This mole may only take 30 minutes, but don't let that fool you-it's got more depth than your college relationship and just as much heat. Rich, smoky, lightly sweet, and spiced with just enough drama to keep things interesting, this shortcut version delivers all the flavor without the four-hour (or more) commitment. No dried chilies to toast, no spice grinder required, no culinary guilt trip from the mole purists. Just a quick stir, a simmer, and boom-your enchiladas are wearing couture. It's fast. It's fabulous. And it might just be magic.
Table of Contents
🗝️ Mole, but make it magical (and manageable)
- Ready in 30 minutes, but tastes like it slow-danced through three generations. Plus it freezes like it got its start in the Arctic.
- No hard-to-find chilies or spice-grinding drama-just pantry staples and pure magic.
- Velvety smooth with rich, deep flavor and the perfect kiss of heat.
- Works with chicken, enchiladas, tamales… or straight off the spoon (no judgment).
- Freezes like a dream-make once, impress forever.
- One pan. One spoon. Zero nonsense.
🧾Ingredients for this easy mole sauce recipe
Double the batch. Future You will want to thank Present You with tacos. Use it on enchiladas, chicken, burritos, tacos, and more!
- Light cooking oil - Use what you've got: peanut, vegetable, or canola. I reach for peanut oil because nobody here's allergic and it adds great flavor.
- Dried chiles - This is where the mole magic begins. Mix and match to your heat tolerance-learning your perfect combo is part of the fun.
- Whole garlic cloves - No shortcuts here. Fresh garlic gives that deep, earthy backbone mole is famous for.
- Whole cloves - I like to use whole ones for that slow-building spice. If you're not feeling fancy, a pinch (about ¼ teaspoon) of ground cloves works too.
- Star anise - I know. You think you hate it. But one little star takes this sauce from "yum" to "holy mole."
- Tortilla chips - Yep. Chips. They thicken the sauce and add flavor-plus it's a genius way to use up the stale ones you were pretending you'd throw away.
- Diced tomatoes with green chiles - Ro*Tel is my go-to, but grab what's in the pantry. It's fine.
- Onion - Yellow or white. Just not the sad half-shriveled one in your veggie drawer.
- Raisins - Trust me. They add a soft sweetness that smooths out the spice.
- Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) - For texture and thickening. No need to toast or fuss.
- Almonds - Same job as the pumpkin seeds, with a nutty depth that makes everything better.
- Sesame seeds - A sprinkle of these gives your mole a little crunch and makes it look extra impressive.
- Bananas - I KNOW. But the sweetness balances the spice and gives the sauce that silky finish.
- Ground cinnamon - Vietnamese cinnamon is my ride-or-die, but any ground cinnamon will work. You can even toss in a stick if you're feeling rustic-just remember to fish it out later.
- Chicken stock - Homemade is divine. Store-bought is totally fine. Just use one that tastes good enough to sip.
- Unsweetened dark chocolate or 100% baking chocolate - This is the soul of mole. No sugar added. Mexican chocolate wafers work beautifully if you have them.
- Chili powder - I use my homemade mix, but your favorite brand will do just fine.
- Dark brown sugar - Go for the dark stuff. It adds a richness that golden brown can't quite match.
- Salt - I stick with Kosher, but you do you. If you use table salt use less.
💾 Grab the free printable kitchen cheat sheet!
Because let's be honest-mole this good deserves to be remembered without sticky notes, sauce-smudged screens, or yelling "HEY,SIRI, WHAT COMES AFTER THE CHOCOLATE?" Print it, pin it, tape it to the fridge… or slide it into that recipe binder you swear you're going to organize someday. No judgment. Just mole magic, made easy.
📖 Recipe
Quick and Easy Mole Sauce
Print Pin Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 4 tablespoons oil, divided
- 3 pasilla chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 5 guajillo chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 2 chipotle chiles, seeded and chopped
- 4 ancho chiles, seeded and chopped
- 2 chiles negros, seeded and chopped
- 1 head garlic, peeled and chopped
- 8 whole cloves
- 2 star anise
- 1 cup tortilla chips, stale and broken
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes with chiles
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- ¾ cup raisins
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds, roasted
- ¼ cup almonds
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- 3 ripe bananas, chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, roasted cinnamon if possible
- 2 to 3 cups chicken stock
- 6 ounces 100% Chocolate
- ½ cup chili powder, try my homemade chili powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, or more to taste
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a heavy (cast iron is best) frying pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat.
