When one thinks of chicken mole, the image of a complex and aromatic sauce comes to mind, but never is it something we think of making at home. And while a true authentic version is a bit time-consuming there is a recipe, like this Chicken with Mock Mole Sauce, that has all of the complexities but is done with a fraction of the ingredients and time.

There is no one-mole sauce, in fact, the flavors and ingredients of a mole vary from region to region in Mexico and utilize the ingredients of the season. In Mexico, there is a rainbow of moles in a variety of colors, but the base of all moles has a mix of fruits, nuts, chilies, and spices. This version is a derivative of a mole almendrado or almond mole. The almond base is fortified with tomatoes, chilies, citrus, and spice to create a thick and satisfying sauce.

This is by no means a traditional mole recipe, but it has the satisfying taste and texture of a mole without having to reach for any of the jarred premade stuff.

Spices, onions, and garlic are sautéed and then stock, orange juice, almond butter, sherry, tomato paste, chili powder, cocoa powder, and bay leaf are added to make the sauce of the mole. Rather than soaking or grinding almonds, almond butter is a quick shortcut that adds the needed thickness and nuttiness but without any of the hassle of prep.

After the sauce simmers for half an hour, remove the chicken and add in chocolate and cinnamon. These additions add the rich mole taste we find so commonly in restaurant moles.

After a final fifteen minutes of simmering, the Chicken with Mock Mole Sauce is ready to serve!

The sauce is savory but with complex contrasting accents of citrus, nuts, and warming spices.

Pieces of chicken are soft, and tender, and soak up all of that mole flavor.

It’s rich without being heavy. Paired with a bed of rice, the mole becomes an additive and satisfying dish, especially in the chillier months of the year.