Mole Poblano

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In what’s commonly revered as the national dish of Mexico, mole poblano combines ingredients like chiles, nuts, spices, and a touch of chocolate. The technique of cooking everything in succession forms a complex aroma, deep red-brown hue, and rich, earthy flavor profile. It’s a recipe that must be tried at least once!

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• Flavorful: Mole poblano is packed with various spices, fruits, and nuts for a complex taste you won’t be able to get enough of.
• Authentic: This recipe stays true to the traditional mole poblano method. No store-bought mixes — everything is prepared from scratch.
• Versatile: Enjoy mole sauce with rice, tortillas, vegetables, enmoladas, tofu, and all your favorite proteins.
• Unique: This sauce is like nothing else you’ve ever tasted before! It’s a truly unique experience for the senses.

If you love mole poblano, you should check out our chamoy, salsa taquera, guajillo sauce, and Mexican adobo sauce.

🍫 What is mole poblano?

Mole poblano is a traditional Mexican dish originally from the state of Puebla. It’s a silky-smooth, red-brown sauce made from a variety of dried chiles, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and spices.

The combination of ingredients results in the perfect balance of savory, sweet, herbal, and slightly smoky flavors. Each component is toasted or lightly fried in oil to release the flavors and then blended, creating a rich, thick, and velvety sauce.

Mole poblano is typically served with chicken, rice, tortillas, or vegetables. Still, it can also be used as a base for other Mexican dishes, like tamales. Since it’s a pretty labor-intensive process to prepare mole, it’s usually reserved for special occasions and festivities.

Once it’s ready, serve mole sauce over your choice of protein or vegetables and garnish it with fresh herbs or a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

📜 History

Mole (pronounced mol-ay) has a rich and colorful history that dates back to the pre-colonial era. In fact, it’s derived from the Nahuatl word mōlli, meaning sauce. It is believed that various moles were served to gods in Aztec rituals and on other festive occasions.

However, mole poblano has specific roots in Puebla, and several legends surround its creation. One of the most famous tales involves the convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla.

In the 17th century, the archbishop was supposed to visit the nuns, and they wanted to prepare him a special dish. Lacking resources, they decided to pool together all the little bits of food they could find. The resulting sauce was the original mole poblano!

Another origin story attributes the creation of mole poblano to a friar named Fray Pascual. According to this version, he accidentally knocked over several ingredients while cooking a meal, creating a unique mixture that became the foundation of this dish.

Regardless of its true origin, mole poblano has evolved over time. What started as a pre-colonial chile sauce has morphed into a melting pot of ingredients from around the globe. Today, there are hundreds of different moles, ranging from mild and sweet to spicy and savory.

Fun fact: The two regions best known for their moles are Oaxaca and Puebla. Oaxaca is the land of seven moles, while Puebla is famous for mole poblano.

🌱 Is mole sauce vegan?

Often containing over 30+ ingredients, mole poblano can technically be vegan. You just need to know what to look out for.

A traditional mole will likely be made with chicken stock and sometimes lard. However, this mole sauce recipe is since we use vegetable broth instead. We promise it holds up to the most delicious versions you’ll try in Mexico!

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

Chiles make up the base of Mexican moles, and a traditional mole poblano recipe has mulato, ancho, and pasilla varieties.

• Ancho chiles: These chiles provide a mild, earthy, and fruity flavor. They are used to add depth to the mole sauce. You can substitute them with more pasilla or mulato chiles for a similar taste.
• Mulato chiles: Mulatos separate mole poblano from different kinds of moles. They lend a smoky, chocolatey, and coffee-like flavor with subtle dark cherry undertones. Pasilla chiles can be used as a substitute.
• Pasilla chiles: Also known as chile negro or chile pasilla Mexicano, pasilla chiles offer a rich, earthy flavor with a hint of smokiness. Pasilla chiles add more depth to the mole sauce. If unavailable, substitute with Ancho chiles.

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to try a homemade mole, you already know how thick and rich this sauce is. However, you may not be aware of the diversity of thickeners utilized to create the final consistency.

• Sesame seeds: Provide a nutty and slightly bitter taste. You can substitute them with sunflower seeds, more peanuts, or pumpkin seeds.
• Almonds: Impart a sweet, rich, and creamy flavor and texture. You can use other nuts like pecans or walnuts as substitutes.
• Spanish peanuts: Add a perfectly roasted flavor. You can substitute them with cashews or extra almonds if you prefer or have peanut allergies.
• Pumpkin seeds: Pumpkin seeds have a mild, earthy flavor that adds depth and complexity to this mole sauce. Substitute with sunflower seeds if necessary.
• Bolillo, corn tortilla: Both provide a subtle, starchy flavor and help thicken the sauce. You can also use bread crumbs or crumbled crackers.

You wouldn’t have a mole sauce without a healthy dose of traditional Mexican spices. Since no two moles are the same, you can experiment with them to suit your taste.

• Spices: Common herbs and spices you’ll see in recipes include bay leaves, avocado leaves, coriander, cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, and anise. Although it seems like a mishmash of seasonings, there is a unique ability of mole poblano to meld every flavor together into something special.

Since mole has undertones of spice and bitterness, it’s essential to balance everything with sweet ingredients like plantains, raisins, Mexican chocolate, and cane sugar.

• Raisins and plantain: These fruits add sweetness and depth to the mole sauce. You can use dried apricots or dates instead of raisins and a ripe banana as a substitute for the plantain.
• Mexican chocolate: This type of chocolate has a unique, slightly grainy texture and a blend of sweet and spiced flavors. Although it’s not ideal, you can substitute Mexican chocolate with dark chocolate and a pinch of cinnamon.
• Cane sugar: To gently sweeten the mole sauce. Cane sugar can be replaced with brown sugar, agave syrup, or maple syrup.

