Sous Vide Chicken Mole in the Puebla Style Recipe

When it is done right, Puebla-style mole is one of my favorite sauces. This recipe is for a more traditional preparation than the milder and cloyingly sweet versions found at chain restaurants. It takes advantage of the different chile flavors and is very bold and full flavored. When you sous vide the chicken, the moister meat elevates the dish to a whole new level. The sauce does take a decent amount of effort, but I'll often double or triple the recipe and store the remainder in plastic bags in the freezer so I can easily use it later. The sauce works exquisitely with shredded pork or chicken breasts and thighs.

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When I want to try some more flavorful chicken, I often turn to Crowd Cow.

I usually serve this with rice, beans, or corn, though I'll also sometimes go non-traditional and serve it with cauliflower rice or a farro and spelt grain mixture with some cilantro mixed in. For a completely different look, you can use this mole on a Mexican pizza instead of tomato sauce.

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If you like this recipe and want to use sous vide to prepare nutritious and flavorful food, then my new book is perfect for you! Healthy Sous Vide has more than 70 flavorful, stress-free recipes with full nutritional information that will have you eating great and amazing your friends and family.

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If you would like more information about the techniques, ingredients, and equipment used in this recipe, you can check out the following.

Sous Vide Chicken Mole in the Puebla Style Recipe

  • Published: December 20, 2018
  • By Jason Logsdon
  • Total Time: 2 Hours
  • Cooks: 141°F (60.6°C) for 2 to 4 hours
  • Serves: 4

Ingredients for Sous Vide Chicken Mole in the Puebla Style

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  • For the Sous Vide Chicken

  • 1 pound chicken breasts (450g) (I personally love Crowd Cow)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • For the Mole

  • 10 assorted medium-heat dried chile peppers such as ancho, mulato, chipotle, guajillo, and pasilla
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 1 medium tomato, quartered
  • 1 medium tomatillo, quartered
  • 3 tablespoons slivered almonds
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon aniseed or fennel seed
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 2 tablespoons raisins
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 to 2 ounces dark or unsweetened chocolate (28 to 56g)
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • To Assemble

  • 2 avocados, sliced, optional
  • Sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

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Cooking Instructions for Sous Vide Chicken Mole in the Puebla Style

For the Sous Vide Chicken

Preheat the water bath to 141°F (60.6°C).

Mix the spices together in a bowl. Salt and pepper the chicken then sprinkle with the spice mixture and seal in a sous vide bag. Place the sous vide bag in the water bath and cook for 2 to 4 hours, until pasteurized.

For more information on the cooking times you can read my detailed article which addresses why is there a range in sous vide cooking times.

For the Mole

Preheat the broiler on an oven.

Remove the stems and seeds from the chile peppers. Discard the stems and half of the seeds, reserving the others for later.

Heat some olive oil in a pan over medium high heat and sauté the deseeded chile peppers for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove and place in a blender or food processor with half the chicken stock.

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Place some aluminum foil on a sheet pan with raised sides. Add the onion, garlic, tomato, and tomatillo then roast in the oven until they begin to blacken and soften, 15 to 30 minutes. Add them and their juices to the blender containing the chile peppers.

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Toast the almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, coriander, peppercorns, aniseed, cloves, and the reserved chile pepper seeds in a pan over medium heat until fragrant and just starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add to the blender along with the raisins and cinnamon.

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  • Sous vide chicken thigh mole 30
  • Sous vide chicken thigh mole 31

Once the mixture in the blender has cooled slightly, process it until it becomes a smooth paste, adding water if it is too thick.

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Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan with high sides over medium heat. Add the puree from the food processor and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the remaining chicken stock as well as the chocolate, honey and vinegar and stir to combine. Simmer the sauce for at least 10 minutes, and up to 50 minutes, while stirring occasionally until it becomes thick but still pourable. Salt and pepper to taste and then remove from the heat.

To Assemble

Take the sous vide bag out of the water and remove the chicken. Dry it off thoroughly using paper towels or a dish cloth. Quickly sear the chicken for 1 to 2 minutes per side, until just browned, then remove from the heat and place onto a plate.

Spoon the mole sauce over the chicken then top with the avocado slices. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and cilantro then serve.

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Nutritional Information for Chicken Mole in the Puebla Style

  • Calories: 473
  • Fat: 24g
  • Protein: 34g
  • Carbohydrate: 31g
  • Fiber: 7g
  • Sugar: 15g
  • Cholesterol: 87mg

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Healthy Sous Vide is the latest cookbook from Jason Logsdon, the best selling author of 10 sous vide and modernist cookbooks, and it shares many of his favorite recipes developed over the years so you can eat nutritious, flavor-packed meals that taste amazing. If you are a looking for a way to boost the flavor of your healthy meals, this book will help you create amazing food that your friends and family will love!

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All tags for this article: Chicken, Sous Vide, Sous Vide Chicken , Sous Vide Chicken Breast


Jason logsdon headshot This article is by me, Jason Logsdon. I'm an adventurous home cook and professional blogger who loves to try new things, especially when it comes to cooking. I've explored everything from sous vide and whipping siphons to pressure cookers and blow torches; created foams, gels and spheres; made barrel aged cocktails and brewed beer. I have also written 10 cookbooks on modernist cooking and sous vide and I run the AmazingFoodMadeEasy.com website.
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