Incredible Mole Chicken & Vegetables on the Stovetop
Mar 14, 2018, Updated Dec 17, 2020
A Mexican style rich stew with chicken, lots of vegetables, spices, tomatoes, chiles, sesame seeds, cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate. Slow and even stovetop heat produces succulent ingredients.
A one-pot meal… it’s all in there ~ chicken, vegetables, garbanzo beans and a complex just-spicy-enough mole sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pound boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat, cut into 1 1/2" pieces
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cumin, divided
- 1 cup onion, peeled, 1" pieces
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, peeled, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup fresh peppers, multi colored, 1" chunks
- ¾ cup fresh carrots, 1" chunks (I used orange & yellow carrots)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 ½ tablespoons raw sesame seeds
- 1 ½ tablespoons chipotle in adobe, coarsely chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoons almond butter, smooth or chunky
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes in juice (I used Pomi brand)
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar, optional
- 1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons bittersweet chocolate, chopped, 88% cocoa
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1 cup zucchini, 1" pieces, yellow or green
- ½ cup garbanzo beans, cooked, drained
Instructions
- Stovetop Directions: Add olive oil to a heavy 3 quart non-reactive pot with cover. Set to medium-high heat. Add smoked paprika and 1/4 teaspoon of the cumin to the chicken and mix in. Add chicken to pot and let get lightly browned, about 5 minutes, stirring a bit. Remove chicken to a plate, set aside.
- Add onions and garlic to the pot and sauté 2 minutes. (Add a touch of olive oil if needed.) Add the next 6 ingredients (peppers through chipotles) AND the reserved 1 t. cumin - sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the almond butter, chopped tomatoes, sugar, cocoa powder and chocolate. Give a big stir. Stir all until the flavors blend and the chocolate has melted. Add 1 1/4 cup of water and zucchini. Stir all together. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook at lowest setting for 45 minutes, stirring from time to time. Chicken will be very tender.
- Add garbanzo beans, stir up the Chicken Mole gently - will thicken a bit while it cools.
- Portion into individual serving bowls. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced scallions or jalapeño slices.
This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
