Chicken Mole ~an easy version using a Pressure Cooker

What is mole (MO-LAY)?  Mole is a rich, velvety, deeply complex sauce that is slightly sweet, smoky, and subtly spicy. Conceived centuries ago to serve dignitaries, it is widely considered Mexico’s national dish.  To this day, preparing mole is a ritual in Mexican households, one that’s often tackled over multiple days and reserved for special occasions.

There are plenty of published recipes to choose from and many are incredibly labor-intensive. As a result, I have steered clear of making this in the past. I have had it only 3 times in my life and each time I have savored the dish and wished I knew how to make it.

My friend, Rick shared his recipe which he makes in an electric pressure cooker.  My son, who recently moved to Washington, DC, used Rick’s recipe for his very first dinner party.  It was time for me to try my hand at it.

The Equipment

Please know that I am not very familiar with an electric pressure cooker, often referred to by the brand name Insta-pot.  But I purchased this 6 quart Faberware one several months ago and have only taken it out of the box a handful of times. Currently, it is only $59.00 from Walmart and you can find it here.

The Ingredients

There are 16 ingredients, but nearly all are commonly found.  Canned adobe chiles or adobo chili paste can be found in the ethnic food aisle of most grocery stores. Or you can order it from Walmart here.

Preparing the Sauce

The beauty of today’s electric pressure cookers is that they perform multiple functions from sauté to slow cooking. The first step is to cook the wonderful spices (cinnamon, cocoa, cloves), garlic, and chilies in the oil.

Stir in the chicken broth, tomatoes, raisins, and peanut butter and cook for 5 minutes.

Puree the sauce in a blender until smooth.

Cooking the Chicken

Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Using the same pot in the cooker, sauté the onions in oil until soft. Stir in the pureed sauce and add the chicken to the pot. Look at the rich color of the sauce!

Here is where the pressure cooking comes in.  Cook under high pressure for 25 minutes.  My Faberware electric cooker does not have a high pressure setting, but it does have a chicken setting-which I used. The cook time was very similar.

It’s important to know how to release the pressure before opening the lid.  My pot has a release knob and I waited until all the steam/pressure was gone before I proceeded.

Remove the chicken to a cutting board, let cool and then shred.  Set aside.

Putting it all together

Strain sauce through a medium sieve.

Return sauce to pressure cooker and bring to simmer.  Add red peppers and cook until tender. I do not have a simmer function on my pot so I defaulted to the vegetable button.  After 10-15 minutes, the bell pepper was cooked.

Return the shredded chicken to the pot and add cilantro.

The aroma filled the kitchen.  The sauce was so flavorful.  Typically you would serve this over rice or in a tortilla.  However, my husband and I are watching our grain/bread intake so I experimented with serving it over spiralized sweet potatoes.  I cooked the sweet potatoes in sesame oil for a few minutes and lightly salted them. If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can use it for many vegetables. We often make “pasta” using zucchini too.

Here it is the final dish! Isn’t it delicious looking?

Many thanks to Rick for sharing his recipe (which was adapted from Cooks Illustrated Pressure Cooker Perfection). This recipe is a keeper!

Enjoy!

Electric Pressure Cooker Chicken Mole