Easy slow cooker mole chicken has such a deep, rich flavor but is made really easy with a blender mole sauce. It’s perfect for tacos, rice bowls, wraps, quesadillas and more!
Thank you Cacique® for sponsoring this post. Visit your local grocery store to pick up your fave Cacique® product for a delicious dinner tonight!
I’m not going to even bother with the hellos and recaps today because we have had a weekend full of Hurricane Florence and I'm just trying to get through at this point.
(We are completely safe and fine, and so thankful for that, but being house-bound with two energetic kids and all the stress of the weather has taken it's toll!)
So let’s talk food instead. 😊
Today’s easy slow cooker mole chicken brings ALL the flavor. All of it. There’s no flavor left for anything else because this mole chicken is hoarding it all.
It tastes that way at least.
Now, I know mole sauce can sound intimidating and complicated - SO many ingredients! But I promise this one is super easy. Because we’re making a blender mole sauce.
You pretty much just add everything to a blender and hit the power button. See, you can do this!
(OK, technically I’m telling you to sauté the onion and garlic in a pan before you blend it up but you know what? I’ve skipped that step before and it was still delicious.)
And after it slow cooks with the chicken, this sauce gets rich and velvety and has an amazing and complex depth of flavor!
I of course love making slow cooker mole chicken tacos with the shredded meat, cause tacos. 🌮❤️ But it’s also great for rice bowls (or cauliflower rice if you’re going low-carb) as well as wraps, quesadillas, nachos and more.
(And this recipe makes A TON so you’ll be able to try it all the ways! 🙌)
I’m also thrilled to be partnering with Cacique® again and helping them celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
Their cheeses, creams and chorizos are the perfect way to elevate your recipes and get some authentic, delicious flavors on your table. Cacique® products inspire you to create and share quick Mexican recipes that make it easy to savor the tastes and flavors of Mexican food without spending a long time in the kitchen.
I used their crumbled queso fresco to top off my tacos and also highly recommend drizzling on one of their flavored cremas or sour creams. They add so much flavor!
(Be sure to check out my summer veggie skillet from last month that also uses their cheeses.)
Notes on making easy slow cooker mole chicken:
- I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because I think they have more flavor in the slow cooker. You could substitute chicken breasts if you prefer.
- This is really saucy on day one. The leftovers soak up the extra sauce as they sit (which is great for keeping it moist while freezing and later reheating) so you do want to save it all. But if you’re making tacos and don’t want them to be soggy, just shred your meat and only add in as much sauce as you want to use the first night. Then mix in the extras with all the remaining sauce when you go to store it.
- I use peanut butter but you could substitute almond butter if you prefer. (I’ve actually used toasted almonds in place of the PB with this recipe before. I just like how easy it is with the PB, which I always have on hand.)
Don’t forget the toppings! My must-haves are chopped fresh cilantro, crumbled queso fresco cheese and a drizzle of either one of the Cacique® cremas or flavored sour creams. It really takes these tacos over the top!
Other topping ideas: diced or sliced avocado, pickled red onions, chopped fresh onions or green onions and any of your other favorite taco toppings.
This makes A LOT! It makes some delicious leftovers and it also freezes great, so be sure to save those extras for another night when you don’t want to cook.
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month and I hope you give this easy mole chicken a try to celebrate. I think you’re gonna LOVE the flavor!
Enjoy and have a great week!
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. I’ll be back in a couple days with another new recipe and I’ll give you all the fun details from our trip. The ones I remember and can share at least 😜
Easy slow cooker mole chicken
Easy slow cooker mole chicken has such a deep, rich flavor but is made really easy with a blender mole sauce!
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12), trimmed of excess fat
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, well drained
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can stewed tomatoes (Mexican flavored if you can find it), well drained
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stem and seeds removed
- 1 (12 oz.) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup raisins
- 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (about ½ cup)
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For serving:
- Fresh chopped cilantro, crumbled Cacique® Queso Fresco, Cacique® Crema Mexicana
Instructions
- Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place in a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker.
- Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauce for 5-6 minutes, until softened.
- Add cooked onions and garlic to a blender along with the remaining ingredients (except the cilantro). Blend until smooth.
- Add the blended tomato mixture to the slow cooker, ensuring the chicken thighs are covered. Cook on low for 6-7 hours, until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken thighs and roughly shred the chicken. Return the shredded chicken to the slow cooker and stir to mix it into the sauce. Let it sit in the sauce, on the warm setting, for at least 10 minutes.
- Serve the chicken and sauce with fresh cilantro and crumbled queso fresco and drizzle with crema or sour cream.
Notes
I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because I think they have more flavor in the slow cooker, but you could substitute chicken breasts if you prefer.
This is really saucy on day one. The leftovers soak up the extra sauce as they sit (which is great for keeping it moist while freezing and later reheating) so you do want to save it all. But if you’re making tacos and don’t want them to be soggy, just shred your meat and only add in as much sauce as you want to use the first night. Then mix in the extras with all the remaining sauce when you go to store it.
I use peanut butter but you could substitute almond butter if you prefer. (I’ve actually used toasted almonds in place of the PB with this recipe before. I just like how easy it is with the PB, which I always have on hand.)
Don’t forget the toppings! My must-haves are chopped fresh cilantro, crumbled queso fresco cheese and a drizzle of crema or sour cream. Other topping ideas: diced or sliced avocado, pickled red onions, chopped fresh onions or green onions and any of your other favorite taco toppings.
This makes A LOT! It makes some delicious leftovers and it also freezes great, so be sure to save those extras for another night when you don’t want to cook.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 435Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 194mgSodium: 514mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 3gSugar: 5gProtein: 42g
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Holly
Mmm,mmm - this is making my mouth water! I love chicken mole but you just took it to a whole 'natha level in the crockpot! I can't wait to try this!
Kathryn
The slow cooker makes it so easy - and really helps concentrate those amazing flavors! 🙂