Mole is a thick, dark, nutty, sweet, traditionally Mexican sauce made with a hint of chocolate. This slow-cooker recipe from Cooking Light gets plenty of complex flavor from anchos (dried poblanos) — and makes the time-consuming process easier thanks to tools like a slow cooker and blender.
Ingredients
- 2 dried ancho chiles
- 1 (28-ounce) can unsalted whole tomatoes
- 1 cup (240 ml) yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) sliced almonds, toasted
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) semisweet baking chocolate, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) raisins
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) unsalted chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) canned adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cinnamon
- 2 chipotle chilies, canned in adobo sauce
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 pounds (907 grams) skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) kosher salt
- 16 corn tortillas
- 1 ounce (28 grams) cotija cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
Directions
Place ancho chiles in a bowl; cover with water. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain; remove and discard stems and seeds. Process seeded chiles, tomatoes, onions, almonds, chocolate, raisins, stock, cumin, adobo sauce, cinnamon, chipotle chilies and garlic in a food processor until smooth.
Sprinkle chicken with salt; place in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add tomato mixture. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. Place chicken on a cutting board; remove bones. Reserve 2 cups sauce for another use. Shred chicken into large pieces and return to slow cooker.
Working with 1 tortilla at a time, heat tortillas over medium-high directly on burner until lightly charred, about 15 seconds per side. Top tortillas with chicken mixture, cheese and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
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Serves: 8 | Serving Size: 2 tacos
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 437; Total Fat: 14g; Saturated Fat: 4g; Monounsaturated Fat: 8g; Cholesterol: 20mg; Sodium: 477mg; Carbohydrate: 53g; Dietary Fiber: 9g; Sugar: 15g; Protein: 31g
