Mole Chicken Tacos

I both expect and encourage you to play around with your own mole using this as a starting point. The influential ingredients to impact taste are nuts, chocolate, and chilis, so pay close attention to how those are altered for personal preference.

Ingredients

Mole

2–3 dried ancho chiles

1 (28 oz) can unsalted whole tomatoes

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1/2 cup pepitas, toasted

4 oz semisweet baking chocolate, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp adobo sauce (from the chipotle can)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

Chicken

2–3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 tbsp adobo seasoning

For Serving

Corn tortillas, for serving

Cotija cheese, crumbled, for serving

Pickled red onions, for serving

Thinly sliced radishes, for serving

Fresh cilantro, for serving

Lime wedges, for serving

Preparation

1. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the pepitas, stirring constantly, until they begin to pop and turn golden, 3–4 minutes. Set aside. In the same skillet, toast the ancho chiles one at a time, pressing them flat with a spatula, for about 20 seconds per side until fragrant and just beginning to blister — do not let them char or the mole will turn bitter. Transfer the toasted chiles to a bowl, cover with hot water, and let soak for 15 minutes. Drain, then remove and discard the stems and seeds. Add the rehydrated chiles, tomatoes, onion, toasted pepitas, chocolate, raisins, stock, cumin, adobo sauce, cinnamon, chipotle chiles, and garlic to a food processor. Process until completely smooth, 2–3 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.

2. Season the chicken thighs generously on both sides with the adobo seasoning. Place in the pressure cooker and pour the mole over the top. Pressure cook on high (11–12 psi) for 15 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and shred using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the mole and stir to coat.

3. Warm the corn tortillas over an open flame or in a dry skillet until pliable and lightly charred. Spoon the mole chicken onto each tortilla and top with pickled red onions, sliced radishes, crumbled cotija, and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately with lime wedges.