A deliciously rich Slow Cooker Chicken Mole, simplified so you can enjoy it at home more often! The original method and ingredient list for this classic Mexican dish are lengthy. While not a traditional version, this easy chicken mole still has a melding of spicy chili, chocolate, and cinnamon, and will be a hit with your family.
This post is sponsored by SunButter, an allergy safe brand that makes a delicious sunflower seed butter. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep Sunkissed Kitchen running!
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An Easy Chicken Mole Recipe
If you’re a Mexican food fan, no doubt you’ve tried what’s possibly Mexico’s most revered dish – Mole.
It’s a dish that is made differently depending on who you talk to and what region of the country you are in.
Despite the many variations, they all have two things in common:
- They require a laundry list of ingredients, included toasted seeds, chilis, chocolate, and spices.
- The process is complicated, and can take anywhere from hours to days.
If you love the flavors of mole, but want a simplified version to enjoy at home, I’ve nailed the perfect recipe for that.
This one uses the same flavors, but in easier-to-use ingredients (chili powder rather than whole chilis, cocoa powder rather than hard-to-find Mexican chocolate, and SunButter Sunflower Seed Butter rather that toasted and blended seeds and nuts).
Ingredients in this Chicken Mole Recipe
- Chicken breasts. We also tested this with bone-in chicken thighs (in the crockpot). I browned them first in some avocado oil, then covered them with the mole sauce — really good also!).
- Onions & garlic – and if you love it spicy like we do, jalapeño
- Chili powder, cumin, & cinnamon
- Chicken broth
- Organic SunButter Sunflower Seed Butter (this is a super simple way to add the “nutty” flavor in a traditional mole! Plus, it’s allergy friendly, since many traditional recipes call for peanuts.)
- Tomato paste
- Cocoa powder
- Salt
- Arrowroot, mixed with water, to yeild a thicker sauce. If you don’t have this on hand, cornstarch is a good substitute.
- Cilantro, lime, and diced onions to top. We also love creamy avocados and cauliflower rice to serve.
Using these more accessible ingredients in your sauce means you probably won’t have to go to a speciality store to have everything you need, AND, you really don’t need to blend the sauce. If you’d like a super smooth sauce, definitely do it — it won’t affect the incredible flavors if you choose to keep your blender clean!
I adore using SunButter Sunflower Seed Butter in dishes that traditionally use tree nuts or peanuts. I suffer from a peanut allergy, so believe it or not, I have never experienced Chicken Mole at a restaurant!
SunButter is an incredible alternative that not only tastes amazing, but makes safer dishes for the growing number of allergy sufferers!
Head on over to the SunButter website to see the range of products they sell. I love the Organic and No Sugar Added varieties for cooking, but buy the Crunchy version to eat off a spoon or use with desserts (it’s THAT good!).
How to Make Crockpot Chicken Mole
No need to be a professional chef or Mexican grandma to enjoy these amazing flavors at home!
Plus, this version takes about 20 minutes to prep and throw into the crockpot. Your house will fill with the most incredible warming smells, while you get on with your day.
- Add the chicken to a crockpot, and then generously salt and pepper it.
- Add avocado oil to a skillet, and heat over medium high. Add the chopped onion, garlic, and jalapeno, and saute for 6-8 minutes, until the veggies are fragrant and translucent.
- Next, add the chili powder, cumin and salt, and stir to coat the veggies.
- Add the chicken broth, tomato paste, and Organic SunButter. Use a whisk to incorporate the sunflower seed butter and tomato paste into the mixture, while bringing it to a low simmer.
- Add the cocoa powder and salt, and taste. This is a good point to adjust the spiciness by adding more chili powder or salt, if needed.
Tips & Variations for Chicken Mole
Stovetop Variation
This chicken mole recipe can also be made on a stovetop, if you’re in a hurry and don’t want to go the slow cooker route. Add the chicken to a large skillet, and pour half of the mole sauce over the top, and then cover it and let it simmer on medium low for about 30-40 minutes. Follow the rest of the instructions as written!
