Home-Style Chicken Mole Negro
Mole negro carries a reputation that can feel intimidating, even for experienced home cooks. Traditional preparations often involve dozens of ingredients, multiple stages of toasting and grinding, and hours of focused attention. That depth is part of what makes mole special, but it can also push it out of reach for everyday cooking.
This version is rooted in respect for the dish while acknowledging how people actually cook at home. By starting with a prepared mole base, the sauce gains structure immediately, creating space to build flavor thoughtfully instead of chasing complexity. Guajillo chiles add warmth and dried fruit notes, spices bring balance, and Mexican hot chocolate rounds everything out with subtle bitterness and depth.
The result is a mole that feels familiar, comforting, and intentional. Braised chicken absorbs the sauce as it simmers, creating a dish that feels settled and cohesive rather than heavy or aggressive. Served family style, it is generous and grounding, the kind of meal meant to be shared without explanation.
Braised Chicken in Mole Negro
This recipe approaches mole negro with balance rather than excess. Using a prepared mole base is not about cutting corners, but about choosing a foundation that allows the cook to focus on refinement instead of volume. From there, guajillo chiles, warm spices, and Mexican hot chocolate deepen the sauce and give it a personal voice.
Seasoning the chicken with Revolution Barbecue SPG provides a clean, savory backbone that supports the mole without competing with it. Browning the chicken first creates structure, while a gentle braise keeps the meat tender and fully integrated with the sauce as it thickens.
What makes this dish work is patience, not complexity. The mole settles as it simmers, the flavors soften and connect, and the final result feels cohesive and comforting. This is a home-style take on mole negro designed to be cooked often, shared easily, and enjoyed without ceremony.
- Author
- Glenn Connaughton
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 50 minutes
- Servings
- 6
- Category
Main Dish
- Cuisine
- American
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon bacon fat or lard
- 3 to 3 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Revolution Barbecue SPG$
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 Nestlé Abuelita Mexican Hot Chocolate tablet
- 1/2 white onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 Roma tomato
- 15 animal crackers
- 8 guajillo chile pods, stems and seeds removed, soaked in 2 cups boiling water for 30 minutes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 cup Doña María mole paste
- 1/2 teaspoon Revolution Barbecue SPG$
- 1/2 cup reserved guajillo soaking liquid
Directions
- Brown The Chicken: Warm the bacon fat or lard in a large heavy casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat, add the chicken pieces skin side down, and brown well on all sides until golden.
- Build The Base: Add the minced onion, garlic, thyme, and Revolution Barbecue SPG, cooking until the onion is soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Braise The Chicken: Pour in the chicken broth, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is just tender. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
- Blend The Mole: Drain the guajillo chiles, reserving 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid, then blend the chiles, onion, garlic, tomato, animal crackers, cinnamon, cumin, sugar, mole paste, chocolate, Revolution Barbecue SPG, and the reserved soaking liquid until completely smooth.
- Incorporate The Sauce: Whisk the blended mole into the hot broth remaining in the pot until fully combined and glossy.
- Return And Simmer: Add the chicken back to the pot, turn to coat evenly, and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce thickens and clings to the chicken.
- Rest And Serve: Remove from heat and allow the dish to rest for 10 minutes before serving.