Slow Cooker Chicken Mole Tacos

Mole is truly the curry of Mexican cuisine, which means no two households have the same recipe. 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.

Inspiration: Cooking Light

Ingredients

2 dried ancho chiles

1 (28-oz.) can unsalted whole tomatoes

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

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

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup unsalted chicken stock

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp canned adobo sauce

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce

3 garlic cloves, smashed

2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs, skinned

1 tsp kosher salt 16 (6-in.) corn tortillas

1 oz Cotija cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves 2 limes, cut into wedges

Preparation

1. Place ancho chiles in a bowl; cover with water. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain; remove and discard stems and seeds. Process seeded chiles, tomatoes, onion, almonds, chocolate, raisins, stock, cumin, sauce, cinnamon, chipotle chiles, and garlic in a food processor until smooth.

2. Sprinkle chicken with salt; place in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add tomato mixture. Cover and cook on low 8 hours. Place chicken on a cutting board; remove bones. Reserve 2 cups sauce for another use. Shred chicken into large pieces; return to slow cooker.

3. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, heat tortillas over medium-high directly on burner until lightly charred, about 15 seconds per side. Top tortillas with chicken mixture, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.