Slow-Simmered Oaxacan Black Mole with Toasted Nuts

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-07-25 · Updated 2026-07-25

A rich and complex Oaxacan black mole sauce slow-cooked with toasted nuts and spices, perfect for serving over chicken or enchiladas. This mexican ready in about 100 minutes pairs whole dried ancho chiles, whole dried pasilla chiles, whole dried mulato chiles for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 250 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

• 3 whole dried ancho chiles
• 3 whole dried pasilla chiles
• 2 whole dried mulato chiles
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 medium, quartered white onion
• 4 whole garlic cloves
• 1 large, chopped tomato
• 2 slices torn white bread slices
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 2 tbsp raw sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 1 small (2 inches) cinnamon stick
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 40 g, chopped Mexican chocolate
• 3 cups chicken broth
• to taste salt

Instructions

1. Step 1: Remove stems and seeds from 3 dried ancho, 3 pasilla, and 2 mulato chiles. Toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes per side until aromatic, then soak in 2 cups hot water for 30 minutes until softened.
2. Step 2: Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add 1 medium quartered white onion and 4 whole garlic cloves, sauté for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
3. Step 3: Add 1 large chopped tomato and cook for 5 minutes until softened and juices release.
4. Step 4: In a separate dry skillet, toast 2 slices torn white bread, 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds, 2 tbsp raw sesame seeds, and 1/4 cup almonds over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until golden and slightly fragrant.
5. Step 5: Toast 1 small cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 1 tsp black peppercorns, and 1 tsp cumin seeds in the dry skillet for 1 minute until fragrant; then grind spices finely.
6. Step 6: Drain chiles, reserving soaking liquid. Blend soaked chiles, sautéed onion, garlic, tomato, toasted nuts and seeds, ground spices, and 40 g chopped Mexican chocolate with 1 cup reserved soaking liquid and 3 cups chicken broth until smooth.
7. Step 7: Pour the blended mole sauce into a pot and simmer gently over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened and flavors meld. Season with salt to taste.