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Chicken Mole Torta (Mexican Pulled Chicken Sloppy Joes)

Mole (Mo-Lay) sauce is something very unique, and there are countless versions of how it’s made. It’s a recipe that Latin American families take pride in, and many are family heirloom recipes.Mole sauce is a rich and spicy sauce that that is an alchemy of different flavors—tomatoes, garlic, raisins, almonds, sesame seeds, and chocolate to name a few.
Keyword Chicken Mole
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 57 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 57 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 844kcal
Author Debby - www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Ingredients

Chicken Mole:

  • 2 ancho chiles dried
  • 3 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion minced
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce minced (these can be hot!)
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2 cloves garlic smashed
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce)drained
  • 1/4 cup almond butter
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds toasted
  • 4 pounds chicken breasts bone-in skin-on

Sandwich Build:

  • 1 can refried beans (16-ounce can) or black beans
  • 4 rolls ideally Mexican Bolillo rolls (I make my own)

Garnishes

  • 2 cups iceberg lettuce finely shredded
  • Pickled jalapenos
  • Fresh cilantro leaves
  • Tomatillo Salsa recipe follows
  • Lime wedges for garnish

For easy homemade tomatillo sauce (optional but delicious) or you can buy this bottled

  • 1 pound fresh tomatillos husk removed and rinsed well
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and left whole
  • 1 jalapeno pepper stemmed and halved
  • 1/2 yellow onion cut into thirds
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 limed juiced

Instructions

For the chicken mole:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Remove the stems and seeds from the ancho chiles and bake for 5 minutes. When cool, roughly chop and set aside.
  • Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
  • Add the onions, a couple pinches of salt and saute until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved ancho chiles and minced chipotle. Cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
  • Add the chocolate, cinnamon, cloves and garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant and the chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes.
    Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, almond butter, raisins and sesame seeds. Gently simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Place the mole into a blender and puree until smooth, about 1 minute (I used an immersion blender right in the Dutch oven).
  • Adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add the mole back to the Dutch oven. Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper.
  • Lay the chicken in the sauce in one layer, making sure each breast is entirely coated, and gently simmer, flipping once during cooking, until the breasts register 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside off the heat and let rest.
  • Using your hands, remove the skin and meat from the bones and discard. Shred the chicken into smaller chunks and place back into the mole to keep warm. Season if necessary.

For the tomatillo sauce: You can buy bottled tomatillo sauce. However, making your own isn't that difficult and it and can be used for so many other recipes as a stand-alone recipe)

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Remove the stem, ribs and seeds from the jalapeno (or keep them in if you want it hot).
  • Toss the tomatillos, garlic, pepper and onions with the olive oil and place evenly on a baking sheet. Bake until the tomatillos and onions are soft, 15 to 20 minutes. If necessary, remove the garlic sooner to avoid scorching.
  • Add roasted vegetables, fresh cilantro and lime juice into a blender and puree until smooth. Adjust the seasoning if necessary and transfer to a bowl.

For the sandwich build:

  • Heat the refried beans in the microwave until warm.
    NOTE: I don’t like canned refried beans, so I empty a can of organic black (or pinto) beans with the liquid into a skillet on medium high. Cook, until the liquid has reduced and mash. Season to your liking and serve.
  • Spread the beans on the bottom of the bolillo rolls. Place the chicken on top of the beans with a little extra mole.
  • Place some queso fresco on top of the chicken, slather the top bun with sour cream and adhere the lettuce.
  • Top with the pickled jalapenos and cilantro and drizzle with the Tomatillo Salsa. Close, cut sharply on the bias and serve with fresh lime wedges.
  • Serve with plenty of napkins

Notes

Recipe adapted from: Jeff Mauro (the Sandwich King) Food Network
Homemade bolillo roll recipe is here
I skipped adding the pickled jalapeno as a personal preference-- I'm really not that fond of them.