Oaxacan Mole Negro | Epicurevista Recipes

Allergen Warning

This recipe contains the following allergens. Please check carefully before preparing.

SesameTree nuts (optional)May contain traces of gluten from chocolate

The Story Behind

Mole negro is traditionally served at weddings, baptisms, and quinceañeras in Oaxaca. The recipe varies from family to family and village to village — some containing 32, others 36 ingredients. It represents the perfect synthesis of pre-Hispanic indigenous and Spanish colonial culinary traditions.

Chef's Notes

Never rush the toasting stage — it is the foundation of the entire sauce. Each ingredient must be toasted separately to its correct level. The burnt tortilla gives the sauce its characteristic black color and subtle bitterness that balances the chocolate.

Flavor Profile

ComplexSpicyChocolateSmokyEarthy

Nutrition Facts

450calories per serving

28g

Protein

680mg

Sodium

Ingredients

0 items

No ingredients listed

Instructions

Toast dried chilies (mulato, pasilla negro, chilhuacle negro) in a dry comal until fragrant but not burnt.

Toast sesame seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon stick.

Fry bolillo bread and ripe plantain in lard until golden.

Char a tomato, tomatillo, and onion directly over flame.

Toast the avocado leaf until fragrant.

Blend all ingredients in batches with chicken broth until very smooth.

Fry the mole paste in lard in a large pot over high heat, stirring constantly.

Add remaining broth and simmer 2-3 hours, stirring regularly.

Add Mexican chocolate in the last 30 minutes.

Season with salt and adjust consistency. Serve over turkey or chicken with rice and fresh tortillas.

Plating Tips

Serve in a deep clay bowl (barro negro from Oaxaca). Lay sliced turkey or chicken on the mole pool. Garnish with sesame seeds, a fresh avocado leaf, and black bean paste on the side.

Pro Tips

Toast chilies until very fragrant but not acrid — burnt chili ruins mole

Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer for smoothness

The flavor improves significantly if made a day ahead

Add turkey drippings if available — it enriches the sauce enormously

Wine & Pairing

Wine Pairing

Mezcal joven (young, unaged) is the traditional pairing. For wine: a structured Zinfandel or Grenache can match the complexity. Dark Mexican beer (Negra Modelo) is classic.

Pairing Suggestions

Turkey (traditional)

Black beans

Arroz rojo

Corn tortillas

Pickled red onions

Fresh cilantro

History & Heritage

Mole's history spans pre-Hispanic and colonial Mexico. The word derives from the Nahuatl "molli," meaning sauce. Dominican nuns in Oaxaca are often credited with systematizing the seven-mole tradition in the colonial period, incorporating Old World spices into indigenous chili-based sauces.