Slow-Simmered Oaxaca Black Mole with Chicken Thighs

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-08-03 · Updated 2026-08-03

A rich, complex Oaxacan black mole sauce slow-cooked with tender chicken thighs, showcasing the deep flavors of traditional Mexican spices and chocolate. This Mexican-inspired chicken recipe, ready in about 130 minutes, pairs bone-in chicken thighs, dried pasilla chiles, dried mulato chiles for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 550 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 6 pieces bone-in chicken thighs
• 3 whole dried pasilla chiles
• 3 whole dried mulato chiles
• 1 whole dried chipotle chile
• 2 whole dried ancho chiles
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium, quartered white onion
• 5 whole garlic cloves
• 2 medium, chopped tomato
• 2 slices, torn day-old white bread
• 1 ounce, chopped unsweetened Mexican chocolate
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
• 3 cups chicken broth
• to taste salt
• 2 cups water

The blender we’d make this in → Best Blenders for 2026: Top Picks + Smoothie Season Buying Guide

Instructions

1. Step 1: Remove stems and seeds from 3 pasilla, 3 mulato, 1 chipotle, and 2 ancho chiles. Toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes until aromatic but not burnt, then soak in 2 cups hot water for 30 minutes until softened.
2. Step 2: Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 1 medium quartered white onion and 5 whole garlic cloves, sauté for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
3. Step 3: Add 2 chopped medium tomatoes and 2 torn slices of day-old white bread to the pot; cook for 4 minutes until tomatoes break down and bread is toasted.
4. Step 4: Drain the softened chiles, reserving soaking liquid, and add them to the pot along with 1 small cinnamon stick, 4 whole cloves, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, and 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Step 5: Transfer the mixture to a blender, add 1 ounce chopped unsweetened Mexican chocolate, and blend with 1 cup reserved chile soaking liquid until smooth.
6. Step 6: Pour the blended mole sauce back into the pot, add 3 cups chicken broth, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes until sauce thickens and flavors meld.
7. Step 7: Season 6 bone-in chicken thighs with salt and brown in a separate skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes per side until golden.
8. Step 8: Add the browned chicken thighs to the mole sauce, cover, and simmer on low for 40 minutes until chicken is cooked through and tender. Serve hot with rice or tortillas.