This slow-cooked mole is deeply smoky, slightly sweet, and rich enough to make you forget it only took 10 minutes of effort. The almonds and raisins do some sneaky background work here—don’t skip them unless you’re allergic or stubborn.←Back to Taco Base Recipes
8 piece boneless skinless chicken thighs
0.5 tsp kosher salt
0.5 tbsp black pepper
0.25 cup smoked almonds
0.25 cup raisins
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 piece chipotle chiles in abodo
1 tbsp abodo sauce
0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
4 clove garlic
1 piece yellow onion
Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper, and toss them into a slow cooker. No pre-searing, no fuss.
Dump everything else—yes, all of it—into a blender or food processor along with 1/4 cup of water. Blend until smooth. It won’t look pretty yet. That’s fine.
Pour the sauce over the chicken, set your slow cooker to low, and forget about it for 6–8 hours. Come back when the chicken is fork-tender and everything smells like you know what you’re doing.
Chef's Notes
Let's be honest: a true Oaxacan mole negro involves 30+ ingredients, two days of work, and the kind of patience that most modern humans have traded for streaming services. This version captures the spirit without requiring a sabbatical. The dried chiles are the foundation: ancho (sweet, raisiny), guajillo (earthy, mild), and pasilla (deep, chocolatey) create the complex backbone. Toast them in a dry pan until fragrant (30 seconds per side), then rehydrate in hot water until soft. Find dried chiles at Mexican markets or the international aisle. The chocolate isn't for sweetness; it's for depth. Use Mexican chocolate (Ibarra, Abuelita) if you can find it, or unsweetened cocoa powder. The amount is small but crucial. Almonds add body and richness; raisins add sweetness that balances the chiles. Neither is optional if you want proper mole texture. This version braises in a slow cooker or Dutch oven, letting the chicken and sauce become one over several hours. The result is deeply savory, subtly sweet, and complex enough to impress while simple enough for a weeknight with planning. Traditional mole cooks will notice this isn't the real thing. They're right. But this version converts mole-curious home cooks without requiring a graduate degree in sauce-making. Sometimes good enough is good, and the Taco Gods appreciate accessibility.
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