Cheater’s Chicken “Mole”

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 cup Water (Use for poaching; reserve 2¾ cups of the poaching liquid for the sauce.)
• 1 Yellow onion (Roughly chopped)
• 3 cloves Garlic (Smashed or roughly chopped)
• 8 Corn tortillas (Torn into pieces; reserve some whole or warmed tortillas for serving if desired.)
• 0.5 cup Tahini
• 2 tbsp Chili powder
• 1 tsp Ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp Unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp Tomato paste
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil (For sautéing the sauce base)
• 1 tbsp Brown sugar (Balances the bitterness of the cocoa and chiles)
• Kosher salt (To taste)
• 0.25 cup Fresh cilantro (Chopped, for serving)
• 2 tbsp Sesame seeds (Toasted, for serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the chicken, water, chopped onion, smashed garlic, and a generous pinch of salt in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low so the liquid barely simmers.

2. 2

   Poach the chicken for about 15–20 minutes, turning once, until the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C) and the meat is opaque throughout. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let it rest.

3. 3

   Strain the poaching liquid, reserving 2¾ cups for the sauce. Discard the onion and garlic, or reserve them if they remain tender enough to blend.

4. 4

   Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the torn corn tortillas and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until lightly toasted and fragrant.

5. 5

   Add the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, cocoa powder, and tomato paste. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the spices are fragrant and the tomato paste darkens slightly.

6. 6

   Pour in the reserved 2¾ cups of poaching liquid while scraping the bottom of the pan. Stir in the brown sugar and bring the mixture to a simmer.

7. 7

   Simmer the sauce for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tortillas have softened and the liquid has thickened slightly.

8. 8

   Transfer the sauce to a blender. Add the tahini and blend carefully until completely smooth and creamy. If the sauce is too thick to blend, add a small splash of water.

9. 9

   Return the blended mole to the pan and season with salt. Simmer gently for 3–5 minutes, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

10. 10

    Slice or shred the rested chicken and arrange it on a serving platter. Spoon the warm mole over and around the chicken.

11. 11

    Finish with chopped cilantro and toasted sesame seeds. Serve with warm corn tortillas for dipping and scooping.

Notes

The source excerpt specifically emphasizes reserving 2¾ cups of poaching liquid for the sauce and serving the dish with chopped cilantro and toasted sesame seeds. Because the full member-only ingredient list and method were not visible, quantities and detailed steps are reconstructed estimates rather than a faithful transcription.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• Mexican-inspired
• poached
• simmered
• gluten-free
• dairy-free
• chicken
• make-ahead friendly