Chicken Mole Poblano with Sesame Rice

Steps

1. Step 1

   Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature while you start the chiles.

   5 min

   • 2 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
   • salt
   • black pepper
2. Step 2

   Heat a large dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the ancho and guajillo chiles in a single layer, pressing them flat with a spatula, about 30 seconds per side, until they smell fragrant and turn slightly pliable. Don't let them blacken or the sauce will be bitter. Put them in a bowl, cover with 3 cups very hot water, and set a small plate on top to keep them submerged. Soak 20 minutes.

   25 min

   • 4 dried ancho chiles
   • 4 dried guajillo chiles
3. Step 3

   In the same dry skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds and 2 tbsp sesame seeds, stirring, until golden and fragrant, 3–4 minutes. Tip into the blender. Add the raisins and torn tortilla to the skillet and toast until the tortilla is crisp and lightly browned, about 2 minutes, then add to the blender.

   7 min

   • 1/3 cup whole almonds
   • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
   • 1/3 cup raisins
   • 1 corn tortilla
4. Step 4

   Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in batches, skin side down first, 5–6 minutes per side, until deeply golden. Transfer to a plate. Pour off all but about 2 tbsp of the fat.

   15 min

   • 2 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
   • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
5. Step 5

   Add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook over medium heat until softened and browned at the edges, 5 minutes. Add the drained tomatoes and cook, breaking them up, until thick and jammy, 5 minutes more. Scrape everything into the blender.

   10 min

   • 1 small white onion
   • 3 cloves garlic
   • 1 can whole peeled tomatoes (14.5 oz)
6. Step 6

   Lift the soaked chiles into the blender (discard the soaking water, which can be bitter) and add the cinnamon, cumin, cloves and 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth. Blend on high until completely smooth, 2 full minutes, scraping down as needed. Add a splash more broth if the blender struggles.

   5 min

   • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
   • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
   • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
   • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
7. Step 7

   Set the pot over medium heat. Pour in the blended sauce (stand back, it will sputter) and fry it, stirring often, until it darkens and thickens into a paste, about 10 minutes. For a silky sauce, push it through a fine sieve back into the pot. Stir in the remaining 2 1/2 cups broth, the chocolate and the sugar until the chocolate melts.

   12 min

   • 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
   • 2 oz dark chocolate (70%) or Mexican chocolate
   • 1 tbsp sugar
8. Step 8

   Return the chicken and any juices to the pot, nestling the pieces into the sauce. Bring to a bare simmer, cover partly, and cook until the chicken is tender and pulling from the bone, 40 minutes, turning the pieces once. Season with salt.

   40 min, hands-off

   • salt
9. Step 9

   While the chicken simmers, make the rice: combine the rinsed rice, water, butter and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover, lower the heat to the lowest setting and cook 15 minutes. Take off the heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

   30 min

   • 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
   • 2 1/4 cups water
   • 1 tbsp butter
   • 1 tsp salt
10. Step 10

    If the mole looks thin, uncover and simmer a few minutes until it's glossy and coats a spoon; if it's too thick, loosen with a little water. Spoon rice onto plates, top with chicken and plenty of sauce, and scatter with toasted sesame seeds and cilantro.

    5 min

    • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
    • 2 tbsp cilantro

Where it’s from

Written by AI from an idea

Version 1, saved Oct 5, 2026