Chicken Mole Enchiladas
18
Updated Nov 16, 2019
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
These Chicken Mole Enchiladas bring together two generations of family cooking. My grandma often relied on Doña Maria mole paste for a delicious shortcut, while my mom added fresh ingredients to create a richer, more homemade flavor. This recipe combines both approaches for a flavorful mole sauce made with dried chiles, Mexican chocolate, and just a little prepared mole paste. Spoon it over chicken-filled corn tortillas for a comforting meal worthy of any family gathering.
Why This Is Muy Bueno
This Chicken Mole Enchiladas recipe brings together two generations of family cooking. My grandma loved the convenience of Doña Maria mole paste, while my mom added fresh ingredients to give the sauce a richer, homemade flavor. It’s a delicious shortcut that doesn’t sacrifice flavor, and one I’ve enjoyed sharing with my own family.
But don’t just take my word for it! Here’s what one reader had to say:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Haven’t found a more authentic tasting mole sauce!”
Christina Coady, Muy Bueno reader
Mole is usually reserved for special occasions in our family. The best part about attending a wedding, quinceañera, or a baby shower is that more often than not mole is going to be served. But not everyone makes mole the same.
Preparing most moles can be very time consuming, labor intensive, and require many ingredients. Some mole recipes contain ten different varieties of chiles alone.
This mole sauce is very easy to make and there is no need to wait for a special occasion. You can add this sauce to shredded chicken for a chicken mole dish or fill lightly fried corn tortillas with shredded chicken and smother them in this delicious mole sauce for chicken mole enchiladas.
This mole is a thick, rich, chocolate-tinged, spicy sauce. This mole recipe is a fusion of my grandma and moms recipes. More often than not my grandma used a jar of Doña Maria mole paste, fresh-boiled chicken, a few spices, and that was it.
My mom on the other hand uses some additional fresh ingredients and only a few tablespoons of mole paste to enhance all the natural flavors and tame the sweetness of the chocolate. This simple flavorful mole recipe gives you the soul of traditional mole without all the hard work.
Make-Ahead and Freezing Tips
Planning ahead for a holiday gathering or family dinner? I recommend making the mole sauce in advance and freezing it separately rather than freezing fully assembled enchiladas. In my experience, corn tortillas don’t freeze and reheat particularly well once they’re covered in sauce. They tend to absorb the mole and become soggy.
The mole sauce freezes beautifully! Let it cool completely, transfer it to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and gently reheat, adding a splash of chicken broth if needed to thin the sauce. You can also prepare the shredded chicken ahead of time. For the best texture, assemble and bake the enchiladas just before serving.
How to make Chicken Mole Enchiladas
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, bolillo, chiles, tomatillos, tomato, and sauté for 10 minutes, until soft.
- Pour half the broth into a blender and add half the sautéed ingredients. Add peanut butter, chocolate pieces, cocoa powder, mole paste, and salt and blend until very smooth. Transfer the sauce to a large skillet.
- Pour the other half of the broth and sautéed ingredients into blender. Puree and add to the mixture in the large skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring continuously to keep it from sticking to skillet. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread 1 cup of the sauce in an ungreased 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Fry tortillas in hot oil just until softened. Drain on paper towels. Lightly dip tortillas in mole sauce to coat and fill with shredded rotisserie chicken, cheese, and onion. Roll tortillas and place seam side down in baking dish side by side.
- Pour some sauce over enchiladas. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until warm, about 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with queso fresco and serve with your favorite side dish.
What to Serve With Mole Enchiladas
Some classic Mexican side dishes you can’t go wrong with are:
More Delicious Mole Recipes to Try
These chicken mole enchiladas are a taste of nostalgia in every bite. There’s no better way to celebrate holidays or all year around than with tasty comfort food ingredients (like chocolate, peanut butter, and rich mole sauce) that bring back the best childhood memories.
Ingredients
Mole Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bolillo, substitute small French roll, cut into1-inch pieces
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 2 California red chile pods, stemmed, seeded, diced
- 1 large or 2 small tomatillos, husks removed, rinsed, and chopped
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 32-ounce carton chicken broth , (recommend organic low sodium), divided
- 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
- 1.5 ounces Mexican chocolate, recommend Nestle-Abuelita, coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons Dona Maria mole paste
- 2 teaspoons salt
Enchiladas:
- ½ cup canola oil, for frying
- 12 to 18 corn tortillas
- 1 pound shredded store-bought rotisserie chicken
- 1½ cups white shredded cheese, Monterey Jack or Oaxaca
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 1½ cups crumbled queso fresco
Instructions
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, bolillo, chiles, tomatillos, tomato, and sauté for 10 minutes, until soft.
- Pour half the broth into a blender and add half the sautéed ingredients. Add peanut butter, chocolate pieces, cocoa powder, mole paste, and salt and blend until very smooth. Transfer the sauce to a large skillet.
- Pour the other half of the broth and sautéed ingredients into blender. Puree and add to the mixture in the large skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring continuously to keep it from sticking to skillet. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread 1 cup of the sauce in an ungreased 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Fry tortillas in hot oil just until softened. Drain on paper towels. Lightly dip tortillas in mole sauce to coat and fill with shredded rotisserie chicken, cheese, and onion. Roll tortillas and place seam side down in baking dish side by side.
- Pour some sauce over enchiladas. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until warm, about 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with queso fresco and serve with your favorite side dish.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A special thanks to HERDEZ for sponsoring this recipe.
can i only use the mole paste and some broth?
Haven’t found a more authentic tasting mole sauce!
Had never had mole enchiladas until we went to Mex. I loved them. Will make them next time instead of red.
My husband is Mexican born and I have learned to make many recipes from him. We are having a bit of a debate you might be able to resolve. He is positive that in Mexico enchiladas are double layered. Bottom layer: sauce: second layer: then toppings. I can’t find any recipes that call for a double layer. What do you think is the ‘traditional Mexican process’ ? Gracias.
This recipe looks so good and I’m looking forward to trying it. Can the bread be left out or substituted to make the dish gluten free?
The bread is a thickening agent so feel free to substitute with a couple of corn tortillas.
Thank you for sharing the recipe! Everything in your recipe gives step by step and simple directions which makes it easier for everyone. Going to make this tonight! 🙂
I guess your “grandmother” works for Herdez.
You’ve just reprinted their corporate recipe.
https://www.herdeztraditions.com/mexican-recipes/chicken-mole-enchiladas/
Hello “Sad” — If you notice on the headnote on the recipe on their website it was developed and photographed by me. And I was able to also republish the same recipe on my blog. I’m confused about your sarcasm?? I had no idea they made a video to go along with my recipe and thrilled you shared it with me 😉
If I want to make them a little milder, can I cut it back to one of each of the chilies? I wasn’t sure if that would impact the overall taste if I didn’t do all four? Also, it says 1.5 oz of chocolate, is that the same as one table of Abuelita?
Absolutely!!! Yes, feel free to edit on the chile/spice level. 1.5 ounces is about half of a disk. Feel free to add the full disk for a sweeter mole.
If I wanted to make this simpler & do your grandmother’s version with just the pre-made sauce + some spices how would I do that?
Yummy, next time I make mole, I have to make some enchiladas. I’ve never made them, but I had them in Mexico. So I know they are delicious