Slow-cooker chocolate chicken mole is the set-it-and-forget-it version of Mexico's legendary sauce: browned chicken simmered with tomatoes, rehydrated New Mexico chilies, almond butter, and dark chocolate until everything melts into a glossy, complex mole. The chocolate adds richness without sweetness, the chilies bring smoky depth, and the tomatoes keep the whole thing bright. Four to six hours later, dinner is extraordinary.
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!
Pro Tips
- Brown the chicken in batches before it goes in the slow cooker — the caramelized surface adds a depth of flavor no amount of slow cooking can create.
- Rehydrate the New Mexico chilies properly and chop them before adding; their smoky flesh is the backbone of the sauce's character.
- Use chocolate labeled 70% or above — sweeter chocolate tips the mole into dessert territory and flattens the chili flavor.
- Stir once during cooking if you're home; the almond butter likes to settle, and one mid-cook stir guarantees a smooth, unified sauce.
- Remove the bones after cooking and shred the meat slightly so every piece is coated in the mole before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this mole actually chocolatey?
Not in a dessert sense — the dark chocolate reads as richness and depth, like a good Mexican mole poblano. The smoky chilies and savory tomatoes stay firmly in the foreground.
Can I make this in a Dutch oven?
Yes — after browning and combining everything, cover and braise at 300°F for about 2 hours until the chicken shreds easily.
What should I serve with chicken mole?
Cauliflower rice keeps it paleo and soaks up the sauce. Top each bowl with chopped avocado, cilantro, and jalapeño as the recipe suggests.
How long do leftovers keep?
Up to four days refrigerated or three months frozen. The mole sauce actually improves after a night in the fridge as the flavors meld.
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!
