When I think of “comfort food,” my thoughts turn to my childhood and family gatherings on Bagley Street in Detroit. Grandma and Little Grandpa’s Victorian home was always filled with the smell of something cooking. Grandma was always present in her kitchen; that is where she reigned, making something to eat for anyone who was hungry. It could be as simple as a warmed corn tortilla with a spoonful of sour cream and a sprinkling of salt folded up as a snack, or menudo made by the gallon for our family gatherings after Sunday Mass. These foods are the essence of my memories, my Grandma, and my Mexican roots. True Mexican comfort food.
What are the foods or recipes that connect you to your family’s history?
For my family and me, it is the recipes passed on to my mother by my father’s mother—my Grandma, her heritage, and her Mexico. Nothing transports me back to my early childhood memories like the food my Grandma made. I knew I was loved by her through her cooking. My cultural connection to my father’s side of the family runs deep through these recipes, and Chicken Mole is the most significant one for me.
My Grandma’s Chicken Mole recipe consisted of simple ingredients: chicken, water, dried chiles, celery, onion, bay leaf, tomatoes, cumin, clove, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, and a slurry of water and masa to thicken the sauce. The key ingredient, however, was time—time to let the mole slowly cook and reduce, allowing the chicken stew and spiced gravy to develop the deep, rich flavors that warmed our mouths and our hearts. I’ve made my Grandma’s mole this way for many years, learning the recipe from my mom and my own “taste memory,” adjusting the ingredients along the way to recreate those childhood flavors.
The tradition of making Chicken Mole in my family always included my Grandma’s Mexican Rice and potato salad. You might be asking yourself, “Potato salad isn’t Mexican, right?” You would be right, but my Grandma knew its cooling effect tempered the spicy heat of her mole. Her approach to recipes was simple and direct, letting the true flavors of the food sing out and wrap around our hearts and bellies.
One of my most profound memories of eating Chicken Mole took place at the home of my aunt and uncle, who lived just blocks away from my grandparents. It was the wedding reception of my older cousin Theresa, the only daughter of my Aunt Jenny and Uncle Richard. I think I was about 5 or 6. Back then, it was the family’s job and duty to make the food for life’s celebrations. I don’t remember if I was even at the ceremony, but I certainly remember my plate of Mexican comfort food.
Being among the “little ones” at the reception, we were served first. On my plate was a mound of Mexican Rice topped with a piece of chicken smothered in mole sauce, with a spoonful of potato salad on the side. I dove right in, scooping up that first satisfying bite. The flavors enveloped my senses with smoky, richly spiced sauce and succulent chicken. Then came the hit of heat from the chiles. I moved to the potato salad to tame the spiciness, then back to the mole and rice. I proceeded until my plate was clean and my tummy was full of that delicious marriage of ingredients. Soon afterward, the “little kids” were herded into my aunt and uncle’s bedroom to go to sleep. The sounds of music, family, and friends celebrating slowly faded into the background as I drifted off—full, happy, and loved.
I still utilize the same ingredients today, but my approach has evolved. I now use whole spices and a combination of dried chiles. I toast the whole spices in a dry pan to deepen the smoky flavor before grinding them. The onions, garlic, and fresh poblanos are glazed with olive oil and placed under the broiler to char for a fire-roasted flavor. The dried chiles are simmered in chicken stock to hydrate. Then, the ingredients are blended into a smooth puree and strained to remove seeds and fibers.
The chicken is browned in olive oil to caramelize the skin, leaving behind the sucs (fond) on the bottom of the pan, which is then deglazed with the mole puree. I sauté the mole in the reserved chicken fat to marry the flavors and cook out the raw spices before adding chicken stock. In place of water, I use stock to bump up the richness. Thighs and legs go in first, followed by the breast pieces, simmering for another hour until the meat is tender enough to fall off the bone. Finally, instead of a flour slurry, I blend chicken stock with Masa Harina to thicken the sauce and add extra richness.
Chicken Mole is a food of celebration, made by the gallon for birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings. This recipe calls for two chickens (5 to 6 pounds each). You can use just one, but I encourage you to make the full batch of mole puree and freeze half for next time. All you’ll need to do is thaw it in the refrigerator and pick up the recipe at the “Assembling the Mole” step.
