A slow-cooker mole that captures the spirit of Oaxacan mole negro without requiring a two-day sabbatical. Dried chiles, dark chocolate, almonds, and raisins work over 6–8 hours. The chocolate isn't for sweetness — it's for depth.←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 add to a slow cooker.
Blend all remaining ingredients — dried chiles, tomatoes, chocolate, almonds, raisins, spices — with 1/4 cup water until smooth.
Pour the sauce over the chicken, set to low, and cook 6–8 hours until the chicken is fork-tender and shreds easily.
Chef's Notes
The dried chiles are the foundation: ancho (sweet, raisiny), guajillo (earthy, mild), and pasilla (deep, chocolatey) build 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. Almonds add body and richness; raisins add sweetness that balances the chiles. Neither is optional if you want proper mole texture. 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.
Into This Base? Remix It!
Chicken Mole is a taco base recipe — the foundation of your taco, also known as the filling. It sets the flavor direction for everything that follows. Hit remix to pair it with toppings and finishes that complement it or take it somewhere you'd never expect. You might land on something traditional or stumble into full-on taco fusion.Take Chicken Mole into the Summoning Circle and shuffle it with hundreds of other taco components to create your perfect taco.
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