Easy red mole
A deep, glossy red mole of dried chillies, seeds, spices and a little dark chocolate, made in about an hour.
Make this once, then cook it into 20 different dishes.
- Time1 hr 20
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.67 a head
- Makesabout 1 litre of thick red mole, enough for 3 dishes for 4 people
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
Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat. Toast the chillies a few at a time, pressing them flat, for 15 to 20 seconds a side until they smell fruity and darken a little. Do not let them blacken. Put them in a bowl, cover with the boiling water, weigh them down with a plate and soak for 20 minutes until soft.
20 min - 2
In the same pan heat 1 tbsp of oil over a medium heat. Fry the pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds for 1 to 2 minutes, until the pumpkin seeds puff and pop and the sesame turns golden. Tip into a blender. Fry the torn tortillas for 1 minute until golden and add them too.
2 min - 3
Add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan and fry the onion and garlic for 6 minutes until soft and lightly browned. Stir in the raisins, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, oregano and pepper for 30 seconds, then tip it all into the blender with the tomatoes.
6 min - 4
Lift the soaked chillies into the blender, keeping the soaking water. Add 250 ml of the hot stock and blend for 2 to 3 minutes until completely smooth, adding a splash of soaking water if the blades stick. Sieve if you want it silky.
- 5
Heat the last 1 tbsp of oil in a wide, deep pan over a medium high heat. Pour in the puree (it will spit, so stand back and use a splatter screen if you have one) and fry, stirring constantly, for 8 minutes until it darkens and thickens to a paste.
8 min - 6
Stir in the remaining 500 ml of stock and the chocolate until melted. Bring to a simmer, then cook gently for 30 minutes, stirring often, until the mole coats the back of a spoon.
30 min - 7
Season with the salt, sugar and vinegar and taste. It should be rich, smoky and a little sweet, with no sharp bitterness. Add a splash of water if it is too thick. Cool quickly if you are not using it straight away.
About easy red mole
Easy red mole is a simplified Mexican mole made from toasted dried chillies, pumpkin and sesame seeds, tomato, warm spices and a little dark chocolate. It has the rich, smoky, slightly sweet and bitter depth of a long mole but needs about an hour and a blender.
This version is built on ancho, guajillo and pasilla chillies, which are mild and fruity rather than fiery. Seeds and toasted tortilla thicken it, so there are no nuts. It is not a copy of a Oaxacan or Puebla mole, which can have 20 or more ingredients, but it tastes properly like mole.
Use it over roast or poached chicken or turkey, in enchiladas (enmoladas), with eggs, with roast squash or cauliflower, or thinned for tamales. Fry the puree before adding the stock: that step is what turns a gritty chilli sauce into a smooth, dark mole.
Tips
- Toast each chilli for only 15 to 20 seconds a side. A blackened chilli makes the whole mole bitter, so bin any that burn and start that one again.
- Dried ancho, guajillo and pasilla chillies are in the world foods aisle of big supermarkets and online. If you cannot find pasilla, use one extra ancho.
- If the finished mole tastes bitter or flat, add a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar and a splash of vinegar, then simmer 5 more minutes. Fix it little by little.
- Pass the blended puree through a sieve for a silky sauce. Skip this if you like a rustic, slightly grainy texture.
- Many traditional moles use almonds or peanuts. For a richer version add 30 g toasted almonds, but then it is no longer nut free.
- Check the labels on the tortillas, stock and chocolate if you need it gluten free, dairy free or vegan. Mexican chocolate tablets usually contain sugar and cinnamon, so cut the sugar if you use one.
Storing and freezing
Cool quickly, then keep covered in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze in 300 ml portions for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and reheat in a pan, adding a splash of stock or water, until steaming hot all the way through.
Dishes you can make with easy red mole
Enmoladas de Pollo (Chicken Mole Enchiladas)
EFNFPollo en Mole Rojo con Arroz (Chicken in Red Mole with Rice)
DFEFNFHuevos Enmolados (Eggs in Red Mole)
NFVTacos de Pollo con Mole y Cebolla Encurtida (Shredded Chicken Mole Tacos)
GFDFEFTostadas de Hongos con Mole y Frijoles (Mushroom Mole Tostadas)
GFEFNFColiflor al Mole (Roast Cauliflower in Red Mole)
GFDFEFCalabaza Asada con Mole y Crema de Lima (Roast Squash with Mole)
GFEFNFTamales de Pollo con Mole (Chicken Mole Tamales)
GFDFEFGuajolote en Mole Rojo (Turkey in Red Mole)
DFEFNFChuletas de Cerdo en Mole con Escabeche (Pork Chops in Red Mole)
GFDFEFSopes de Hongos con Mole y Frijoles (Mushroom Mole Sopes)
EFNFVBurritos de Mole con Frijoles Negros (Black Bean Mole Burritos)
DFEFNFQuestions
Is easy red mole very spicy?
No, it is mild to medium. Ancho, guajillo and pasilla chillies give flavour and colour more than heat. For more heat, add 1 or 2 dried chiles de arbol when you toast and soak the chillies.
Do I have to use Mexican chocolate?
No. Plain dark chocolate (70% cocoa) with the cinnamon, cloves and a little sugar gives the same effect. Mexican chocolate tablets already contain sugar and spice, so use less sugar if you use one.
Can I make mole ahead and freeze it?
Yes. Mole tastes better the next day. Cool it fast, freeze in portions for up to 3 months, defrost in the fridge, and reheat in a pan until steaming hot, loosening it with a little stock or water.
Is this mole vegan, gluten free and nut free?
Yes, as written, with vegetable stock, gluten free corn tortillas and vegan dark chocolate. It contains pumpkin and sesame seeds but no nuts or peanuts. Always check the labels on the stock, tortillas and chocolate.
Why is my mole bitter or gritty?
Bitterness usually means the chillies or seeds were scorched, or the puree was not fried long enough. Gritty means it was not blended or sieved enough. Salt, a little sugar and vinegar soften mild bitterness.
What can I serve it with?
Chicken, turkey, enchiladas, eggs, roast sweet potato, cauliflower or rice. Thin it with stock to a pouring consistency for enchiladas, and keep it thick for coating pieces of meat.
More base recipes
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.