What Is Mole Sauce—and How Do You Cook With It?

What is mole, you ask? At its essence, it is a sauce. There are dozens of types and nearly endless variations. Regionally, Mexico is full of different variations of mole indigenous to each state. 

Oftentimes when people refer to mole, they’re thinking of mole poblano, from Puebla, also known as the birthplace of mole. Mole poblano is a rich, dark brown sauce made with chocolate and dozens of spices, simmered for hours or even days. Beyond mole poblano, a rainbow of moles simmer across Mexico, served in countless ways in homes and restaurants. 

Oaxaca is known for its seven moles (including yellow mole, green mole, and a pineapple and plantain mole). Mole blanco (white mole) is yet another version of the sauce, made with white chocolate and chilis. Whatever your flavor preference, there’s a mole for you! Read on to learn more about what mole is, how to make it, and how to best enjoy the hyper-flavorful sauce.

What Is Mole?

“Mole is a sauce,” says Alejandro Rodriguez, sous chef at Banyan Tree Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. “We have different types in Mexico. It’s very complex. There are a lot of different styles from each region.” 

What Is in Mole Sauce?

Mole is known for its complex flavors and lengthy ingredients lists. The difference between mole and salsa is the quantity of ingredients and spices, Rodriguez explains. “Mole has a lot of spices and different dried chiles,” he says. “You always need garlic, onion, and tomato. It can have 20 ingredients, including chocolate, chili de arbol, oregano, coriander seeds… All the spices you want!” 

Mole recipes are often passed down in families, and of course, iterate with generations. Rodriguez tweaked the family recipe his mom inherited from his abuela because he prefers a spicer over a sweeter flavor. 

For the chocolate component, Abuelita is a popular choice in Mexico. The hot cocoa tablets have a bit of cinnamon for an extra kick in the mole sauce. 

Making mole is a labor of love that can take days, between the cleaning of the chiles, blending the spices, cooking the spices, and simmering and mixing everything. In Mexico, it’s traditional to make a batch before Dìa de los Muertos or a loved one’s birthday. Traditionally, dried spices, seeds, and nuts are crushed with a metate (a tabletop stone tool), but nowadays a blender works just fine. 

“Making mole is an amazing experience and tiring,” Rodriguez says. “Your kitchen will be a mess, but it’s a pleasure at the end.”

Nutritional Benefits of Mole Sauce

Mole is full of plants, meaning you’ll eat a variety of vitamins and minerals while consuming the sauce. Think: iron, magnesium, calcium, zinc, and more. Mole is also super versatile, meaning it can be a nice way to make proteins and veggies more decadent and delicious to consume. 

Mole is also typically low in sugar and sodium, which isn’t always typical for such lucious sauces. Mole is also vegan, and can be a great way to enhance flavors in a plant-based diet, or make skipping meat a lot more palatable for some.

How to Cook With Mole

“The magic is in the sauce, and the sauce can go with everything,” shares Rodriguez. 

Traditionally, a whole chicken can be served drenched in mole, but mole can also be used as a dip with tortillas or whatever you like. 

Shredded chicken or other meats can be tossed with mole and used to fill enchiladas, burritos, or tamales. Mole can also be a sandwich condiment, used as a sauce to drench enchiladas, a base for fried eggs, drizzled on rice—the options are endless. 

Mole typically lasts in the refrigerator for five days in a sealed container, or can be frozen for up to three months.

Mole Recipes

Traditionally, mole is made separately from the whole dish, but mole flavors can also be recreated in one-pot dinners, pre-made simmer sauces, and more. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Mole Chili

Just a few minutes of active time leads to a massively flavorful payoff with this chili that simmers all day. Chipotles in adobo and bittersweet chocolate meld for a bitter, spicy, and rich sauce that’s complex in every spoonful. Add fresh avocado and cilantro for serving.

Mole-Spiced Black Bean and Quinoa Bowl

Just like jarred salsa, marinara, and curry, jarred mole is totally legit – try Dona Maria’s ready-to-serve mole. This bowl mixes mole, vinegar, honey, and oil to create a really fun mole vinaigrette that you’ll want to drizzle on everything.

Roasted Mushroom Mole Enchiladas 

Mushrooms are such a great base for mole because their earthiness enhances the sauce and brings it to another level. This mole recipe only uses around a dozen ingredients, including almond butter for creaminess, and the sugar can be eliminated if desired. Any mushrooms work inside the enchiladas!

Elote With Mole Verde

Mole verde gets its verdant color from healthy veggies, including tomatillos, spinach, and jalapeños. It’s a fantastic spicy, bright dip that goes so well with this corn on the cob.