Whole30 Or Paleo Meal
I’ve been serving this chicken mole with cauliflower rice and avocado, making it the perfect Whole30 or Paleo meal. It would also be great with zucchini noodles.
Make Less Spicy
Absolutely! Start with 1-2 tablespoons of chili sauce, to give it the flavor without adding too much spice. You can also experiment with different chili powders because have very little spice.
Other Healthy Mexican Recipes
- Beef Birria de Res (Mexican Stewed Beef)
- Pipian Verde (Green Mole)
- Mexican Cabbage Salsa (my favorite condiment to serve with Mexican dishes!)
I’d love to connect with you on social media! Find me on Facebook or Instagram where I post daily healthy eating and lifestyle inspiration!
Slow Cooker Chicken Mole
Equipment
- Crock pot
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts boneless
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1/2 yellow onion minced
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 jalapeno optional, minced
- 1/4 cup chili powder*
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons Organic SunButter or sub peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Add chicken to the crockpot, and salt and pepper generously.
- In a large skillet, add avocado oil, minced onion, garlic and jalapeno (if using), and saute over medium high heat until translucent and fragrant, about 6 minutes.
- Add chili powder, cinnamon, cumin and salt, and stir to combine with vegetables.
- Pour in chicken broth, and add tomato paste and SunButter. Whisk until smooth. Heat until mixture is lightly simmering.
- Mix arrowroot with 2 tablespoons of water, and then stir it in to the sauce while whisking to prevent clumps.
- Add cocoa powder and salt, and adjust chili powder and salt to taste.
- At this point, you can use an immersion blender or a standard blender to make the sauce ultra smooth. I don't find this necessary. The sauce will have an amazing flavor even if you skip this step.
- Pour half of sauce over the chicken, and set the crockpot to cook on low for 4-5 hours. Add the rest of the sauce to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Remove the chicken breasts. Shred them with two forks, or cut them into chunks.
- Reheat the remaining sauce to drizzle on the chicken. You can also just add it to the slow cooker with the shredded chicken.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This shredded chicken mole is amazing frozen. Store in a freezer air-tight container for up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
- Stovetop Variation: This chicken mole recipe can also be made on a stovetop, if you’re in a hurry and don’t want to go the slow cooker route. Add the chicken to a large skillet, and pour half of the mole sauce over the top, and then cover it and let it simmer on medium low for about 30-40 minutes. Follow the rest of the instructions as written!
- Whole30 or Paleo Meal: I’ve been serving this chicken mole with cauliflower rice and avocado, making it the perfect Whole30 or Paleo meal. It would also be great with zucchini noodles.
- Can I make this not spicy? Absolutely! Start with 1-2 tablespoons of chili sauce, to give it the flavor without adding too much spice. You can also experiment with different chili powders because have very little spice.
Nutrition
Other Crockpot Chicken Recipes
- Crockpot Moroccan Chicken, by Sunkissed Kitchen
- Crockpot Pumpkin Chicken, by Sunkissed Kitchen
- Crockpot Enchilada Chicken, by Sunkissed Kitchen
I absolutely love this! I am married to a Mexican man (who makes a fabulous mole), so I couldn’t get away with calling this mole in my house, but I dubbed it “chili chicken” and it went over beautifully. 🙂 I only used 2T. chili powder and thought it was plenty. I use Samin Nosrat’s salting guidelines from Salt Fat Acid Heat for seasoning meat, which is 2/3 tsp. table salt per pound of raw boneless meat, so I seasoned the 2 pounds of chicken with 1-1/3 tsp. table salt. I did blend up the sauce, which added a step but was (in my opinion) beneficial. This was a low-effort, high-reward recipe – my favorite kind. It is also the first recipe I have made from this blog, and I will definitely be back to try more! The Crockpot Moroccan Pumpkin Chicken is next on my list. Thank you Michelle!!
This is such a sweet comment! The pumpkin chicken is one of my favorite dishes on the whole blog 🙂 It’s really best if you use fresh baked pumpkin and puree it, but canned pumpkin works too!
This is actually pretty easy as well — and it’s traditional Mexican, so your husband will approve — https://sunkissedkitchen.com/beef-birria-de-res/