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🕒Prep 45 min🔥Cook 2 hr 30 minTotal 3 hr 15 min🍽️6 servings🔢650 kcal / serving🌎Mexican

Pollo En Mole Verde – Chicken Simmered In Green Mole With Pumpkin Seeds


My family has a superpower. It’s turning any attempt at a nice dinner into a full-blown telenovela. ¡Ay Dios mío!

Now, mole. People think it’s just chocolate sauce, right? Wrong. It’s history in a pot, heartbreak and triumph simmered for hours. Real mole is…complicated. My abuelita always said if it wasn't complicated, it wasn't worth eating. She wasn’t wrong.

Mole poblano—the dark one everyone knows—dates back to pre-Hispanic Mexico, stories say nuns created it to impress a visiting archbishop. But verde mole, the green one? That’s more regional, more sneaky. Oaxaca, Puebla, Guerrero – everybody claims it as their own, each with its own secret blend of herbs, spices, and chiles. It's like arguing over who makes the best tamales, you know? Everyone thinks their abuela did it better. (And they’re probably right.)

This particular recipe, though? This comes from my Tía Elena, who stole it from her sister, my Tía Mildred, who got it from a mysterious woman she met at a bingo hall. Don't ask. Seriously. Just don’t.

It all started last Tuesday. I was attempting to make Pollo en Mole Verde for Carlos, trying to impress him. Big mistake. My cousin Sofia showed up unannounced with her new boyfriend, Marco, who kept flexing his biceps. “He’s a personal trainer,” Sofia announced, like that explained everything. Then Abuelita arrived, inspecting my cilantro like it personally offended her. "Too pale!" she declared. “Needs sunshine, mija, sunshine!”

I was chopping onions (crying, naturally) when Tía Mildred strolled in wearing a sequined visor and smelling faintly of mothballs. “What’s all this commotion?” she boomed. Before I could answer, she spotted the pumpkin seeds. "Those aren't proper pepitas! Where are the ones from San Luis Potosí? The ones with the soul?" Ay Dios mío, the drama.

My neighbor, Mrs. Rodriguez, chose that exact moment to yell across the fence about Mr. Henderson's cat getting into her prized petunias. ("That devil cat!") You could hear everything. My aunt immediately took up Mrs. Rodriguez’s cause. “The audacity! Those Hendersons need to control their feline menace!" All while simultaneously critiquing my mole base.

Sofia, meanwhile, tried to steer the conversation back to Marco's abs, which he happily demonstrated again. Carlos just stared at his phone, pretending to be busy. Smart man. I swear, my kitchen is a magnet for chaos. It’s not even funny anymore; it’s just…life.

The worst part? Tía Mildred decided to "help" by adding a secret ingredient. She wouldn’t tell me what it was, only winked and said, “A little something to give it zing.” I have no idea what she put in there. It tasted…interesting. Abuelita insisted it smelled like regret.

And then Marco started bragging about how he only eats organic kale smoothies. Organic kale smoothies. In front of my abuelita, who practically invented cooking with lard. The look on her face could curdle milk. She unleashed a torrent of Spanish that would make a sailor blush. Sofia looked mortified. I was trying not to laugh.

Carlos finally looked up, saw the wreckage, and quietly asked if we could order pizza. Honestly, I considered it. But I had already invested three hours and all my sanity into this mole. I wasn't backing down now. Even if it meant facing the wrath of Tía Mildred and the judgment of Abuelita.

I managed to salvage dinner (barely). The mole was…unique. Spicy, earthy, slightly floral, and with a mysterious undertone that I suspect involved dried hibiscus flowers and possibly, a dash of desperation. Everyone ate it, mostly because they were afraid of offending Abuelita. Even Marco. He politely choked it down while continuing to talk about kale. ¡Ay Dios mío!

It wasn't exactly the romantic dinner I had planned. But it was undeniably…family. And that's sometimes even better. Or at least more entertaining.

Recipe

Pollo en Mole Verde – Chicken Simmered in Green Mole with Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients 🌽🥘

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and chopped
  • 1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
  • 1/4 cup almonds
  • 1/4 cup peanuts
  • 1 avocado, pitted and chopped
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tomatillo, husked and quartered

Tools 🔪🥄

  • Large pot or Dutch oven
  • Blender or food processor
  • Skillet
  • Cutting board
  • Knife

Steps

  1. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and sear the chicken until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken and set aside. This is where Carlos peeked in and said, “Smells good.” Short and sweet. That’s my husband.
  2. In the same pot, sauté the onion and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the poblano and jalapeño peppers and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until slightly tender. Don't burn the jalapeños unless you want everyone crying.
  3. Add the cilantro, parsley, pepitas, almonds, peanuts, avocado, lime juice, cumin, oregano, and cloves to the pot. Cook for another minute, stirring constantly. My Abuelita would say this is where the magic happens.
  4. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and add the tomatillo and 1 cup of chicken broth. Blend until smooth, adding more broth as needed to reach a creamy consistency. Seriously, keep blending. You want it smooth like a baby’s bottom (don't tell Abuelita I said that).
  5. Pour the mole sauce back into the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the seared chicken thighs and remaining chicken broth. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 2 hours, or until the chicken is incredibly tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. This is when Tía Mildred would start hovering, muttering about needing more chile serrano.
  6. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper as needed. Remember, even if you think it's perfect, someone in your family will have an opinion. Just roll with it.

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Make-Ahead / Storage

  • The mole sauce can be made 2-3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
  • Leftover Pollo en Mole Verde can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
  • It also freezes well for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
  • Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a little extra broth if needed.

Side Dish Pairing

  • Esquites (Mexican Street Corn Salad) - the sweet corn provides a nice contrast to the spicy mole.
  • Cactus salad (Nopales) - refreshing and traditional!

Mi abuelita siempre decía, "Una cocina llena de gente es una bendición, aunque te saquen de quicio."

(My grandmother always said, "A kitchen full of people is a blessing, even if they drive you crazy.")


Keywords

pollo en mole verdegreen molemexican chickenpumpkin seed sauceoaxacan cuisineauthentic mexican foodhomemade mole

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