This Mexican Mole Rojo Sauce Recipe is made with a combination of dried chilies, spices, sesame, plantains and blended to perfection.

This Mole Rojo is delicious, authentic and flavorful. Making authentic mole is time consuming, but the end result is totally worth it. I love making Mole Poblano, Mole Almendrado and this Mole Rojo. There are many different variations of mole. Some are smokier, others are sweeter and others are spicy. Most moles include chiles, nuts, warm spices, raisins, cinnamon, and spices.
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What is Mole Sauce?
The term mole refers to several types of highly seasoned Mexican sauces made primarily from chiles and spices, and which are thickened with corn, tortilla, or bread dough. It also refers to the same meat or vegetable-based stews that are usually prepared with these thick sauces. Mole is of pre-Hispanic origin, and was offered in ceremonies as an offering to the gods. Of the many existing mole variants, the most popular is mole poblano, a dark mole from Puebla. Other moles are red mole or mole rojo, white mole, almond mole, and Oaxacan mole.
What do you serve mole with?
Mole is a Mexican sauce made from a combination of ingredients such as various kinds of chili peppers, chocolate, and spices, among other ingredients. The result, a sauce that is traditionally served with chicken, turkey, pork, rice dishes and meat dishes.
Why you will love this recipe
Full of flavor: This mole uses a ton of spices and chilies, which is then blended with fried plantain and tortilla to thicken the sauce up. It is packed with flavor.
Great for any weather: I love eating this during the summer and winter months.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Guajillo chilies
- Mulato chilies
- Ancho chilies
- Pasilla Chilies
- Garlic
- Onion
- Peppercorns
- Cloves
- Cinnamon
- Olive oil
- Sesame seeds
- Plantain
- Tortilla
- Raisins
See recipe card for quantities for this Mexican Mole Rojo Sauce Recipe.
How to make Mole Rojo
Take the seeds out of all the chilies and set aside in a small bowl. Bring a pot of boiling water and boil the chilies for 15 minutes. When the chilies are done boiling, add them in a blender, along with the garlic, onion, peppercorn, cloves, and cinnamon. Pour the water used to boil the chilies into the blender, about a cup. Blend until smooth. Use more water until everything blends. Use a fine mesh strainer to strain this 1st mixture into a bowl.
Meanwhile, in a large deep pan on medium heat, add oil and wait for it to shimmer. Fry the slices of banana, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside on a plate. Add more oil if necessary and fry the tortilla 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and place on the same plate. Fry the raisins, for 2 minutes, frequently stirring. Set aside. Fry the chili seeds and the sesame seeds, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute. Add all these ingredients and a cup of water in a blender and blend until smooth. Use more water to help blend everything, but be sure to maintain a thick consistency.
In the same large deep pan, pour the 1st mixture into it, and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes on a medium low heat. Pour the 2nd mixture into the pan and stir to combine. Simmer for 1 hour.
Add your choice of meat (previously cooked) into the sauce. Feel free to use some broth if the sauce becomes too thick.
Hint: Make sure to previously cook whatever meat you want. This can be chicken, pork or beef.
Substitutions
Chilies: Instead of chiles mulato, you can use chiles anchos. You can buy dried chilies at your local Hispanic grocery store or the ethnic section of your grocery store. If there isn’t dried chilies anywhere, you can buy dried chilies mulato, chile pasilla, and Ancho Chilies on Amazon.
Onion: I used a yellow onion but feel free to use white or red onion.
Spices: The combination of cinnamon, peppercorn and cloves Is what makes this mole rojo. Most moles have these spices. You could use already ground pepper and cloves.
Plantains: I used ripe plantains but you could use unripe bananas as well.
Variations
Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.
- Spicy - You can control the heat level by the amount of seeds you use from the dried chilies. Remove the seeds if you prefer a milder heat.
- Deluxe - use chicken, beef or pork for your protein.
- Kid friendly - Take the chicken and shred and place with mole on a sandwich or tostada.
If you love this recipe, feel free to try my Pork in Peanut Sauce.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.
Storage
This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
This Mexican Mole Rojo Sauce Recipe can be frozen for up to three months.
Top tip
Use as little but necessary water as possible when blending the first and second mixtures.
Mexican Mole Rojo Sauce Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Mexican Mole Rojo Sauce Recipe is made with a combination of dried chilies, spices, sesame, plantains and blended to perfection.
Ingredients
- 1-2 pounds pork backbone, shoulder or butt, previously cooked
- 1st mixture:
- 4 guajillo chilies, deseeded
- 2 mulato chilies, deseeded
- 2 ancho chilies, deseeded
- 2 pasilla chilies, deseeded
- 2 garlic cloves
- ½ onion
- 4 whole peppercorns
- 3 whole cloves
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 2nd mixture:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Seeds from the chilies
- ½ cup sesame seeds
- 1 ripe plantain, sliced
- 1 tortilla
- ½ cup raisins
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Take the seeds out of all the chilies and set aside in a small bowl. Bring a pot of boiling water and boil the chilies for 15 minutes. When the chilies are done boiling, add them in a blender, along with the garlic, onion, peppercorn, cloves, and cinnamon. Pour the water used to boil the chilies into the blender, about a cup. Blend until smooth. Use more water until everything blends. Use a fine mesh strainer to strain this 1st mixture into a bowl.
- Meanwhile, in a large deep pan on medium heat, add oil and wait for it to shimmer. Fry the slices of banana, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside on a plate. Add more oil if necessary and fry the tortilla 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and place on the same plate. Fry the raisins, for 2 minutes, frequently stirring. Set aside. Fry the chili seeds and the sesame seeds, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute. Add the chili seeds, sesame seeds, plantain, tortilla, raisins and a cup of water in the blender and blend until smooth. Use more water to help blend everything, but maintaining a thick consistency.
- In the same large deep pan, pour the 1st mixture into it, and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes on a medium low heat. Pour the 2nd mixture into the pan and stir to combine. Simmer for 1 hour.
- Add your choice of meat (previously cooked) into the sauce. Feel free to use some broth if the sauce becomes too thick.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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