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Meat, Americas

Chicken mole poblano with rice

Chicken mole poblano with rice is a Mexican dish for 4 people, ready in 1 hour 15 minutes, medium difficulty, around €3.50 per person. The key is the sauce, made from almonds, peanuts, raisins, bread, and dark chocolate toasted separately then blended with tomatoes and spices until silky smooth.

One of Mexico's wildest dishes, chicken coated in a dark sauce made with chiles, spices, and dark chocolate. Easier to make than it looks.

Chicken mole poblano with rice
Total time
1 h 15
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.50
Calories per person
660 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter

Mole poblano surprises everyone the first time, a thick, velvety dark sauce that smells of chile and cinnamon before revealing a hint of dark chocolate at the finish. It is not a sweet dish, the chocolate just rounds out the bitterness of the spices and gives that deep, distinctive color. The chicken simmers in it until tender, and plain rice is there to calm the heat of the chile.

This is a dish to make when you have a little time ahead of you, a Sunday project or a way to impress friends curious about trying something different. Mon Chou walks you through each ingredient so the sauce never burns and keeps its full roundness. Kids might be wary of the chile, but adults at the table will likely ask for more bread to mop up the sauce.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken thighs 8

Pantry

  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 200 g
  • Whole almondsoften in the pantry 40 g
  • Peanutsoften in the pantry 40 g
  • Sesame seedsoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Raisinsoften in the pantry 30 g
  • Dark chocolate 50 g
  • Paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Espelette pepperoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Cinnamonoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Chicken brothoften in the pantry 50 cl
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Bakery

  • Sandwich bread 1 slice

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Garlic 2 cloves

Allergens Peanuts, Tree nuts, Sesame, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Brown the chicken in a Dutch oven with a little oil, season with salt and pepper, then set it aside. 10 min

    Leave the fat in the pot, it will flavor the sauce.

  2. In the same pot, toast the almonds, peanuts, half the sesame seeds, raisins, and bread, then the onion and garlic. 8 min

    Stir constantly, everything should just turn golden.

  3. Blend it all with the tomatoes, spices, and a little broth until you get a smooth paste.

    Blend for a while, the sauce needs to be truly silky.

  4. Pour the sauce into the pot, add the broth and the chopped chocolate, return the chicken, and let it simmer covered. 40 min

    Stir occasionally, the chocolate sticks to the bottom fast.

  5. Cook the rice in salted water, then drain it. 11 min

    It should be nice and dry to go with a thick sauce.

  6. Coat the chicken with sauce, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, and serve with the rice.

    A touch of sugar or honey helps if the sauce turns out too bitter.

Our tips to get it right

  • Weigh out each sauce ingredient carefully before toasting, mole relies on a precise balance between almonds, peanuts, raisins, and bread.
  • Use a heavy bottomed pot for the final simmer, the chocolate sauce scorches fast on a thin base.
  • Taste the sauce before pouring it over the chicken and adjust the salt, dark chocolate tends to mask seasoning.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken thighs with skin for boneless thighs for a faster cook and a sauce that coats them more evenly.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with squash chunks or black beans simmered in the same sauce.
  • To save time, make the sauce the day before and just reheat the chicken in it, the flavor only improves overnight.

What to serve it with

  • Warm corn tortillas
  • Sliced avocado on the side
  • Cold lime water

Storage

Mole keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, and freezes well for up to 2 months, sauce and chicken together. Reheat gently in a skillet or saucepan, adding a splash of broth if the sauce has thickened too much.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the mole sauce ahead of time?

Yes, the sauce can be made a day ahead and actually tastes better after resting overnight in the fridge. Just reheat it with the chicken on the day you plan to serve it.

Can you swap the peanuts or almonds?

You can shift the ratio between almonds and peanuts depending on what you have, the balance stays close. Just avoid dropping both, they give mole its smooth, thick texture.

Is chicken mole poblano very spicy?

With Espelette pepper, the sauce stays mildly spicy, more fragrant than fiery. You can cut back the amount if you are cooking for sensitive palates.

How do you know the sauce is blended enough?

It should turn smooth and velvety, with no visible chunks of almond or bread. If it still looks grainy, blend a bit longer, adding a splash of broth if needed.

How long does it take to make a chicken mole poblano with rice?

Count 1 h 15 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a chicken mole poblano with rice?

About 660 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a chicken mole poblano with rice cost?

About €3.50 per serving, or €14.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains peanuts, tree nuts, sesame, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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