Mole Negro Oaxaqueño con Pollo (Oaxacan Black Mole with Chicken)
The deep, dark, spiced chicken stew of Oaxaca, made from toasted chillies, seeds, fruit and dark chocolate. A proper special occasion dish.
- Time2 hr 30
- LevelHard
- Costabout £4.81 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Season the chicken with half the salt. Brown it in batches in 2 tbsp of the oil in a large heavy casserole for 8 minutes until golden. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Lift out the chicken and keep the stock.
30 min - 2
Meanwhile, toast the chillies in a dry frying pan for 20 to 30 seconds each side until fragrant but not burnt. Soak them in hot water for 20 minutes, then drain and discard the water.
20 min - 3
In a frying pan with 2 tbsp of the oil, fry each of these separately for 1 to 2 minutes until golden, lifting out as you go: the almonds, peanuts, 2 tbsp of the sesame seeds, raisins and bread. Then fry the onion, garlic and tomatoes for 8 minutes until browned and soft.
8 min - 4
Toast the cloves, cinnamon, allspice, pepper, oregano and thyme in a dry pan for 1 minute. Put everything (chillies, fried bits, charred tortilla and spices) into a blender in batches with about 800 ml of the warm stock, and blend each batch for 2 minutes until completely smooth.
- 5
Heat the last tbsp of oil in the cleaned casserole over a medium heat. Pour in the paste (it will spit, so stand back) and fry, stirring, for 10 minutes until it darkens and thickens.
10 min - 6
Stir in the remaining stock, the chocolate, sugar and remaining salt. Simmer gently for 40 minutes, stirring often, until glossy and as thick as double cream.
40 min - 7
Return the chicken to the pot and heat through for 15 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve with rice and warm tortillas, scattered with the last tbsp of toasted sesame seeds.
15 min
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.