Pollo Cacahuate A la Mole
Ingredients
- 2 Lb Boneless skinless chicken breast (you can substitute chicken thighs also)
- 1 cup Diced sweet onion
- 2 Tbsp Chopped fresh garlic
- 2 or 3 Each Small hot chilis such as aji amarillo
- 1/2 cup Baby bell peppers, grilled and chopped
- 1/2 cup Apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups Diced fresh tomatoes
- 1/4 cup Chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup Agave Syrup
- 1/2 cup Acocado or peanut oil
- 3/4 cup Chili Cinnamon rub (see description below)
- Chicken or vegetable stock (optional) to thin out sauce.
Instructions
- Make or purchase a chili cinnamon rub. For ours we use equal parts chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, cocoa powder, and sugar. Rub the chicken breasts with 2/3 of the spice mix. Allow to marinate for at least 2 hours, longer if possible.
- In a heavy gauge pan, heat half of the oil. Sear The chicken over medium high heat until well browned. Remove the chicken to a sheet pan and finish in a 300 degree oven until cooked through (internal temperature should be 165. Cooking time depends on the thickness of the chicken).
- Add the rest of the oil to the pan and put in the onion, garlic, chilies, peppers, and peanuts. Stir and cook until translucent. Add in the spice mix, turn down the heat to medium and stir. Continue cooking for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Deglaze the pan with vinegar (you could also use wine or tequila). Stir the ingredients. Reduce the liquid by half. Then add in 3/4 of the tomatoes. make sure there is liquid from the tomatoes. If they are not very wet, you can add some stock. Bring to a simmer. Then add in the agave and chocolate. Stir until melted and incorporated. Cook down the liquid until a thick sauce forms.
- Platter the chicken and coat with the sauce. Garnish with chopped scallions and cilantro.
Notes
For this recipe, we kept the sauce separate from the chicken to allow extra sauce to be used for multiple purposes. But, you can put the chicken back in the sauce instead of in the oven and finish it in the sauce. For this, make sure you add stock to allow for the chicken to poach without the sauce sticking to the pan.