SERVES 6
I have been perfecting the recipe for a slow-cooker chicken mole for several years. I think I finally got it right! The dark chocolate adds richness and complexity, while the peppers add a smoky flavor and the tomatoes brighten up the dish.
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs/900 g chicken pieces (breasts and legs work well), bone in, skins removed
salt and pepper
2 tbsp/30 g ghee
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
6–7 whole tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
5 dried New Mexico chili peppers, rehydrated and chopped
¼ cup/60 g almond butter
2 ½ oz/70 g dark chocolate (70% or above)
1 tsp/5 g sea salt
1 tsp/3 g cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp guajillo chili powder
avocado, cilantro and jalapeño, all chopped (garnish)
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
Generously salt and pepper the chicken. Place a pan over medium heat and add ghee. Once the ghee has warmed, add the chicken and brown on all sides. This may need to be done in batches. Move chicken to the slow cooker.
Add onion to the same pan and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant. Transfer onion and garlic to slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, chili peppers, almond butter, dark chocolate, salt and spices (cumin, cinnamon, chili powder) to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or until chicken is tender and pulls apart easily. If you are home when making this dish, lift the lid once and give a stir to make sure all the ingredients are well combined. Remove chicken bones. Top mole with avocado, cilantro and jalapeño and serve!
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- MINESTRONE WITH ORECCHIETTE
Slow-cooker chocolate chicken mole proves that great mole doesn't require a day at the stove: browned chicken, tomatoes, rehydrated New Mexico chilies, almond butter, and dark chocolate bubble together for hours into a glossy, smoky sauce. The chocolate rounds out the chilies' smokiness while almond butter gives the sauce its velvety body. Finish with avocado, cilantro, and jalapeño and dinner tastes celebratory.
Pro Tips
- Take the browning step seriously — deep color on the chicken before it hits the slow cooker is what separates a good mole from a flat one.
- Blend or chop the rehydrated chilies well so their flesh melts into the sauce rather than leaving leathery strips behind.
- Choose 70% dark chocolate or above; milkier bars bring too much sugar and mute the chili depth the sauce is built on.
- Lift the lid once mid-cook to stir — the almond butter tends to sink, and one stir keeps the sauce silky and unified.
- The mole is even better the next day, so consider making it in the morning and letting the flavors marry all afternoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the mole taste like chocolate?
It tastes rich and complex rather than sweet — think mole poblano, where chocolate reads as depth behind smoky chilies and tangy tomatoes.
Can I make this without a slow cooker?
Yes — use a Dutch oven: brown the chicken, add everything, cover, and braise at 300°F for about 2 hours until the meat pulls apart easily.
What should I serve with chocolate chicken mole?
Cauliflower rice is the paleo staple here and loves the sauce. The classic toppings — chopped avocado, cilantro, and jalapeño — add cool contrast to the warm spice.
How long does mole keep?
Four days in the refrigerator or up to three months frozen. Like most slow-cooked sauces, day two is arguably even better than day one.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Method
- COOKING INSTRUCTIONS Generously salt and pepper the chicken.
- Place a pan over medium heat and add ghee.
- Once the ghee has warmed, add the chicken and brown on all sides. This may need to be done in batches. Move chicken to the slow cooker.
- Add onion to the same pan and sauté until translucent.
- Add garlic and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Transfer onion and garlic to slow cooker.
- Add the tomatoes, chili peppers, almond butter, dark chocolate, salt and spices (cumin, cinnamon, chili powder) to the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or until chicken is tender and pulls apart easily. If you are home when making this dish, lift the lid once and give a stir to make sure all the ingredients are well combined.
- Remove chicken bones.
- Top mole with avocado, cilantro and jalapeño and serve!
