Mole Negro is one of the most complex and revered sauces in the entire history of cooking. Made with more than 30 ingredients including multiple dried chillies, Mexican chocolate, charred tortilla, toasted nuts and seeds, tomatoes, and an array of spices, it requires hours of patient preparation and cooking. It is the centrepiece of the most important celebrations in Oaxacan culture — weddings, funerals, Day of the Dead — and is the dish that most clearly demonstrates the extraordinary sophistication and depth of Mexican cuisine.

The charred element is what makes mole negro black. A dried mulato or chille negro chilli and a corn tortilla are deliberately burnt to charcoal and added to the sauce. This is not a mistake — the charred ingredients provide a deep, slightly bitter backbone that prevents the sauce from becoming cloying despite its complexity and its moderate sweetness from the chocolate and sugar.

Mole negro is a project that should not be rushed. The various components must be prepared in sequence — chillies toasted and soaked, nuts and seeds toasted, aromatics charred, tortilla burnt, spices toasted, chocolate melted — and then everything is blended and cooked together in a final long simmer that integrates all the flavours into a unified, impossibly complex whole. This is a day to clear the schedule and commit entirely to the process.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 620 kcal   |   Protein: 40g   |   Carbs: 32g   |   Fat: 28g   |   Fiber: 8g

Mole Negro

Recipe by By butter u0026 berriesCourse: American

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

45

minutes

Cooking time

2

hours 

Calories

620

kcal

Ingredients

• •t1.5kg chicken pieces, bone in

• •tFor the mole: 4 dried mulato chillies

• •tFor the mole: 4 dried ancho chillies

• •tFor the mole: 3 dried pasilla chillies

• •tFor the mole: 2 dried chipotle chillies

• •tFor the mole: 1 corn tortilla, charred to blackened (intentionally)

• •tFor the mole: 60g sesame seeds, toasted

• •tFor the mole: 60g pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted

• •tFor the mole: 40g almonds, toasted

• •tFor the mole: 40g peanuts, toasted

• •tFor the mole: 1 onion, charred

• •tFor the mole: 8 garlic cloves, charred

• •tFor the mole: 3 tomatoes, charred

• •tFor the mole: 3 tomatillos, charred

• •tFor the mole: 80g Mexican dark chocolate (or 70% dark chocolate)

• •tFor the mole: 1 tsp Mexican cinnamon (canela)

• •tFor the mole: 4 cloves

• •tFor the mole: 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano

• •tFor the mole: 1 tsp dried thyme

• •tFor the mole: 1 tsp black peppercorns

• •tFor the mole: 2 tbsp sugar

• •tFor the mole: 3 tbsp lard or vegetable oil

• •t1.5 litres chicken stock

• •tSalt to taste

• •tSesame seeds to garnish

• •tSteamed rice and warm corn tortillas to serve

Directions

• Toast all dried chillies in a dry pan for 30 seconds per side. Soak in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain. Char one mulato chilli and the corn tortilla until completely black — set aside.
• Toast sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and peanuts separately until golden. Char onion, garlic, tomatoes, and tomatillos under a grill until blackened.
• Blend chillies (including the charred one), charred tortilla, charred vegetables, toasted nuts and seeds, chocolate, all spices, and 500ml chicken stock in batches until very smooth. Pass through a fine sieve.
• Heat lard or oil in a very large, deep pot over high heat. Add the blended mole sauce carefully — it will splatter. Fry in the fat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Reduce heat to medium-low. Add remaining chicken stock, sugar, and salt. Simmer uncovered for 45-60 minutes stirring frequently until the mole is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning generously.
• Roast or poach the chicken pieces until cooked through. Add to the mole and simmer together for 20 minutes.
• Serve garnished with sesame seeds over rice with warm tortillas

Notes

• The intentionally charred tortilla and chilli are what give mole negro its black colour and slight bitterness — do not be alarmed when burning them deliberately.
  Mole negro is almost always better on day 2 or 3. Make it ahead for important occasions.
  The sauce freezes beautifully for up to 3 months without the chicken — freeze in portions and use throughout the year.
  Mexican canela (Ceylon cinnamon) is softer and more delicate than cassia cinnamon. Use it if you can find it at Mexican grocery stores.
  A good quality shop-bought mole negro paste (Doña Maria or La Costeña) can substitute for the entire paste-making process — fry it in fat with stock to create the sauce.

Storage

Mole negro keeps in the fridge for up to 5 days and improves with time. Freeze the sauce separately from the chicken for up to 3 months. Reheat over low heat with a splash of stock to loosen if the sauce has thickened. The sauce becomes more complex and integrated with each day that passes.

Serving Tips

Serve over steamed white rice with warm corn tortillas for scooping. A scatter of sesame seeds and a sprig of fresh epazote (if available) over the top. Horchata (rice milk drink) is the traditional non-alcoholic pairing. For something alcoholic, a mezcal cocktail or a bold red wine — a Zinfandel or Tempranillo — stands up to the complexity of the mole.

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