When I think about FLAVOR—dance-on-your-tongue, wow-your-mouth, never-let-it-end FLAVOR—few dishes capture the experience more completely than Instant Pot Chicken Mole.
Rich, complex, and lightly smoky, mole sauce is traditional in Mexican cooking and can transform even the most basic ingredient (shredded chicken, I am looking at you) into something extraordinary.
Real-deal authentic chicken mole sauce takes days and 20+ ingredients to make. It’s a treat to devour (I love ordering it when we go out for Mexican food) and something I hope to cook the old-school way someday. Anyone want to spend a day sipping a Skinny Margarita or two and teaching me?
Since most nights I hardly have an hour (let alone days) to make dinner, I set out to see if I could create an easy chicken mole recipe that delivers the complex, bewitching flavor that makes mole so characteristically spell binding, but in a fraction of the time with one-third of the ingredients.
No biggie right?
Where Mexican food is on the line, I will not be deterred. Say hello to Instant Pot Chicken Mole!
A Less Authentic, Equally Delicious Easy Chicken Mole Recipe
Let’s be clear: this is a cheater, streamlined, easy chicken mole recipe. It might not be 100% traditionalist approved—or even 80%—but it is unquestionably delicious and maintains the slightly sweet, smoky, and seductive flavor of authentic chicken mole.
My two shortcut secrets: the Instant Pot (this is the model I own and love) and an essentials-only ingredient list.
Why Use an Instant Pot for Chicken Mole?
Ever since I started cooking these Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos, the pressure cooker has become my favorite way to make shredded chicken (this Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken included), along with other favorite Mexican recipes like this Instant Pot Mexican Casserole.
The chicken comes out perfectly tender and juicy, it’s easy to shred on the spot, and you only have one pot to wash in the end.
The nature of mole sauce itself also makes it a prime pressure cooker candidate. The Instant Pot concentrates the sauce’s flavors more rapidly, speeding up the cooking process. The fact that the chicken cooks in the Instant Pot at the same time as the sauce saves an extra step too!
What Are the Ingredients in Mole Sauce?
I kept the essentials, the ones mole sauce wouldn’t taste complete without—nuts, raisins, cinnamon, cumin, and chocolate (yes, chocolate! It’s the secret to mole’s inexplicably deep flavor)—then combined them with a few “super” ingredients that have a whopping amount of flavor on their own.
The most important of the super ingredients is canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. I’m hooked on these rich, smoky peppers and often use them to impart mega flavor with minimal effort. Many mole sauce recipes call for a blend of three or four different peppers. For today, I’m quite happy to stick with my one-ingredient wonder.
You can find chipotle peppers in the Hispanic aisle of most grocery stores and even online. You’ll have a few peppers left over in the can, which you can enjoy in any one of these recipes.
How to Make Easy Chicken Mole
- Arrange the chicken in the Instant Pot.
- Place the sauce ingredients into a blender, process until smooth, then pour the whole shebang right over the chicken. Note: It will smell amazing.
- Cook the chicken for a short and sweet 8 minutes of pressure. It will be incredibly moist and tender and soak up the wonderful flavors of the sauce. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
- Reduce the sauce right in the Instant Pot on the saute setting. (Be careful! It splatters.) Shred the chicken.
- Add the chicken back into the sauce, stir, and ta-da! Seriously legit-tasting shredded chicken mole you can use any way you like.
If you’d like to make chicken mole in the slow cooker, this isn’t something I’ve tried myself, but I did add suggestions to the recipe notes. If anyone does make slow cooker chicken mole, please let me know how it goes.
How to Serve This Instant Pot Chicken Mole
- The majority of the time, we use the Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Mole to make always-satisfying mole chicken tacos. My favorite toppings are feta or queso fresco and cilantro.
- It would be equally tasty as a filling for enchiladas or quesadillas.
- Mix with brown rice and black beans to create your own mole chicken “bowl.”
- Sprinkle it over tortilla chips, add cheese, chopped red onion, or any of your other favorite fixins, then pop it into the oven for a few minutes for mole chicken nachos.
- Devour directly out of the Instant Pot (this happens a lot here too).
If you are into Mexican food, bold flavors, and any excuse to open a bag of chips, this easy Instant Pot Chicken Mole will be a sure hit in your house! If you decide to try it, be sure to leave a comment. It makes me so happy to hear from you.
Instant Pot Chicken Mole
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces)
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce NOT two cans, just 2 peppers
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can of chipotle peppers
- 1/4 cup toasted pepitas or toasted sliced almonds
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
FOR SERVING:
- Prepared brown rice or tortillas whole wheat or corn
- Your favorite toppings: freshly chopped cilantro, avocado, sliced radishes, chopped almonds or pepitas, cheese, etc!
Instructions
- Set a 6-quart or larger Instant Pot or similar electric pressure cooker to SAUTE. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and sauté until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Turn off the Instant Pot and scrape the onion and garlic into a blender. Return the insert to the pot and set back to SAUTE. Add a few splashes of water, scrape up any browned bits, and discard them. You want the bottom of the Instant Pot to be fairly clean so that it does not burn. Turn off the Instant Pot.
