RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
Sauces

Mole Sauce

Toasted ancho chiles, almonds, and sesame blended with tomato, unsweetened cocoa, and warm spices, then simmered into a dark, rich, bittersweet sauce.

Why you'll love Mole Sauce

Mole is one of the great sauces of Mexico, dark, rich, and layered, built from dried chiles, toasted nuts and seeds, tomato, spices, and chocolate. This one uses mild, fruity ancho chiles, almonds, sesame, and unsweetened cocoa, so it tastes deep and bittersweet, with warmth from cinnamon, cumin, and a pinch of cloves.

Toasting is what builds the flavor. A few seconds in a dry skillet makes the anchos fragrant and pliable, and a few minutes turns the almonds and sesame golden and nutty. Soaking the chiles in hot broth softens them for blending and keeps all their flavor in the sauce. After blending, a slow simmer cooks the raw tomato and garlic and brings everything together into a smooth, thick sauce.

This is the mole from the Turkey in Mole, at the same proportions. Simmered on its own, it is ready to spoon over chicken, pork, eggs, or roasted vegetables, or to braise them in.

Quick overview: This Mole Sauce takes 20 min of hands-on time and about 55 min in all and makes 8 servings, each 1/2 cup. You'll need a saucepan, a skillet, and a blender.

Jump to recipe

Small bowl of dark, glossy mole sauce with sesame seeds
Prep 20 minCook 35 minTotal 55 minServes 8Serving 1/2 cupYou'll need Saucepan, Skillet, Blender

Ingredients

  • 4 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 cups chicken bone broth, divided Label: chicken bones, water, vegetables, herbs, and salt, with no sugar, natural flavors, or oil
  • 1/4 cup whole almonds
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes Label: tomatoes, and salt if any
  • 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder Label: cocoa, and nothing else
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • a pinch of ground cloves
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Instructions

  1. Warm the broth: Heat 1 cup of the broth in a medium saucepan until it steams, then take it off the heat. Hot broth softens the chiles faster and more evenly than cold.
  2. Toast the chiles: Toast the anchos in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20 to 30 seconds a side, pressing them flat with a spatula, until fragrant and pliable. Pull them as soon as they smell toasty, since a chile left too long turns bitter. Drop them into the hot broth and let them soak for 15 minutes.
  3. Toast the nuts and seeds: In the same skillet, toast the almonds and sesame seeds for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until the sesame is golden and the almonds smell nutty. Tip them into a blender.
  4. Soften the onion: Heat the avocado oil in the skillet and cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes, stirring, until soft and starting to turn golden at the edges. Cooking them first takes away their raw sharpness and adds sweetness to the sauce.
  5. Blend: Add the chiles and their soaking broth, the onion and garlic, the crushed tomatoes, cocoa, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, oregano, and salt to the blender. Blend for a full 2 minutes, until very smooth, adding as much of the remaining broth as you need to keep it moving. A long blend is what makes mole silky.
  6. Simmer: Pour the mole into the saucepan, along with any remaining broth, and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Partly cover it, since mole spatters, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until it darkens, thickens enough to coat a spoon, and tastes rounded. Taste for salt.

Storage and leftovers

Let the mole cool, then refrigerate it in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Its flavor deepens overnight, and it thickens as it chills, so loosen it with a splash of broth when you reheat it.

Mole freezes well for up to 3 months. Freeze it in 1- or 2-cup portions and thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.

Variations

  • Spicier mole: Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne to the blender for more heat, as the Turkey in Mole suggests.
  • Pumpkin seed mole: Use 1/4 cup hulled pumpkin seeds in place of the almonds, toasted until they puff and pop, for a nuttier, slightly greener flavor.
  • Chicken in mole: Simmer 2 pounds of bone-in, skinless chicken thighs in the finished sauce, covered, for 35 to 40 minutes, until the meat pulls from the bone and reaches 175°F (80°C).
  • Warmer spice: Add a pinch of ground allspice with the cinnamon for a rounder, more festive sauce.

Notes and tips

  • For the Turkey in Mole: You can skip the simmer and pour the blended sauce straight over the turkey thighs, since 6 to 7 hours of slow cooking cooks it through. A simmered batch works there too; it just starts thicker.
  • Toast the chiles briefly: A few seconds a side is enough. A chile toasted until it smells sharp or smoky has gone too far and will make the sauce bitter.
  • Check the cocoa label: It should list cocoa and nothing else.
  • Seed the chiles well: Shake out the seeds and tear out the pale ribs. They carry most of the heat and can make the sauce gritty.
  • Stir from the bottom: Thick mole catches on the bottom of the pan. Stir often and keep the heat low.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Ancho chiles are dried poblanos, mild and fruity, and they bring color and depth to the sauce along with the carotenoids that make them red.
  • Unsweetened cocoa brings bittersweet richness, and almonds and sesame bring body and real fat, so the sauce tastes as rich as a chocolate mole on cocoa, nuts, and chile alone.
  • Cinnamon, cumin, and cloves add warmth in small amounts, which makes the sauce taste complex and slow-cooked.
  • As you eat, notice the layers of flavor, fruity chile, bitter cocoa, toasted nuts, and warm spice, and pay attention to whether the bittersweet depth answers a craving for something sweet, then check in a few hours later on how steady you feel.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Mole Sauce? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

Is mole sweet?

Many moles include chocolate and sugar. This one uses unsweetened cocoa, so it is rich and bittersweet, with natural sweetness from the onion, tomato, and chiles.

Is it spicy?

Ancho chiles are mild and fruity, so this mole is warm rather than hot. Add a pinch of cayenne for more heat.

Where do I find ancho chiles?

In the international aisle of most grocery stores or at Latin markets, sold dried in bags. Choose chiles that are soft and pliable, which means they are fresh.

How do I use it?

Braise chicken thighs, pork shoulder, or turkey in it, spoon it over fried eggs, or serve it warm over roasted cauliflower or shredded meat wrapped in lettuce leaves with avocado.

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Tags: Sauces, Mexican, Dairy-Free