To find whole spices and dried chiles, you might need to visit a Hispanic grocery store. I found mine at Dos Hermanos Market in downtown Ypsilanti. Look for chiles that are whole, flexible, and even in color. Other ingredients, like Masa Harina, are available at almost any local grocery store.
Click Here for the link to the full recipe, directions, and instructional video for Mexican Rice.
The full instructional video for Chicken Mole is at the bottom of this blog post. Please visit my YouTube Channel and “LIKE” and “SUBSCRIBE” for this and more cooking and baking videos!
Equipment: (Shop my Amazon Page for Ingredients & Equipment)
- 8 qt. Large Cooking Pot or Dutch Oven with Lid
- 12-inch Saute Pan
- Sheet Pan (lined with Aluminum Fold)
- Tongs
- Wooden Spatula
- Cutting Board
- Chefs Knife
- Blender
- Spice Grinder
- Double Mesh Strainer
- 2 qt. Bowl
Chicken Mole
- Amount and Ingredient
- 1 Large White Onion (peeled and cut into 4 pieces)
- 2 Fresh Poblano (stem and seeds removed and halved)
- 1 Head of Garlic (separated into cloves with skins on)
- 4 Dried Ancho Chiles (stems removed)
- 2 Dried New Mexican Chilies (stems removed)
- 2 Dried Guajillo Chilies (stems removed)
- 2 Dried Pasilla Chilies (stems removed)
- 2 Dried Chile De Arbol
- 1 Quart Chicken Stock
- 2 Tbsp. Cumin Seeds
- 1 Tbsp. Coriander Seeds
- 4 Whole Cloves
- 1 Cinnamon Stick 3-inches (broken up)
- 1/2 tsp. Whole Black Pepper
- 2 large Bay Leaf (or equivalent, crushed)
- 2 tsp. Mexican Oregano
- 1 – Tomatoes, 15 oz. cans (Fired Roasted if possible)
- 4 stalks of Celery (coarsely chopped)
- 3 tsp. Sea Salt (fine)
- 1 Quart of Chicken Stock (homemade or good quality low sodium)
- 2 Whole Chicken (5 1/2 to 6 pounds, cut into 10 pieces with skin on, cut chicken breast in half)
- Olive Oil
- 2 Qt. Chicken Stock (homemade or good quality low sodium)
- 1 cup Masa Harina (Corn Flour for Tortillas)
- Salt and Black Pepper to Taste
Broiling the Vegetables:
- Move the oven rack to the highest position in the oven and turn on the broiler 5 minutes before broiling the vegetables.
- Place the prepared onion, garlic cloves, and poblano pepper onto the aluminum lined sheet tray. Drizzle with olive oil and coat the vegetables.
- Place the pan into the oven on the highest rack and roast under the broiler. Checking after 8 minutes.
- Turn the vegetables over and toss the garlic around in the oil to get an even char on top of the vegetables.
- Broil for another 8 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let cool.
Preparing the Spices and Chilies:
- In the dry sauté pan add cumin seed, coriander seeds, broken cinnamon stick, cloves, and whole black pepper. Place the skillet over medium-low heat and slowly toast the spices. Shaking and tossing the spices in the pan to get an even toast. The spices will lightly smoke.
- Remove the toasted spices from the skillet and place on a plate to cool. Add the bay leaf and Mexican Oregano to the toasted spices.
- In the same preheated dry sauté pan. Add the dried chiles and pour 1 quart of chicken stock over the chiles.
- Bring the chicken stock to a full boil and let the chilies soak in the chicken stock for 15 minutes. Flipping the chilies over half way. They should become very plump and pliable.
- Turn off the soaked chilies and let rest while grinding the spices.
- Place the cooled spices in the spice grinder and grind until a powder forms. Shaking the spice grinder as necessary.
- Place the ground spices into a small bowl.
Preparing the Mole Sauce:
- In a blender, place the soaked chilies, roasted vegetables, whole tomatoes, celery, ground toasted spices, sea salt, and the reserved chili-soaking liquid into the blender. Process on high speed until smooth.