- To the blender with the onions, add the tomatoes, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, pepitas, raisins, cocoa powder, salt, cumin, and cinnamon. Blend until smooth.
- Lightly coat the Instant Pot with nonstick spray and place the chicken in the Instant Pot. Pour the sauce over the top and do not stir. Cover and seal the Instant Pot. Cook on HIGH pressure for 8 minutes (for chicken breasts) or 10 minutes (for chicken thighs). Vent immediately.
- Remove the chicken to a plate. Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTE and bring the sauce to a simmer. Let bubble, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is rich and thick, about 10 minutes. Place a layer of paper towels over the top as the sauce cooks to catch any splatters. While the sauce cooks, shred the chicken with two forks. Return the chicken to the pot and toss with the thickened sauce. Enjoy with any desired toppings over rice, as a filling for tacos or quesadillas, over nachos, or right out of the Instant Pot with a fork.
Video
Notes
- To make in a slow cooker: I have not tried this method myself, but if you'd like to adapt the recipe for the crock pot, here's what I would recommend. Saute the onions and garlic in a skillet instead of the Instant Pot and proceed with the rest of step 1 and 2 to make the sauce. Place the chicken and sauce in the slow cooker as directed in step 3 and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours on high or 4 to 5 hours on low. After the chicken is cooked, transfer the sauce to a saucepan to reduce.
Nutrition
Join today and start saving your favorite recipes
Create an account to easily save your favorite recipes and access FREE meal plans.
Sign Me Up
This recipe is too good not to make. First of all, it’s super easy. Most of these ingredients I have on hand already, so throwing everything together in the instant pot/food processor is a breeze. I used chicken breast for this and the instant pot cooked it perfectly. I was worried that the chicken would be too dry, but it wasn’t at all. The mole sauce itself was a gorgeous balance of sweet and smoke. It was absolutely delicious!
Soooo happy to hear this Sarah! Thank you for sharing.
Unbelievably delicious. Couldn’t get enough.
So happy to hear that Cathy, thank you!
The chicken needs to be seasoned prior to putting in the Instant Pot. Next time I will rub the chicken thighs with adobo.
Thanks for trying the recipe, Raul! I hope you enjoy it even more next time!
This recipe is okay, but it did not remind me of Mexican mole. I know it’s not supposed to be authentic and therefore, expectations should be lower, but it doesn’t have the sweetness or the complexity of a mole. I also thought the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce was rather overwhelming to the dish. But it was fairly easy to make, so worth trying again with some changes perhaps.
Thanks for trying the recipe! I hope you enjoy it even more if you try it again!
This didn’t taste like mole, but it was very delicious nonetheless! I definitely had to add more liquid to avoid the burn warning. Had it both on tortillas and over rice, very tasty.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the flavors, Fifi! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I had the same problem, the burn notice kept a coming. Whats the remedy without watering down the recipe
I am so sorry that this happened! If you have a newer IP model, they’re typically more sensitive and trigger the burn warning easily. The best option (if nothing is stuck to the bottom) if you see “burn” is to add more liquid. If the sauce ends up more liquidy than you would like, you can always cook it down on the stove or using the saute function. You could also add a cornstarch slurry. I’m sorry again for the issues!
We live this recipe and have made it several times already. I add a couple tablespoons of peanut butter to the blender, and after the chicken is cooked I melt in 2 oz of dark chocolate as it reduces.
YAY, thank you Andrew!
I’ve made this recipe probably 20 times- just fantastic. I nudge up the abodo slightly and top with cilantro garlic slaw. Delicious easy dinner, awesome as leftovers.
Hooray! So glad to hear it, thank you! This review means so much and is so helpful!
It was ok considering how quick it was to make but not quite right either. Not but bad but not the mole sauce of my dreams
Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your results, Glenn!
This turned out great. I didn’t trust the recipe re burn notice, so I put one cup of broth in the bottom, chicken on a trivet and mole sauce over the top. They were large breasts so I went for 10 minutes but it could have used another minute or two. The chicken finished cooking in the bubbling sauce after I shredded it.
I made just a few modifications to the sauce because it didn’t taste right to me… nice heat but not sweet or rich enough . So I added two additional tablespoons of cocoa powder and a generous drizzle of honey.
The sauce turned out smooth, rich and delicious with just the right level of heat.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Lee! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Absolutely brilliant recipe!! We’ve made it a bunch of times now with a few tweaks each time based on what’s in the pantry but each time it turns out delicious! We’ve take to just making the sauce alone and serving with grilled chicken, pork and veggies throughout the week.