Vegetables, like garlic and onions, add a savory element, transforming mole poblano into a sauce fit for main dishes like enmoladas.

• Garlic, onion: Both vegetables provide a savory, aromatic base for the mole poblano. Use white or yellow onion for the best flavor.
• Roma tomatoes: Add zesty, juicy, and vibrant notes. If Roma tomatoes are unavailable, use whichever type you have on hand.
• Vegetable broth: To thin out the sauce while adding more depth. You can use store-bought or homemade vegetable broth or stock.

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 How to make mole poblano

Step 1: Prepare the chiles

First, stem and seed the chiles. If you’re a fan of spice, you can reserve some of the seeds in a small bowl for later. Tear the chiles into large chunks, then set them aside.

Step 2: Toast the spices

Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-low, then add in a teaspoon of the chile seeds, sesame seeds, a broken-up cinnamon stick, star anise pod, coriander seeds, and whole cloves. Toast the spices for a few minutes until lightly browned and fragrant.

Step 3: Grind the spices

Transfer the toasted spice mixture to a spice grinder or a high-speed blender if you have one. Add the peppercorns and grind them into a fine powder. Transfer the powder into your blender if you’ve used a spice grinder, then set your blender aside.

Step 4: Fry the chiles

Heat some neutral vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-low. If you have a deep-fry thermometer, wait until it reaches 350 degrees F.

Cooking one type of chile at a time, fry each batch until slightly darkened and fragrant. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chiles to a paper towel-lined dish.

Step 5: Fry the thickeners

Next, fry the almonds for a couple of minutes until golden brown. Transfer them to the dish of chiles, then continue the same process of frying each ingredient individually in the pot of oil. Fry the peanuts, then the pumpkin seeds, raisins, bay leaves, tortilla, and bread.

Step 6: Fry the vegetables

After the bread, fry the garlic cloves for 30 seconds until fragrant. Transfer them to a separate bowl, then continue with the onions, plantain slices, and tomatoes until they are all cooked through.

Step 7: Blend the mole

Working in small batches, add a handful of ingredients from the dish of chiles and nuts to your blender, along with the ground spices and a bit of vegetable broth. Mix everything until smooth, adding in small amounts of broth as needed.

Step 8: Strain the mixture

Discard the extra oil from the pot, then strain the mixture back in and push through as much sauce as possible to remove any leftover chunks. Repeat this blending and straining process with the rest of the fried ingredients, using broth to help the blender.

Step 9: Simmer the mole

Heat the pot of mole over low-medium until the mixture starts to thicken. Mix in the Mexican chocolate, then simmer it over low for about 1 hour, giving it the occasional stir.

Step 10: Season the mole

When the mole is thickened to your liking, taste and season it with salt and sugar to your preference. Serve it immediately with tortillas, rice, vegetables, etc. Happy eating!

If you have questions about this mole sauce recipe, don’t forget to check out our FAQ section at the bottom of this post.

🫔 What to serve with mole sauce

Mole poblano is most often served over chicken, but you can also use this versatile ingredient in a variety of recipes like these:

• Enmoladas
• Tamales fillings
• Chilaquiles
• On top of Mexican rice
• With potatoes and other vegetables

These options only scratch the surface of how mole poblano can be served. If you have a unique way to use it, please let us know in the comments!

🌡️ Storage & reheating

Don’t let all your hard work go to waste! A mole recipe is generally made in large batches because it is quite labor-intensive. The good news is that it stores really well! These are the best ways to keep it fresh:

• Fridge: Mole sauce will last in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. Make sure to keep it in glass jars so it doesn’t take on the flavors of anything else in your refrigerator (honestly, there is already enough going on in the sauce).
• Freezer: Freezing mole is incredibly easy! Let it cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag, leaving enough room at the top for expansion. Stored properly, it will last for a minimum of 6 months.
• Reheat: If you’re reheating frozen mole, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then heat it in a pot on the stove over low heat, adding liquid as needed.
• Prep ahead: You can prepare the mole sauce up to 2 days ahead. Just store it in the fridge until you are ready, then reheat it before serving.

🧑‍🍳 Top tips

• Consistency: Use just enough vegetable broth in the blender to keep the ingredients moving. You don’t want the sauce to become too thin.
• Strain the mixture: Straining mole poblano is crucial for a silky-smooth consistency.
• Taste and adjust: Although this recipe is tried and true, it’s important to taste and adjust the sweetness and saltiness at the end of the cooking process.
• Toast the spices and chiles: To enhance their flavor, toast the chiles and spices. This releases oil, resulting in a more aromatic sauce.
• Don’t burn the peppers: If you overcook dried chiles, they can become incredibly bitter and make the mole hard to save. Keep a close eye on them.
• Simmer low and slow: The longer you can cook the mole, the more complex and developed the flavors become.
• Don’t sub regular chocolate: Mexican chocolate is not the same as baking chocolate and should not be used in its place if possible.
• Fry separately: Fry each ingredient separately to ensure everything cooks evenly. 
• High-speed blender: For the best texture, use a high-speed blender like a Vitamix. 

💬 FAQ

🍴 More sauce recipes

If you enjoyed this mole poblano recipe, take a peek at some more delicious dips, dressings, and spreads like these:

• Salsa Roja: A classic red salsa to serve with all your Mexican favorites.
• Mexican Crema: Vegan Mexican crema that’s rich, creamy, and tangy.
• Salsa Verde: Tomatillo-based salsa with zesty, tangy, and spicy flavors.
• Guacamole: Creamy avocados, zesty limes, and fresh vegetables.

Note: We’ve updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.