Authentic Mole Sauce

This authentic mole sauce recipe is richly flavored with hot chiles, spices, and rich chocolate. It's perfect for topping stewed meats or enchiladas.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 507 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt
• ⅓ cup chopped peanuts
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• ¼ cup raisins
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon lard
• 6 whole allspice berries
• 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
• 5 ounces dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 3 dried chipotle chiles, stemmed and seeded
• 1 dinner roll, torn into pieces
• 2 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips
• 5 tomatillos, cut in half crosswise
• 2 tomatoes, cut in half crosswise
• ½ head garlic, peeled and sliced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Toast chipotle, guajillo, and ancho chiles in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until warm and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a blender.

Step 2

Heat 2 cups chicken broth in a saucepan until it begins to simmer, about 5 minutes. Pour broth into the blender.

Step 3

Toast dinner roll pieces and tortilla strips in a dry pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the blender with chicken broth and chiles.

Step 4

Allow the chiles, toasted bread, and tortillas to soak, fully submerged, in the chicken broth until softened, about 10 minutes. Blend the mixture until smooth.

Step 5

Cook tomatillos and tomatoes in a dry skillet on medium-high heat until soft and blackened, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Place tomatoes in the blender with the chile puree.

Step 6

Melt lard in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, garlic, peanuts, raisins, cumin seeds, thyme, allspice berries, cloves, and cinnamon sticks; cook and stir until onions are soft and golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and other whole spices; add onion mixture to the blender with the chile-tomato mixture and blend until smooth.

Step 7

Pour chile puree into a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 1 cup chicken broth, chocolate, sugar, and salt. Bring mixture to a simmer; stir until chocolate is melted and sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, 10 to 15 minutes.