- Place the fine strainer over the 2 qt bowl. Pour the mole puree into the strainer and press using a rubber spatula. Do this in two or three batches if necessary Discarding all the fiber and skins and just collecting the ancho puree.
- Reserve the strained mole puree for the next step.
Assembling the Chicken Mole:
- Place the 8 qt. pot or Dutch Oven onto the range and set the flame to medium-high to heat and preheat for 10 minutes.
- Dry the chicken pieces with a paper towel. Lightly coat each piece of chicken with olive oil and then salt and pepper each side of the chicken pieces.
- Starting with the leg and thighs, place the chicken pieces into the hot oil and brown on all sides. Do not crowd the pot or the chicken will not brown. This should take about 6 to 8 minute a side. If the chicken is sticking it is not ready to turn yet. There should be a good color on the skin. Remove the browned pieces to the sheet tray lined with aluminum. Continue until all the chicken has been browned and placed onto the sheet tray.
- In the pot will be all the chicken fat and browned bits from the chicken this is the sucs or fond. Pour the strained ancho puree in the pot that is still over medium-high heat and sauté to deglaze the pot. Scraping the bottom the pot with a wooden spatula to get all the caramelized bits up and into the sauce.
- Sauté and stir the mole sauce constantly to reduce and thicken. This will take 20 to 30 minutes.
- Adjust the heat as necessary.
- Once the mole has been reduced add 1 quart of the remaining chicken stock and stir to combine. Taste the mole for salt and pepper and season to taste at this point.
- Add the chicken legs and thighs to the bottom of the pot first and then the chicken breast pieces. Push the chicken under the mole to coat.
- Place the lid on the pot and bring to a full boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer
- Simmer covered with the lid on for 1 hour or until the chicken is tender and just starts to fall off the bone.
- Remove the chicken pieces and place onto a sheet tray. Cover with aluminum foil to keep hot.
- In a small bowl combine 2 cups of the reserved chicken stock with 1 cup of Masa Harina and whisk to make a smooth slurry.
- Pour the Masa Harina slurry into the mole sauce and stir with the wooden spatula to combine.
- Add the remains chicken stock and cover the pot with the lid.
- Turn the heat to Medium-High Heat and bring the Mole back to a full boil.
- Uncover and add the chicken back to the thickened Mole and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and bring the pot to the table to serve.
- Serve the chicken and spoon over plenty of Mole Sauce.
- Serve the Chicken Mole over Mexican Rice or white rice and your favorite Mexican side dishes.
- Enjoy!
Note: If there should be any leftovers the Chicken Mole freezes very well. Place into an airtight freezer container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw the Chicken Mole in the refrigerator and reheat in a pan on the stove.
Pingback: Chicken Mole – Mexican Comfort Food – backyard chickens
Pingback: Chicken Mole – Mexican Comfort Food – mexican
Katanahamon
Thank you for sharing not only this lovely recipe, but your own family experiences. Before I became disabled I used to cook for friends on Sundays, usually starting something like Chicken Tortilla soup or a rich, wine infused beef stew the day before. My favorite recipes are the ones that take time, and love. Too many people have no idea what really good food is nowadays..”quick” recipes abound for “dummies,” but I’d rather take my time. Slow simmered after browning, Sauvignon blanc and tarragon home grown tomato enriched chicken Marengo over rice…hand made Asian dumplings, a slow risen focaccia, slow simmered curried meatballs, the list is endless. Thanks again, I’m so glad I found your site.
Alejandro Ramon
Hello Katanahamon, I appreciate you for waiting for my response to your message. It seems it was hidden and I just came across it. It is wonderful to meet you and to know of the care and love you like to put into making the best food possible. Good food takes time. As my Chef instructor Chef Hass said to me when I was going through my culinary training 30 years ago. “There are no short cuts to making great food if you think you found a short cut you’ll only be disappointing your guest and yourself in the end.” Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. I hope you have an amazing day!
Joylish Food
I spotted your recipe off of YouTube channel due to my craving for mole. This looks delicious and hopefully I can make this soon. I just need to find a market that carries those peppers. 😊
aramon65
Thank you for taking time to comment and please let me know if you have any questions. Have a great day!