared white fish like snapper or cod.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mole has a distinctly deep, smoky, and slightly sweet flavor. The combination of dried chiles and chocolate is incredibly rich and vibrant, without being spicy.
I know if sounds odd to add chocolate to a savory sauce that will be paired with chicken, but the chocolate adds a deep flavor that perfectly balances the bold chilies and spices in mole! Mole is traditionally made with dark chocolate, so I wouldn’t recommend omitting it.
The mole poblano sauce will keep well for up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator in a container with a lid.
Let the sauce cool completely, and transfer to a freezer-safe container with a lid. Wrap the container in a layer of aluminum foil, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Looking for More Mexican-Inspired Recipes? Be Sure To Also Try:
- Pollo Rojo (Red Pepper Chicken)
- Carne Guisada con Pappas
- Grilled Mexican Street Corn
- Enchiladas Suiza
- Mexican Sopes Recipe
- Chicken Enchiladas Verde
- Green Chili Recipe (New Mexico Chile Verde)
- Pozole Verde de Pollo (Chicken Posole)
- Carne Adovada (New Mexican Red Chile Pork)
- Red Tacos Jalisco (Quesabirria Tacos)
Pollo Con Mole Poblano (Chicken Mole Recipe)
Video
Ingredients
For The Mole Sauce –
- 5 mulato chiles
- 5 ancho chiles
- 5 pasilla chiles
- ½ cup almonds
- ½ cup peanuts
- ½ cup pepitas
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 inch piece Canela cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon whole cloves or allspice
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons butter or lard
- ¼ cup raisins
- 4-6 cloves garlic whole
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 slices white bread
- 2 corn tortillas
- 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 8 cups vegetable broth or chicken
- 3.1 ounce Mexican chocolate tablet
For the Pollo Con Mole –
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 pounds chicken cutlets or chicken breasts, butterflied
- Salt and Pepper
- ½ cup shredded Oaxaca cheese
Instructions
- Set a large 6 to 8 quart sauce pot over medium heat. Pop the stems off all the chili peppers and shake out this as many seeds as possible.
- Then toast the chili peppers in the dry sauce pot for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the chili peppers with tongs and set aside.
- Add all the nuts to the sauce pot. Stir and toast for 3 to 5 minutes until the nuts smell toasty.
- Remove the nuts and set aside. Now toast the seeds and all whole spices in the pan for 2-3 minutes. Stir regularly to make sure they do not burn on the bottom. Remove and set aside.
- Place 2 tablespoons of butter (or lard) in the sauce pot. Once melted, add in the raisins, garlic, and onions. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Then tear the bread and tortillas into small pieces and stir into the mixture. Sauté another 2 to 3 minutes to toast the bread and tortillas.
- Now add all the toasted chili peppers, nuts, seeds, and spices back into the pot. Add the canned tomatoes, vegetable broth, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir well. Then cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Lower the heat if needed to keep at a low simmer and stir every 10 to 15 minutes to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
- Once all the chilies are soft and the nuts are plump. Turn off the heat. Add the chocolate tablet and stir until melted.
- Carefully ladle the sauce into a blender. Open the vent on the blender lid, but cover it with a towel for safety. Purée the sauce until extremely smooth. *You can use an immersion blender to keep the sauce in the sauce pot, but you’ll need to blend it much longer to make sure the Mole is very smooth.
- Once the sauce is smooth, taste, then salt and pepper as needed. You can also add 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar if desired. If the mole has become too thick to pour, add 1/2 -1 cup of water. Pour the mole back into the sauce pot. Cover and allow it to rest. The longer it sits the better it will taste. *I often like to make Molé a day before using it. Cover and refrigerate.
- For the Pollo con Molé: Set a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter to the pan. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Once the butter has melted, sauté the chicken breasts for 3 to 4 minutes per side.
- Reheat 1 1/2 cups of Molé. Plate the chicken breasts. Pour hot Molé over the top and sprinkle with shredded Oaxaca cheese. You can garnish with cilantro if you like.
Looks delicious but so many ingredients and a lot of work, I’m not a big fan of Mole but my husband is, but think I’ll just let him order it at our favorite Mexican restaurant.
Hi Marie,
LOL! Yes, that’s why I make a HUGE batch of mole at a time. That way I can freeze it to use again and again. ;)