I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed it, Cj! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I made this last night. I’m eating the leftovers for lunch right now, and it’s even better the next day. However, the next time I make it I won’t use the instant pot. I kept getting “food burn” even after I added a cup of chicken broth. I ended up using the the saute function for the chicken to cook. This is my second IP and I never got “food burn” on my first one, and I used it so often I finally wore it out. I’m not sure why I’m getting it with this one. Anyway, I’ll just use my big skillet: brown the chicken thighs and set aside, pour the sauce in and bring to a simmer; put the chicken thighs in the sauce, cover and cook until they will shred with a fork.
Hi Kayla! I am so sorry that this happened! If you have a newer IP model, they’re typically more sensitive and trigger the burn warning easily. The best option (if nothing is stuck to the bottom) if you see “burn” is to add more liquid. If the sauce ends up more liquidy than you would like, you can always cook it down on the stove or using the saute function. You could also add a cornstarch slurry. I’m sorry again for the issues!
We LOVE this recipe and have made it a number of times. However, without fail, we get a burn warning each time we make it. We always use cooking spray inside. We’ve also resorted to sautéing everything for the sauce in a separate pan to avoid the risk of food getting stuck on the bottom.
Anyone have any recommendations? This is the only recipe we have this problem with and can’t for the life of use figure out the culprit.
Hi Nicole! So glad you enjoy the recipe! I am so sorry that this happened! If you have a newer IP model, they’re typically more sensitive and trigger the burn warning easily. The best option (if nothing is stuck to the bottom) if you see “burn” is to add more liquid. If the sauce ends up more liquidy than you would like, you can always cook it down on the stove or using the saute function. You could also add a cornstarch slurry. I’m sorry again for the issues!
I made this last night. omg it’s great Erin. I had everything needed except the chipotle peppers and the tortillas. Only had 1 issue and it sure enough was the burn notice. I used 2 lbs frozen chicken tenders. I think next time I will put a small amount of liquid in the pot under the chicken. I will definitely make again. We used the raw, cook yourself, tortillas and it was awesome. Sorry I didn’t take a photo.
Hi Beth! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
My son said he really enjoy the recent elevation of Instant pot chicken. We loved this chicken. The house smelled so good and got everyone excited for dinner. Such great flavor. I always wanted to try mole and not I am not so scared to have it in a Mexican restaurant. I loved the little bit spicy, little bit sweet.
Hi Juli! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I used chicken thighs and then chicken breasts on top , but the big thing is I coated the bottom of the pan with olive oil to keep the chicken from sticking! I didn’t have the right peppers in a can or tomatoes in a can, so substituted roasted peppers and a sort of Turkish hot pepper paste. It was delicious.
Hi Diane! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
OMG…I can hardly wait to make this chicken mole recipe! I fell in love with the one of a kind flavor of mole sauce at a tiny restaurant in a small town in the foothills of the Cascade mountains in Washington state, around 30 years ago…their menu featured very authentic Mexican “family favorite” recipes the owner brought from the kitchens of his two favorite cooks, his mother, and grandmother. That tiny restaurant has grown to be 3 large, always busy restaurants, that serve the best Mexican food I’ve ever tasted….and their mole is 2nd to none. I’ve had mole from a dozen other places, and some were not bad, but, none of them captured the homemade flavor of my 1st delicious mole experience at that tiny cantina…I’ve searched for a recipe so I could make mole at home, but they have always seemed complicated, and a little intimidating, so i never attempted to make any of them…i was excited when i found mole in the grocery store a few years ago, but it isn’t very good, at all…But, your recipe has me super excited and very hopeful that i will be able to create a delicious mole sauce in my own kitchen, and share with my family and friends. I’ll be trying it out soon, and I’ll let you know how it turns out! 😎
Hi Jill! Hope you enjoy it!
This was so good! And fast and easy. Was it the same as the wonderful moles I have had in Oaxaca? No. But it is delicious.
I subbed almond butter and tahini for the nuts. My husband loved it. I don’t eat a lot of meat so while he had his chicken over rice, I put my sauce over a bowl of butternut squash, black beans and corn. Fantastic combo. I will definitely make again!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe, Lori! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Thanks for the Veg recommendation. I like the idea of having it over squash and beans.
Smells heavenly and tastes great but I had repeated problems with my Instant Pot showing the “Burn” error message. I had to open the IP repeatedly and stir the sauce and chicken, and then added 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Still got the Burn notice. Next time, trying on stove top.
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the “burn” notice, Maggie. Did you make sure nothing was stuck to the bottom? I’m happy you enjoyed the dish otherwise!
Loved this recipe easy and delicious ❤️
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Sandra! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Thank you for an easy and excellent recipe! I’m from Texas, and my favorite Mexican restaurant closed when the owners retired. This is the closest to their mole that I have had! I added a half teaspoon on Chipotle chili powder and a dozen ghirardelli small dark chocolate melting wafers to your recipe after the Instant Pot released pressure to achieve a deeper flavor. Since I let it naturally release pressure, I didn’t have to thicken the sauce. I used the chicken and sauce to make 10 enchiladas and had enough left over for 6 soft tacos!
Hi Jill! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!