Mexican🥫 Sauces & condiments

Peanut Mole

Name: Peanut Mole
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 ancho chiles; ½ small onion; 2 garlic cloves; ~3 tbsp oil; 2 slices white bread; ⅔ cans fire-roasted canned tomatoes; ~1 tsp cinnamon; ~½ tsp allspice; 2 chipotle chile; ~1 cup toasted peanuts; 2½ cups chicken broth; ½ cup red wine; 2 bay leaves; ~1 tbsp apple cider vinegar; 2 tsp salt; ~2 tbsp sugar

⏱ 90 min

A traditional mole recipe that emphasizes peanuts as the primary thickening agent, reducing the usual heavy reliance on dried chiles. This red peanut mole is based on a Mexico City recipe and captures the haunting complexity of classic mole while being achievable in about an hour. The flavor profile can be adjusted to preference—add Mexican chocolate for sweetness and fruitiness, or incorporate red wine and vinegar to highlight the nutty character and acidity.

Adapted from a video by Rick Bayless

Let's Make Peanut Mole

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

ancho chiles2
onion½ small
garlic cloves2
oil~3 tbspest.
white bread2 slices
fire-roasted canned tomatoesincluding juice⅔ cans
cinnamon~1 tspest.
allspice~½ tspest.
chipotle chile2
toasted peanuts

Steps

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1
Select pliable, flexible ancho chiles. Remove the stem, tear open the chile, and let the seeds fall out. Make sure to remove all seeds from the interior.
2
Add oil to coat the bottom of a pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and torn ancho chiles. Toast for 5 to 8 minutes until fragrant and the chiles lighten in color from cranberry red to a light chocolate brown.
3
Remove all toasted onion, garlic, and chiles from the pot and set aside to prevent them from burning during subsequent cooking.
4
Place the white bread, fire-roasted canned tomatoes with juice, the toasted chiles mixture, cinnamon, allspice, chipotle chiles, toasted peanuts, and 1½ cups of chicken broth into a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
5
Coat the pot bottom with oil (using the remaining oil from the initial sauté). Heat to medium-high until you hear a good sizzle. Pour in the entire blended mixture at once and stir.
6
Continue stirring for a few minutes as the mixture reduces, darkens, and thickens to a paste-like consistency. The sauce should be thick enough that each stroke of the spatula reveals the pot bottom.
7
Add 2 cups of chicken broth. At this point, decide on the flavor direction: add Mexican chocolate for sweetness and classic mole characteristics, or add red wine and vinegar to emphasize the nutty profile and acidity. For the savory path, add ½ cup red wine, bay leaves, and a dash of apple cider vinegar.
8
Lower heat and simmer for about 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. Place the lid askew (not tightly) to reduce evaporation while preventing pressure buildup that could cause sticking.
9
Check that nothing is sticking to the pot bottom. If a skin has formed on top, whisk it back in—it will dissolve. Taste the sauce and season with salt (about 2 teaspoons) and adjust sugar to balance flavors.
10
Preheat oven to 350°F. Ladle the hot mole sauce over chicken. Bake for about 30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 150–160°F).
11
Transfer the cooked chicken to a serving dish. Spoon additional hot sauce over the top to make it look fresh and silky. Garnish with chopped toasted peanuts and parsley leaves if desired.

Peanut Mole

Ingredients

Steps

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