Pollo en Mole Amarillo (Chicken in Yellow Mole Sauce)

In pollo en mole amarillo, tender chicken is matched with a golden Mexican mole that is savoury, gently spiced and full-bodied rather than fiery. The sauce gets its character from tomatillos for brightness, toasted pumpkin and sesame seeds for nutty depth, and a warm blend of guajillo, ancho, cumin, oregano, clove and cinnamon. Simmering the chicken in stock first keeps the meat moist and gives the mole a flavourful base, while the finished sauce thickens until it clings to each piece. Serve with steamed rice or warm corn tortillas to catch every spoonful.
Recipe by JustRecipes Editorial Team
Content validated: August 2026 How we create recipes
Made this recipe? Rate it
Cuisine style Mexican mole
Spice level Mild
Flavor profile Savoury • Nutty • Gently spiced
Techniques Simmering • Blending • Toasting seeds
Key equipment Large pot • Blender • Frying pan
Time commitment Under 2 hours

Why this recipe works

  • Layered mole flavour: Tomatillos, toasted seeds, mild chilli powders and warm spices create a savoury sauce with depth rather than sharp heat.
  • Classic mole method: Simmering the chicken first creates a seasoned stock that is used to blend and loosen the mole, tying the sauce and meat together.
  • Improves with resting: The sauce holds well after cooking and thickens as it cools, making the dish practical for preparing ahead and reheating gently.

Get the most out of this recipe

Authenticity notes

  • Oaxacan-style yellow mole: Mole amarillo is closely associated with Oaxaca, where yellow moles are known for their warm colour, gentle chilli flavour and thick, spoon-coating texture.
  • Tomatillos and seeds: Tomatillos bring brightness while pumpkin and sesame seeds give the sauce body and a rounded nuttiness typical of many mole preparations.
  • Serve for sharing: Bring the chicken to the table with rice or warm corn tortillas so the sauce can be spooned over generously.

Adjust the heat

  • For a milder mole: Use a little less chilli powder and lean on the cumin, oregano and seeds for warmth and body.
  • For more heat: Increase the chilli powder gradually, tasting the sauce after it has simmered so the heat has time to open up.
  • Keep the flavour rounded: If the sauce tastes too sharp or hot, loosen it with a splash of stock and simmer briefly to mellow the chilli.

Common mistakes

  • Boiling the mole too hard: Once thickened, keep the sauce at a gentle simmer; high heat can make the seeds and starch catch on the base of the pot.
  • Leaving the sauce too thick: Mole should coat the chicken but still move in the pan. Add reserved stock gradually if it becomes heavy or pasty.
  • Not checking the chicken: Bone-in thighs should be tender and cooked through before they go back into the sauce, with no pink near the bone.

Make-ahead tips

  • Make the sauce in advance: The mole can be cooked ahead, cooled and refrigerated, then gently reheated before the chicken is added or warmed through.
  • Reheat gently: Warm in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of water or stock, stirring often until piping hot.
  • Freezes well: Cool completely before freezing in a sealed container, then defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat gently.

Equipment you'll need

Blender Frying pan Large pot Measuring spoons Wooden spoon
Ingredients
Instructions
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  1. Peel and roughly chop the onion, and peel the garlic. Season the chicken thighs all over with 1 tsp of the fine sea salt.
  2. Put the chicken, onion and garlic into a large pot and pour over the chicken stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook for 30 to 35 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
  3. Lift the chicken out to a plate. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl, discarding the onion and garlic, and keep the stock hot.
  4. Rinse the tomatillos, then simmer them in a small pan with a splash of the reserved stock for 8 to 10 minutes until softened and dull green. Tip into a blender.
  5. Toast the pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and lightly golden. Add them to the blender with the guajillo chili powder, ancho chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, whole cloves, cinnamon stick and the remaining 1 tsp fine sea salt.
  6. Add 400 ml of the reserved hot stock to the blender and blend until very smooth, scraping down as needed. If it is too thick to blend, add a little more stock a splash at a time.
  7. Pour the blended mole into the large pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Whisk the cornflour with 3 tbsp of the reserved stock until smooth, then whisk it into the mole and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
  8. Return the chicken to the pot and turn to coat in the mole. Simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce clings to the chicken and everything is piping hot, loosening with a splash of stock if needed.

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Recipe notes

Serving suggestions

This recipe pairs well with:

Steamed rice Warm corn tortillas

Tips

  • For the smoothest mole, blend for a full minute, then pass the sauce through a sieve-strainer before simmering it down.
  • Keep the mole at a gentle simmer once thickened; a hard boil can make it catch on the base of the pot.
  • If serving vulnerable groups, ensure the chicken is cooked until piping hot throughout with no pink at the bone.

Substitutions

  • Replace Chicken thighs with Chicken drumsticks for a similar simmered texture; cook until tender and cooked through.
  • Replace Pumpkin seeds with Shelled sunflower seeds for a similar body and nuttiness.
  • Replace Cornflour with Arrowroot starch for thickening; add it as a slurry and simmer briefly until glossy.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 3 days
  • Cool, then refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan with a splash of water until piping hot; the sauce will thicken as it cools. Freeze for up to 2 months and defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.

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Pollo en Mole Amarillo (Chicken in Yellow Mole Sauce)
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Recipe overview

  • Servings: 4 servings
  • Total time: 1h 30min (35min active)
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Cuisine: Mexican
  • Allergens:
    Sesame
With serving suggestions Freezer friendly
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Equipment you'll need

Blender Frying pan Large pot Measuring spoons Wooden spoon

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Chicken stock

1 cup ≈ 240 ml
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Cornflour

1 cup ≈ 128 g
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Fine sea salt

1 cup ≈ 268.8 g
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Ground cumin

1 cup ≈ 96 g
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Sesame seeds

10 oz ≈ 283 g
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