What Is Mole Sauce?
There is nothing else quite like mole sauce in Mexican cuisine! If you’ve never had mole, I would describe it as a slightly smokey, very lightly sweetened, yet savory sauce that has so much incredible depth of flavor! Mole sauce, or salsa de mole in Spanish, differs a lot based on the region of Mexico. This mole is from the more southern state of Oxaca and is a sweeter mole in comparison to mole from the northern part of Mexico which can be less sweet and more bitter. There are three kinds of dried chiles, tomatoes and tomatillos, it’s richly flavored with warming spices including cinnamon and cloves, and for the secret ingredients… …Chocolate and peanut butter! The combination of ingredients and flavors in classic mole sauce is absolute perfection. Traditional mole has a reputation for being a pain to make because of the long list of ingredients! Mole, like other salsas or sauces, varies from region to region, and therefore so do the exact variety of ingredients. However, one thing is standard and that is that there are a lot of them. Generally speaking, authentic mole sauce has at least 20 ingredients, and sometimes 30 or more! Authentic chocolate mole sauce also takes time to make. But the hours of simmering time doesn’t require hands-on work. So get your pot of mole simmering and enjoy the tantalizing aroma that will waft from your kitchen!
Mole Sauce Ingredients
Mole sauce is known to have tons of ingredients and this homemade mole sauce recipe is no exception! I promise they all serve a purpose and I recommend using them all. For your authentic salsa de mole you’ll want to have on hand the following including:
Mulato chiles – These can be found in most Mexican stores and in the Mexican aisle at the grocery store. They are thick and meaty and don’t have much heat.Pasilla chiles – Also found in Mexican stores, darker in color than mulato chilis, and have a dark raisin or prune-line appearance in terms of their color and texture, although much larger.Chiles de arbol – Optional but if you like your mole to be a bit spicy, you may want to add them. At a minimum, add one is my recommendation or your mole can be a bit underwhelming.Raisins – Help to sweeten the dish if it is too spicy. Don’t worry about the texture if you’re a raisin hater as everything gets blended.Corn tortilla – Just one tortilla helps thicken the mole.Ritz Crackers – Any softer, buttery cracker such as a Club Cracker will work. Again, they are used as a thickener.White bread – Also helps thicken the sauce. You can use a hamburger, hot dog bun, or dinner rolls if you need to.Mexican oregano – It’s a bit milder than regular oregano although regular oregano may be substituted.Cinnamon – Adds to the sweet-smoky flavor.Cloves – I used dried ground spices but you can use whole spices that you toast and then grind them.Tomatillos – Green tomatoes in a paper wrapper. Peel and wash before using.Roma tomatoes – Perfect for many Mexican dishes including mole sauce because they are meatier than some tomatoes, yet have plenty of juice.Onion – White onion is recommended although yellow will work.GarlicPumpkin seeds – Toast these in the oven and they give great flavor and depth to the mole.Chicken broth – Needed to thin out the mole and I use reduced sodium but it’s up to you.Abuelita Chocolate – This is what many Mexicans use to make hot chocolate but it’s perfect in mole because it’s slightly sweetened and has a cinnamon flavor to it. Creamy peanut butter – It gives the mole a richness and silkiness that’s unbeatable. Look for no sugar added varieties if you’re concerned about the mole being “too sweet”.Salt Pepper
How to Make Mole Sauce
Authentic mole sauce is not hard to make. However it can be time consuming and there are a lot of steps which is the way a lot of traditional recipes simply are – whether it’s French, Italian, or Mexican – they take time. Follow my straightforward steps for the best tasting traditional mole sauce: Step 1: Add all the chiles to a sauce pan, cover with water, bring to a boil for 3 minutes, and then let them sit for 15 minutes. Step 2: Meanwhile place the raisins in a bowl and cover with hot water and let them sit for 5 minutes. Step 3: In a small saucepan, toast the tortilla and the crackers, and toast the bread in a toaster, and place it all in a high-speed blender. Step 4: Add the spices to the blender too. Step 5: Broil the tomatillos, tomatoes, onion, and garlic for a few minutes until blackened. Add everything to the blender. Step 6: Toast the pumpkin seeds for 1 minute under the broiler and add them to the blender. Step 7: Add 1 or 2 cups of broth and blend until very smooth. Step 8: Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and simmer on medium-low. Step 9: Remove the chiles and raisins from the water, add them to the blender, add the chocolate, and blend. Step 10: Add the ground chile mixture to the saucepan, additional broth, peanut butter, salt, pepper, stir to combine, and simmer for at least 1 to 2 hours.
What Chili Peppers Are Best for Mole Sauce?
