How To Make Classic Molé Rojo

This is the classic molé rojo that people are most familiar with. We adapted this from a recipe by Rick Bayless, one of the foremost authorities on Mexican cooking, and it’s honestly the best classic molé we’ve ever made. The flavors are immaculately married, the sauce is deep, flavorful, spicy and the chocolate comes through.

This recipe is made gluten free by using one slice of gluten free bread instead of regular bread. This recipe can be made vegetarian by using vegetable oil and vegetable broth rather than animal based.

We served this with shredded turkey the first night, made Laquered Chicken the next night and froze 3 cups of molé for later deliciousness.

The Chiles

The chiles used here are Anchos, Pasilla Negros, Guajillos and Moritas. If you can’t find them locally they are available from spicesinc.com

Read More About Molé

Read our brief article on the history of molé.

Watch a Video

Here is a video of 2 Cooks in the Kitchen making Classic Molé Rojo:

The Ingredients For Classic Molé Rojo

• 3 Tomatillos
• 5 Pasilla Chiles
• 5 Ancho Chiles
• 3 Guajillo Chiles
• 2 Moritas
• 3/4 Cup Bacon Fat, Lard or Oil
• 5 Garlic Cloves
• 1/2 Cup Almonds (slivered or whole)
• 1/2 Cup Raisins
• 2/3 Cup Sesame Seeds
• 1 1/2 Oz Baking Chocolate
• 2 Star Anise
• 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 Slice Bread, toasted dark
• 6 Cups Chicken Broth
• 1 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 1/2 Tbls Sugar

Broil the Tomatillos

We begin by preparing the Tomatillos. Put them in an oiled baking pan and broil them on high heat until they blacken and get soft. Start with 5 minutes on a side and turn them over at the end of that time. Depending how hot the broiler is it can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes for this step. When they are done, scrape everything into a large mixing bowl.

Prepare the Dried Chiles

Now for the chiles. Remove the stems and seeds from the Anchos, Pasillas and Guajillos and tear them into flat pieces. You can leave the Moritas intact. In a large soup pot heat the 1/2 cup of bacon fat, lard or oil. When it is hot, add the chiles, a few at a time, and cook for about 30 seconds, flipping frequently. You will see bubbles develop on the skins and the Moritas will puff up. As they get done, remove them to a large bowl, leaving as much oil as possible behind. Cover the chiles with at least 6 cups warm water and let soak for 30 minutes. You can put a plate on top of the chiles to help keep them submerged.

Fry Garlic and Almonds

Add the peeled garlic and the almonds to the oil. Fry them for about 5 minutes until they turn brown and the garlic is soft. When they are done, add them to the bowl with the tomatillos, leaving as much oil as possible in the pan.

Cook the Raisins

Finally, add the raisins to the oil and cook for about 30 seconds until they plump up. This is rehydrating for raisins and they should puff up and brown quickly. Add them to the bowl with the tomatillos, nuts and garlic. Take the pan off the heat and reserve for later.

Toast the Sesame Seeds

In a dry pan over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds. You need to stir this frequently to keep from burning them. They should start to turn golden after about 5 minutes. When done add 1/2 cup of them to the bowl with the tomatillos, almonds, garlic and raisins, and reserve the rest for garnish.

Grind the Star Anise, Toast the Bread

In a spice grinder, grind the Star Anise to a powder. Toast the bread dark and cut into pieces.

Add Spices, Bread, Chocolate and Broth

To the tomatillo mixture add the cinnamon, black pepper, anise, cloves, bread and chocolate. Add 1 1/2 cups of Broth and stir.

Blend the Chiles

By now the chiles have soaked for 30 minutes. pour them through a strainer, reserving the liquid in a large bowl. There should be at least 6 cups of soaking water. If not, add enough water to make up the difference. Then put 1/2 the chiles in a blender with 3 cups of the soaking water. Blend until very smooth. Repeat with the other half of the chiles and 3 cups of soaking water.

Push the Chile Paste Through A Strainer

Push the resultant puree through a fine mesh strainer. This step requires some patience but the result is well worth it. I like to use a rubber spatula because the flexibility lets me really push it through. Be sure to scrape the sauce off the outside of the strainer before you set it down anywhere. Quite a bit of goodness stays there. Discard the material left in the strainer.

Cook the Chile Paste

Put the soup pot that still has some oil in it back on the heat and add another 1/4 cup oil. When the oil is hot pour in the strained chile puree. If the oil is hot enough it should start boiling right away and keep boiling. Cook for 30 minutes stirring frequently until it has darkened and reduced. This will spatter so have a lid handy.

Blend the Tomatillo Mixture

Now add all the contents of the tomatillo mixture to the blender and blend it until very smooth. Watch that the sesame seeds break up somewhat. Pour the smooth mixture into the strainer. Add 1/2 cup Broth to the blender and then pulse quickly just to clean it out.

Push It Throiugh the Strainer

Pour that into the strainer and push it all through. By now you should be getting good at this part.

Cook Everything Together

Add the tomatillo mixture to the pot with the chiles and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until it has darkened and thickened again. This will still spatter so keep that lid handy.

Add Broth and Cook

Now we add the rest of the broth to the pot and simmer on medium low heat for 2 hours. Stir occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add Salt and Sugar and Your Classic Molé Rojo Is Ready

Add the salt and sugar, then stir and it is ready to serve. This will make about 6 to 7 cups of molé which can work for several meals, depending on the number of people you are feeding. We mixed 2 cups with a pound of shredded turkey, used 2 cups to make Lacquered Chicken, and had 3 cups to put in Souper Cubes for the freezer. Also delicious as a seasoning for Taco meat, Enchiladas, or as a sauce for Chile Rellenos or Stuffed Poblanos.

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Here are some more molé recipes you can make:

• Molé Colorado
• Molé Verde
• Molé Amarillo
• Easy Molé Rojo
• Molé Coloradito
• Molé Chuchilo Negro
• Molé Manchamanteles
• Molé Poblano
• Oaxacan Molé Negro

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