Dish guides
What is mole poblano?
Mole poblano is Puebla's famous dark, glossy sauce made from several kinds of dried chillies, a little chocolate, nuts, sesame, dried fruit, spices and toasted bread or tortilla, often 20 ingredients or more. It's served over turkey or chicken with rice and tortillas. "Mole" itself is a whole family of Mexican sauces, and mole poblano is the best known.
- At a glance
- Mole poblano
- Dark Mexican sauce of dried chillies, chocolate, nuts, seeds and spices, served over poultry.
- Pronunciation
- Say it like MOH-leh poh-BLAH-noh · IPA /ˈmole poˈβlano/
- Also written as
- mole, pollo con mole, pollo en mole, mole de guajolote, enchiladas de mole, enmoladas, molé
What’s in it
Core ingredients
- dried chillies (ancho, mulato, pasilla)
- Mexican chocolate
- almonds and peanuts
- sesame seeds
- raisins and plantain
- tomato, onion and garlic
- cinnamon, clove, anise and black pepper
- toasted bread or tortilla
- lard and chicken or turkey stock
- turkey or chicken
Often added
- pumpkin seeds
- walnuts or pecans
- chipotle chilli
- rice and corn tortillas on the side
- cheese or cream on enmoladas
Allergens
| Allergen | How likely |
|---|---|
| Sesame | Typically contains |
| Peanuts | Typically contains |
| Gluten | Typically contains |
| Tree nuts | Often contains |
| Dairy | Sometimes contains |
| Soy | Sometimes contains |
| Sulphites | Rarely contains |
| Eggs | Rarely contains |
| Mustard | Rarely contains |
| Celery | Rarely contains |
| Shellfish | Rarely contains |
| Fish | Rarely contains |
| Diet | Suitable? |
|---|---|
| Vegetarian | Depends — The sauce is usually made with chicken or turkey stock and lard, and it's served over meat. Vegetable or cheese enmoladas exist, but ask how the sauce is made. |
| Vegan | Depends — Only if the sauce is made with oil and vegetable stock and served without cheese or cream, which is uncommon; ask. |
| Pescatarian | Depends — As for vegetarians: the sauce is usually made with poultry stock and lard. |
| Halal | Depends — There's no pork meat in the dish, but lard is a common cooking fat and the poultry is rarely halal-certified. |
| Kosher | No |
| Gluten-free | No — Most moles are thickened with toasted wheat bread, and popular ready-made pastes use wheat crackers; versions thickened only with corn tortilla exist but are uncommon. Ask before ordering. |
Allergen and calorie details are AI estimates based on the menu and typical recipes. They can be incomplete — if you have a serious allergy, always check with the staff.
What goes into mole poblano
Mole comes from the Nahuatl mōlli, "sauce", and making mole poblano is a project. Dried ancho, mulato and pasilla chillies are toasted, soaked and blended. Almonds, peanuts and sesame seeds are toasted; raisins, plantain, tomato, onion and garlic are fried; and spices such as cinnamon, clove, anise and black pepper are ground in. Toasted bread or tortilla thickens the sauce, and a little Mexican chocolate rounds it off. Everything is cooked down slowly in lard and poultry stock.
The result is nearly black-brown, thick and glossy, both sweet and bitter, with gentle heat. It doesn't taste like chocolate: the chocolate is one quiet note among many.
On the menu and on the plate
The classic is mole de guajolote (turkey) or, more often in restaurants, pollo con mole (chicken), the meat covered in sauce and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds, with red rice and warm tortillas. Enmoladas are tortillas folded or rolled around chicken or cheese and covered in mole, and chilaquiles are sometimes made with mole instead of salsa.
Mole is a dish for celebrations in Mexico, such as weddings, baptisms and Day of the Dead, as well as everyday restaurant food. Puebla and Oaxaca both claim to be its birthplace, and Oaxaca is known for its many moles: black, red, yellow, green and more. See the Mexico menu guide for other words you'll meet.
A dish to ask about if you have allergies
Mole poblano commonly combines sesame, peanuts, tree nuts (usually almonds) and wheat in one sauce, and the exact mix changes from cook to cook and between family recipes and ready-made pastes. Popular brands of Mexican table chocolate also contain soy lecithin. Because everything is ground together, you can't pick the allergen out. If you have a nut, peanut or sesame allergy, ask before ordering, and be aware that the sesame garnish is standard.
How to order it
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Quisiera el mole poblano con pollo, por favor. | I'd like the mole poblano with chicken, please. |
| ¿El mole lleva cacahuate o ajonjolí? | Does the mole have peanuts or sesame in it? |
| ¿Pica mucho? | Is it very spicy? |
Not to be confused with
- Mole negro (Oaxaca) — Oaxaca's black mole, darker and smokier; also typically made with nuts, seeds and chocolate.
- Mole verde / pipián — Green sauce of pumpkin seeds, green chillies and herbs; usually no chocolate.
- Mole de olla — A brothy beef and vegetable soup with a chilli broth, not a thick sauce; no chocolate or nuts.
Frequently asked questions
What is mole made of?
Mole poblano is made from dried chillies (usually ancho, mulato and pasilla), nuts and seeds such as almonds, peanuts and sesame, raisins and plantain, tomato, onion, garlic, spices like cinnamon and clove, toasted bread or tortilla and a little chocolate, cooked in lard and stock. Other moles use different mixes: green mole relies on pumpkin seeds and herbs.
Does mole have chocolate?
Mole poblano and Oaxaca's black mole usually do, but only a small amount: it balances the bitterness of the chillies rather than making the sauce sweet. Many other moles, such as mole verde, pipián and mole amarillo, contain no chocolate at all. The sauce tastes savoury and spiced, not like a dessert.
Does mole contain nuts or peanuts?
Mole poblano usually contains peanuts, almonds and sesame seeds, often all three, ground into the sauce, and it's topped with toasted sesame. Recipes vary, so some contain walnuts, pecans or pumpkin seeds instead or as well. If you're allergic, ask "¿El mole lleva cacahuate o ajonjolí?" and treat mole as a dish that likely contains nuts and seeds.
Is mole spicy?
Mole poblano is usually mild to medium. The dried chillies give depth and a gentle warmth, and the fruit, chocolate and nuts soften the heat. Some moles, especially in Oaxaca, can be hotter. Ask "¿Pica mucho?" (Is it very spicy?) if you're unsure.
How do you pronounce mole?
Say MOH-leh, with two syllables and the stress on the first: in IPA, [ˈmole]. Mole poblano is MOH-leh poh-BLAH-noh. English menus sometimes write "molé" with an accent to avoid confusion with the animal, but the stress stays on the first syllable.
