Mexican Moles That Will Make You Fall in Love: A Guide to Serving, Pairing, and Cooking Them Today
- Chef Yerika
- Oct 9
- 4 min read
Mole is Mexico in a casserole dish: complex, emotional, and deeply regional. In this post, you'll find a tasty map of the most popular moles, what to serve them with, how to combine them on your menu, and several quick (kitchen-tested) recipes to make them shine on your table today.
A little history to whet your appetite
Mole is born from a fusion: chiles, corn, cacao, spices, and indigenous techniques that embrace ingredients brought from afar. From the thick, aromatic recados of Oaxaca to the festive poblano of Puebla, each region refined its own version with what the land offered. That's why there isn't "one" mole, but rather a family: intense blacks, seductive reds, vibrant yellows, herbal greens, pipianes de pipían (seeded peppers), almond-flavored ones, fruity manchamanteles (mantles), potent reds, and local gems like Xico (Veracruz) or Coleto (Chiapas).
The most popular moles and how to showcase them on your menu
1) Mole Poblano – Puebla
Profile: Deep, with cocoa, nuts, and spices.
Pairs with: turkey, roasted chicken, enchiladas, tamales.
Sides: red rice, fried plantain, toasted sesame seeds.
Drink: Amber beer or porter; fruity young red.
2) Oaxacan Moles – Black, Red, Yellow, Chichilo
Profile: From smoky and cocoa-like (black) to spicy and tomato-like (red).
Pairs with: pork ribs, beef stews, ranch-style chicken, and quesillos in enchiladas.
Side dishes: nixtamalized corn tortillas, beans.
Drink: young mezcal (Espadín) or mineral white mezcal.
3) Green Mole (Edomex)
Profile: Herbal (epazote, cilantro, local herbs) and seeds.
Pairs with: pork, chicken, chochoyotes/dough balls, steamed vegetables.
Sides: white rice, grilled nopales.
Drink: Sauvignon Blanc or fresh lemon water with mint.
4) Pipían (Morelos and Guerrero)
Profile: Creamy with ground pumpkin seeds, green or red.
Pairs with: chicken breast, zucchini, seared shrimp.
Side dishes: buttered rice, toasted pumpkin seeds.
Drink: Witbier or a light Chenin Blanc.
5) Almendrado (CDMX and Oaxaca)
Profile: Elegant, subtly sweet with almonds.
Pairs with: pork loin, ancho chile fillings, romeritos (in season).
Side dishes: baby potatoes, blanched green beans.
Drink: Brut cava or dry rosé.
6) Manchamanteles (Puebla and Oaxaca)
Profile: Fruity and playful (pineapple, plantain), with ancho/guajillo chile.
Pairs with: Pork ribs, chicken, sausage.
Sides: Grilled pineapple, freshly made tortillas. Drink: Pale ale or young red wine (Garnacha).
7) Mole de Caderas (Puebla/Oaxaca)
Profile: Intense, seasonal, spiced broth with chito/hips.
Pairs well with: As a standalone dish with bay beans.
Drink: Reposado mezcal; dark beer.
8) Red Mole (Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Guanajuato and Puebla)
Profile: Medium-high heat, tomato, and spices.
Pairs with: barbacoa, pancita, red enchiladas.
Sides: pickled onions, radishes.
Drink: classic michelada or young Tempranillo.
9) Mole de Xico (Veracruz)
Profile: Sweet-aromatic (bread, banana, raisins).
Pairs with: Chunked pork, chicken, stuffed chiles.
Side dishes: Veracruz-style rice.
Drink: Pot coffee as a sweet pairing or vanilla porter.
10) Mole Coleto (Chiapas)
Profile: Lighter, spicy, brick-colored.
Pairs with: Chicken, chalupas, tamales.
Drink: Pox (a Chiapas distillate) or light lager.
11) Atápakua (Michoacán)
Profile: Thick Purépecha sauce with local herbs.
Pairs with: Cooked beef/pork, quelites, comal tortillas.
Drink: Charanda (in a cocktail) or Jamaican water.
12) Pink Mole (Warrior)
Profile: Subtle, with petals or nuts that give it a pink hue.
Pairs with: White fish, shrimp, grilled vegetables.
Drink: Chilled dry rosé.
7 Quick Recipes (Ready in 30 Minutes or Less)
Express Chicken Enmoladas. Heat 2 cups of poblano mole with 3/4 cup of broth. Fill 8 tortillas with shredded chicken, then drizzle with mole, sesame seeds, and sour cream. Tip: Bake for 5 minutes to seal.
Shrimp in Green Pipián. Seal 500g of shrimp with salt. Add 1 1/2 cups of hot pipián and 1/4 cup of broth. Cook for 3–4 minutes, then remove from heat. Serve with white rice and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Roasted Vegetables with Almond Mole. Diced cauliflower and sweet potato, oil, and salt; oven 425°F (220°C) for 18–20 minutes. Top with warm almond spread and flaked almonds.
Pork Tostadas with Manchamanteles. Shred 400g of cooked pork. Heat 1 1/2 cups of manchamanteles with diced pineapple. Place on tostadas with red onion.
Seared Fish in Green Mole. Sea bass or red snapper fillets, 2 minutes per side. Cover with green mole, add epazote leaves, and a squeeze of lemon.
Red Mole Chilaquiles. Fried tortilla, red mole lightened with broth, fresh cheese, and radishes. Fried egg optional.
Quesillo Quesadillas with Colorado Fries. Quesillo on a large corn tortilla; grill until melted. Serve with Colorado fries and pickled onions.
How to include mole in your menu (and make it count)
Base + topping: Use the mole as a mother sauce and rotate the protein: chicken, pork, mushrooms, cauliflower, shrimp.
Formas : main course, enmoladas, chilaquiles, gourmet burritos, tortas drowned in mole.
Batching : prepare the base and adjust the batter with broth, chocolate, bread or pumpkin seeds.
Cost and servings: 60–80 g of mole per serving to maintain intensity.
Tips from Chef Yerika
Perfect shine: add 1 tbsp (table spoon) of butter/oil at the end for a glossy finish.
Balance: If it's bitter, correct it with piloncillo or plantain; if it's too sweet, add more chili or some apple cider vinegar.
Restaurant texture: blend, strain, and return to a gentle boil for 10 minutes.
Correct broth: chicken for mild moles, beef for intense reds, and vegetables for vegan options.
Toppings that elevate: sesame seeds, roasted peanuts, plantain, pickled onion, radishes, fresh herbs.
Cooking mole is about telling a layered story. Each regional version is a reminder of home and, at the same time, an opportunity to create something new. If you choose good chiles, take care with the roasting, and respect the slow simmer, the mole will do the rest: it will embrace whatever you put on the plate and remain in your guests' memories.
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