Quick Mole Poblano

5 from 34 votes

Craving Mole Poblano? This easy shortcut recipe is packed with rich, bold flavors but takes way less time and effort than the traditional version!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Mexican

Diet: Vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 135kcal

Author: Stefan

Equipment

Ingredients

2 onions chopped
3 garlic cloves finely chopped and mashed to a paste with ¾ teaspoon salt
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
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: Add more spices, more sugar, etc. to your taste.
Adjust the thickness: By changing how much liquid you add.
Don’t rush the simmer: Like soup, the longer it simmers, the deeper and more developed the flavors become.
Smoothest sauce: Press it through a strainer for the silkiest, smooth Mexican-inspired mole sauce.

Nutrition