Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 8-10 hours
Chicken mole is my all-time favorite Mexican dish. Traditional mole takes at least eight hours to prepare with more than 30 ingredients incorporated into the complex, smokey-sweet chile sauce. I am fascinated by the love, hard work and patience that goes into preparing this festive meal. Mole is special. So special that it is traditionally served at Mexican family celebrations such as weddings, anniversaries and during the Dia de los Muertos celebration as an offering on the colorful altars honoring the dearly departed.
It's practically impossible to dedicate 8 hours or more to dinner preparation and shop for 30 or more ingredients. To simplify this tasty Mexican favorite, I decided to turn it into a slow-cooker recipe. Dinner prep can be done in the morning and by the time you get home after a tough day at work, the smokey and sweet aroma from your kitchen will transport you to a Mexican culinary vacation in your own home. Provecho!
by Ericka Sanchez
What you'll need
- 4 pounds chicken legs and thighs
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 3/4 cup (1 tablet) mexican chocolate, grated
- 1 can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 white onion, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder (or 2 dried ancho chiles stemmed, seeded and chopped)
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles
- 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
- 3 dates, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon powdered cinnamon
How to make it
- Place chicken In a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Place chocolate, bouillon, tomatoes, onion, chile powder, chipotle chile adobo, peanuts, dates, garlic, oil and cinnamon in blender and blend until smooth. Pour into the slow-cooker over chicken, evenly distributing sauce.
- Cook on low for 10 hours, or on high for 6 hours, or until chicken is tender and completely cooked. Serve with rice.
