mole chicken

Mole chicken is a classic Mexican dish that usually takes hours to cook. Now you can make this recipe in under an hour for an easy weeknight dinner!

Instant Pot Chicken Mole Tacos

ancho chiles

tomatoes

onion (roughly chopped)

almonds (toasted)

tbsp sesame seeds (toasted)

chocolate

raisins

chicken stock

chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

tbsp cumin

cinnamon

tsp Mexican oregano

garlic

lbs chicken thighs (bone-in, skinned (See Note 1))

tsp salt

6-in. corn tortillas

Cotija cheese (crumbled)

cilantro leaves (chopped)

limes

In a bowl cover ancho chiles with boiling water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain and discard stems and seeds.

In a small sauté pan toast the almonds and sesame seeds for 3 minutes. Set aside.

In a blender or food processor add seeded chiles, tomatoes, onion, almonds, sesame seeds, chocolate, raisins, chicken stock, chipotles and adobo sauce, cumin, cinnamon, Mexican oregano and garlic in a food processor until smooth.

Season chicken with salt and place inside Instant Pot. Pour in mole sauce mixture. Cover, seal vent and hit Manual setting, High Pressure, 25 minutes.

Open vent and allow steam to release. Remove chicken and place on a cutting board to remove bones. If sauce is thin, cook on Sauté to reduce and thicken while you shred chicken.

Shred chicken into large pieces then return to Instant Pot and mole sauce. Reserve 2 cups of the mole sauce for another use.

Toast and slightly char corn tortillas on both sides over medium-high directly on burner or toast on both sides in a small skillet over medium heat. 

Top tortillas with chicken mole sauce, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

A flavorful recipe for Chicken Mole is made with Black Mole Sauce (Mole Negro)- smoky, spicy and nutty with dried chilies, and a hint of chocolate. A flavorful Oaxacan-inspired meal.

Chicken Mole Recipe 

Mole Negro Sauce

onions

chicken

salt

cumin

coriander

chili powder

olive oil

broth or stock

Make the pickled onions

Make the Mole Negro Sauce(feel free to make this ahead)

Mix the salt and spices together in a small bowl. (Aim for 1 teaspoon salt per pound of chicken). Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with the salt-spice rub.

Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken until golden on both sides. Add the stock, then add the Mole Negro sauce, (saving a little of it up for touching up at the end). Give the pan a good shake and make sure the chicken is coated well and nestled in. It may seem like a lot of sauce, but the extra sauce will get mopped up, I promise!

Cover and place in the oven until the thighs are cooked all the way through,(165F) about 20 minutes.  Test a piece for tenderness, it should pull apart easily with two forks. You can either leave the thighs whole or lightly shred (best for tacos). If leaving whole, feel free to lather up with remaining Mole sauce.

Sprinkle with toasted sesame seed and cilantro.

This was REALLY delicious! I made the mole sauce 2 days in advance and the flavors came together beautifully. I've always loved the complexity of a good mole sauce but had never tried to make one before now. It whipped right up in the blender! I will definitely make it again.

Me and my family thought this was the best dish of 2021! Not too sweet and not too spicy, but rich with great depth of flavor. It’s a keeper, and my family, typically not Mexican food fans, have already requested a repeat performance! Thank you!

I made this and it was the best mole I’ve had-EVER! I am never disappointed with your recipes. They are spot on, delicious and present beautifully.

This was superb! I made the mole a little bit milder by adding a can of chopped tomatoes and extra peanut butter.  It was enjoyed by a wide variety of palettes, and there is ample sauce leftover for future use.  Delicious!

A HUGE hit with the family!  This was an incredible mole.  So rich and full if flavor!

Top 2 mole chicken recipes from across the web

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Instant Pot Chicken Mole Tacos

Chicken Mole Recipe

Top 2 mole chicken recipes from across the web

The most viewed mole chicken recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Instant Pot Chicken Mole Tacos

Chicken Mole Recipe

The most viewed mole chicken recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine