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Craving Mole Poblano? This easy shortcut recipe is packed with rich, bold flavors but takes way less time and effort than the traditional version!
What Is Mole Poblano?
Mole poblano is a traditional chile-based Mexican sauce originating from Puebla and loved for its rich, sweet, spicy, savory, complex flavor. This is thanks to a mix of over 20 ingredients – traditionally including a blend of dried chiles and spices, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and a hint of chocolate – many requiring individual preparation before being added to the mole sauce.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Classic Mole Poblano may be a labor of love, but with a list of ingredients longer than a holiday packing list and a process that can take a whole day to complete, it’s not exactly weeknight-friendly (or a good test of my patience).
Enter this shortcut version! It’s not entirely authentic, but with experimentation, I’ve come up with a recipe for mole poblano that’s fast, easy, uses simple, accessible ingredients, and is still packed with flavor – perfect over quinoa black bean burritos, vegan chilaquiles, and more.
The Ingredients
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients, substitutes, and quantities.
Recipe Variations
Add depth to this mole recipe with any of the following (added to taste):
- Bay leaves
- Dried thyme
- Marjoram
- Vegan Mexican chocolate (finely chopped to replace the cocoa powder)
- Tomatillo (pan-charred for tart flavor depth)
- Pan-fried nuts/seeds (like peanuts, almonds, and/or pumpkin seeds – traditionally used to thicken the sauce while adding flavor)
- Tortilla bread (like these tortillas de harina) and/or bolillo bread (fried and then used to thicken the sauce)
How to Make Mole Poblano
Step 1: Peel and chop the onion, peel the garlic, and finely chop, then mash them into a paste with ¾ teaspoon salt. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based skillet/Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, sauté the onion for 1 minute, then add the coriander, aniseed, chile powder, cumin, cinnamon, sugar, and cloves, stir, and sauté for a minute.
Step 2: Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the cocoa powder, peanut butter, water/stock, tomatoes, chiles, raisins, garlic pasta, and salt – to taste.
Step 3: Simmer the molé poblano, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
Step 4: Then, either use an immersion blender directly in the pot OR work in batches, transferring the mole to a blender and pureeing until smooth. Thin the molé sauce with water/stock as desired – then enjoy!
Optionally, strain the sauce for silky smoothness.
FAQs
Yes – cook it on manual high pressure for 8-9 minutes.
Sure – it will add extra time and effort to the recipe, but it also really helps to provide the typical base of an authentic mole poblano recipe. I recommend using a combination of ancho chiles, mulatos, pasillas, and guajillo chiles.
First, remove the ribs and seeds from the chiles and then fry the chiles in oil until fragrant, with a deep color. Then, transfer them to boiling water to soak and reconstitute for 20-30 minutes.
Traditionally, molé poblano is thickened with pan-fried nuts/seeds and bread (corn tortillas and bolillo) blended into the sauce.
Pro Recipe Tips
- Taste and adjust: i.e., more spices, more sugar, etc.
- Adjust the thickness: By changing how much liquid you add.
- Don’t rush the simmer: Like soup, the longer it simmers, the more developed and deeper the flavors will be.
- Smoothest sauce: Press it through a strainer for the silkiest, smooth Mexican-inspired mole sauce.
How To Use Mole Poblano Sauce
Mole poblano is a versatile, rich, and complex sauce or marinade perfect for:
- Over proteins (like this grilled tofu steak recipe)
- Over enchiladas (like these sweet potato enchiladas) and emoladas
- With vegan tamales, tostadas, and tacos (like tofu tacos)
- Over rice/potatoes– like easy vegan Mexican rice or even healthy patatas bravas
- With vegan nachos
- To dip vegetables, air-fried tortilla chips, and vegan empanadas
- To give vegan burgers (like this spicy red bean burger) and wraps (like this vegan black bean lettuce wrap) a Mexican-inspired twist
- For vegan chilaquiles
Storage Instructions
Store: In an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Freeze: Spread flat in a Ziplock/Stasher or in a freezer-safe container for 4-6 months.
Reheat: In a saucepan or in the microwave (in 30-second increments until hot). If it’s overly thickened, add some water/veg broth.
More Vegan Sauces to Consider….
Vegan Dinners
Creamy Vegan Garlic Sauce
Vegan Dinners
Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce
Vegan Appetizers
Easy Creamy Avocado Sauce
Vegan Breakfasts
Easy Vegan Hollandaise Sauce
If you tried this quick mole poblano recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!
Quick Mole Poblano
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 onions chopped
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (canola, vegetable grapeseed)
- ½ teaspoon of ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon of aniseed ground
- 1 ½ to 3 tablespoons of chile powder
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon of ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (natural is best) or finely chopped peanuts
- 2 cups of water or vegetable stock
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can Ro-Tel tomatoes & chiles
- 2 tablespoons raisins
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped and mashed to a paste with ¾ teaspoon salt
- Sesame seeds, sliced radishes, and cilantro sprigs for garnish
Instructions
- In a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat, and saute the onion until golden. Add the coriander, aniseed, chile powder, cumin, cinnamon, sugar, and cloves, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Reduce the heat to medium, and stir in the cocoa powder, peanut butter, water or stock, tomatoes and chiles, raisins, garlic paste, and salt to taste. Let simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
- In batches, transfer the sauce to a blender and puree until smooth. Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender if you cooked the sauce in a pot or Dutch oven, or you can strain out the solids, puree them in a food processor, and stir them back into the liquid. (If you puree everything in a food processor, it'll probably leak and get messy.) Thin with additional water or stock as desired.
- Use as a sauce for enchiladas, a simmer sauce, a dip, or in pretty much any way your heart desires. Garnish with sesame seeds, radishes, and/or cilantro sprigs.
Notes
- Taste and adjust: i.e., more spices, more sugar, etc.
- Adjust the thickness: By changing how much liquid you add.
- Don’t rush the simmer: Like soup, the longer it simmers, the more developed and deeper the flavors will be.
- Smoothest sauce: Press it through a strainer for the silkiest, smooth Mexican-inspired mole sauce.
Love how easy this mole poblano is to make!
Looks soo good! Excited for the flavour just by looking at the ingredients
Yesssss. Such a great combo of flavors!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. When I ate meat, Chicken Mole was always my first choice at Mexican restaurants. Thank for you sharing!
This one is a great plant-based option! Let us know what you think 🙂