- Add the chopped dried chiles, garlic, cloves, pumpkin seeds, almonds, sesame seeds, star anise, and tortilla chips.
- Cook for 5 minutes, or until chiles are softened and begin to brown. Don't scorch the garlic!
- Add the tomatoes, onion, raisins, bananas, cinnamon, and 1 cup of chicken stock.
- Simmer for 20 minutes or so, adding more stock as needed, until all the ingredients are soft.
- Place in a blender, about 1 to 2 cups at a time, and puree adding chicken stock as needed until the mole is a smooth, thick paste. BE CAUTIOUS - wait for it to cool a bit first and watch it doesn't build up steam in the blender.
- Heat the remaining two tablespoons oil over medium heat.
- Add the chili powder and the chocolate.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate and chili are melted together and smooth - be careful not to scorch!
- Stir the pureed mixture into the chocolate mixture.
- Bring to a boil, adding more chicken stock as needed to reach desired consistency.
- Add sugar and salt to taste.
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
🔪 How to make authentic mole sauce step by step
Good mole poblano sauce starts with a variety of dried chiles and a good quality chocolate. Follow these step by step images to see how it's transformed into a mouthwatering mole!
Remove seeds from chiles and ...
saute them with the dry ingredients in a heavy frying pan.
Cook for 5 minutes, or until chiles are softened and begin to brown.
Add the tomatoes, onion, raisins, bananas, cinnamon, and chicken stock.
Simmer for 20 minutes or so, adding more stock as needed, until all the ingredients are soft.
Place in a blender, about 2 cups at a time, and puree adding chicken stock as needed until the mole is a smooth, thick paste.
Set pureed sauce aside.
Heat the remaining two tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the chili powder and the chocolate.
Cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate and chili are melted together and smooth.
Stir the pureed mixture into the chocolate mixture.
Bring to a boil, adding more chicken stock as needed to reach desired consistency.
Taste and add sugar and salt as needed. Garnish with sesame seeds.
🌶️ What is mole sauce?
The term "mole" is the Aztec word for sauce and there are hundreds of different kinds of mole sauce.
Describing a good mole sauce (pronounced moh-LAY) is like describing Dvorak's New World Symphony.
There are hundreds of layers of flavor starting with succulent and ending with sweet heat...the texture is rich and velvety, but hearty and satisfying at the same time.
Complex doesn't begin to describe this versatile south of the border mole recipe made with the darkest of dark chocolates.
There are a lot of ingredients but this homemade Mexican condiment really does go together easily.
Related recipes
🔥 Use This Mole On...
Just substitute the mole for the sauce called for in the recipe (if there is one).
Salsa chicken is the recipe you make when your day has been a dumpster fire and dinner still has to happen. Substitute the mole sauce for salsa. Dump, bake, done. Juicy chicken, saucy goodness, and just enough spice to make you forget your email inbox exists.
Meatloaf is old-school comfort food with a lipstick touch-up. This isn't your cafeteria trauma meatloaf-it's tender, flavorful, and delicious with a couple of spoonfuls of mole.
🧂 Want to Make It All from Scratch?
Store-bought who? This homemade chili powder spice blend has big attitude and even bigger flavor. Whether you're seasoning tacos or hexing bland dinner guests, this homemade chili powder brings the heat in all the right ways.
Homemade enchilada sauce tastes like you simmered it all day-spoiler alert: you didn't. Rich, smoky, and the perfect amount of sass. You'll never buy the canned stuff again (unless you're hoarding it for the apocalypse, in which case… respect).
Sweet, spicy, and completely addictive. These little candied jalapeño gems are what happens when sugar and sass team up for flavor domination. Throw them on burgers, tacos, or straight into your mouth like the rebel you are.
🦎 Copycat Red Iguana mole sauce
This authentic mole sauce is my take on the delicious mole I enjoyed at the Red Iguana in Salt Lake City serveral years ago.
It makes about a quart and a half and it freezes well. Try some over leftover turkey after Thanksgiving, or spooned over grilled chicken all summer long.
Don't forget it!
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Erin M says
I followed it to the letter. All I taste is banana which is gross. I'm going to try it without bananas.
Marye says
You must be very sensitive to banana flavor - or your chiles weren't very strong.