In case you’re not an expert on chiles, here’s a great dried chile guide. There are literally hundreds of chiles and so that’s a nice guide to 11 popular chiles in Mexican cuisine. As I mentioned above, there are three types of dried chile peppers you need for authentic mole sauce:
How to Serve Chocolate Mole Sauce
Mole sauce is such a versatile salsa in Mexico and often is simply just eaten by dipping warm corn tortillas into it. I’ve been to restaurants where there are 3 to 5 different types of mole and dipping tortillas into the different types is kind of like having a wine flight where you sample a little bit of many. You definitely should make my Chicken Mole Enchiladas with it! Or, you can serve the homemade mole sauce:
Over roasted chicken
To accompany tacos With enchiladas of any kindMake chilaquiles with itServe it over porkOn top of beef Drizzled abundantly over riceOr simply serve it with scrambled eggs!
Storage Instructions
Because making homemade mole sauce is an act of love, I recommend making the recipe as written and not halving the recipe. You can also double the recipe. Mole will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tips for the Best Authentic Mole Sauce
Make sure to read over the recipe at least once before you begin! This should be obvious but you’d be surprised how many people write to me saying they “missed part where…” and so don’t be that person! You will have various things soaking. Namely the chiles and raisins. And various things toasted like the tortilla, crackers, and bread. Plus ingredients to broil such as the tomatoes, tomatillos, onions, garlic, and later the pumpkin seeds. Ultimately it all gets blended and then simmered. As for the chiles, you need to remove the seeds. I find it easiest to use a kitchen scissors, cut them open vertically, scape out the seeds, and plop them in water. Mole needs to simmer the mole for awhile to really get the flavor you want. at least 2 hours. I like to prepare mine hours in advance and keep it simmering on the back of the stove over very low heat. Make sure to stir it from time to time and add broth or water as needed. You may need to add more than 4 cups of liquid if you simmer this for more than 2 to 3 hours and that’s just fine. Make sure to taste the mole as you go and at the end for sure. If it’s not sweet enough, it’s fine to add some granulated sugar to cut down on any bitter notes. Chiles can be bitter as well as tomatillos and tomatoes are acidic so there’s no harm in adding some good old fashioned white sugar to balance it. If you want to keep this mole vegan/vegetarian, you can use water or vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth. Make sure any other ingredients you use such as the bread falls into line with what your goal is. I do not strain my mole sauce, although you can. First, it’s another step and secondly, I like some texture. But if you want it silky smooth, you can strain it. Although modern high-speed blenders do an excellent job of really getting it smooth without straining. Of course, do what is best for you but that is a tip so you don’t have to guess the difference between a bunch of dried chiles that are often sold bulk-bin style in a grocery store and yet look similar.
More Favorite Mexican Recipes:
ALL OF MY MEXICAN RECIPES! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes! Chicken Mole Enchiladas – Lightly fried corn tortillas are stuffed with chicken, rolled up, and smothered in rich mole sauce for the best chicken mole enchiladas! A classic, Mexican-inspired family favorite comfort food recipe made FAST and EASY! A shortcut mole recipe that doctors up store bought mole is provided if you don’t want to make homemade mole. Baked Cheesy Beef Taquitos – Craving Mexican food? Make these EASY taquitos made with seasoned ground beef, melted cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, salsa, and baked to crispy perfection! Family friendly, picky-eater approved, and PERFECT for busy weeknight dinners, game day events or parties! Loaded Smothered Beef Burritos – Mexican comfort food that’s loaded with seasoned ground beef, refried beans, rice, and smothered with sauce and CHEESE!! Tastes BETTER than from a restaurant, freezer-friendly, and so EASY!! Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas — EASY juicy enchiladas with so much flavor from the salsa verde and TONS of melted CHEESE!! Ready in 30 minutes, are made with just a handful of ingredients, and will be an instant family favorite!! Sweet Potato, Corn & Black Bean Enchiladas (vegetarian) – Healthier comfort food that everyone will love! Fast, easy, and tastes amazing! Loaded Vegetarian Burritos — HEALTHY Mexican comfort food that’s loaded with black beans, rice, and more before being topped with salsa and CHEESE!! You’ll never miss the meat in these EASY burritos that you can make-ahead and are freezer-friendly!! Ground Beef Taco Salad Bowls — Making homemade taco salad bowls is so easy and they’re perfect for holding this family-favorite taco salad including seasoned ground beef, black beans, cheese and more! Everything is topped with a creamy lime-cilantro dressing that’ll have everyone finishing their salad! Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef – Learn how to make authentic-tasting barbacoa beef in your Instant Pot or slow cooker! Easy, tastes better than a restaurant, and is a dinnertime winner! Easy Carne Asada Tacos — EASY carne asada at home that rivals your favorite restaurant!! Tender juicy beef that’s seasoned to perfection and topped with pico de gallo and salsa make these carne asada tacos INCREDIBLE!! Loaded Chicken Taco Salad — Fast, easy, fresh and healthy!! All your favorite taco flavors in one big kickin’ salad that everyone will love!!
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