Mole con Arroz Rojo by cheffinwithzach

Zachary Neman

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Mole con Arroz Rojo

cheffinwithzach

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3 hr 35 min

I am on a mission to find the greatest version of chicken and rice, if such even exists. We now travel to Mexico, where we experience mole con arroz rojo. The chilies of the day are guajillo, ancho, y arbol. After we de-stem and de-seed them, we fry in oil before covering in boiling water to soften. Chicken sears off in that oil until it’s nice and golden brown then we do the same with some corn tortillas–this’ll help thicken the sauce when we blend it. The mole sauce gets onion, garlic, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts, raisins, black pepper, clove, and cumin. As everybody is getting nice and toasty we char up tomatoes then add them along with everything from before. The chili water and chicken stock help to loosen and peanut butter introduces some fatty creaminess. Finally we blend it all up then add the dark chocolate, the secret ingredient of mole. Season to taste with salt before laying in the chicken to slow cook in that rich, luxurious sauce. On to the arroz rojo. We toast our rice til nice and golden then blend together tomato, onion, and garlic with tomato paste and water. Our rice cooks in that goodness with salt to taste and a jalapeño to spice it up. This was a reminder that I don’t eat enough Mole. It’s dark, rich, nutty, and so complex and the tomato and garlic in the rice helped to brighten it all up and bring balance. I give it a 9 out of 10.

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Ingredients

3 chicken thighs + drumsticks, bone in, skin on

2 chicken drumsticks

10 guajillo chiles

4 ancho chiles

6 arbol chiles

¼ c oil

2 corn tortillas

½ white onion

4 garlic cloves

¼ c pumpkin seeds

3 tbsp sesame seeds

3 whole cloves

½ tsp black peppercorn

½ tsp cumin seeds

¼ c peanuts

2 tbsp raisins

2 roma tomato

3 tbsp peanut butter

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 c chicken broth

1 Mexican Chocolate Disk (sub: 3 squares dark chocolate)

for the Arroz Rojo

1 ½ cup long grain white rice

1 tbsp oil

1 onion

3 roma tomatoes

4 cloves garlic

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 cup water

1 jalapeño

1 Juice of lime

1 tbsp salt

Directions

Step 1

Prep chilies. Remove stems and seeds from ancho, guajillo, and arból chilies. In a large, wide pot, fry in oil over medium heat until slightly softened. Add to a mixing bowl and submerge in boiling water and set aside.

10 guajillo chiles

4 ancho chiles

6 arbol chiles

¼ c oil

Step 2

Sear chicken. Liberally season chicken with salt and pepper. Sear over high heat in the same pot as before until golden on both sides, then remove.

3 chicken thighs + drumsticks, bone in, skin on

2 chicken drumsticks

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black peppercorn

Step 3

Fry tortillas. Cut tortillas into quarters then fry in the same pot, and fry until crispy, flipping halfway.

2 corn tortillas

Step 4

Char tomatoes. Halve tomatoes then char either over an open flame or in the same pot as before.

2 roma tomato

Step 5

Build the mole. Add ingredients from onion to raisins to the same pot. Toast over medium high heat for about 8 minutes, or golden all over. Add back the chilies, tortillas, and tomatoes, along with peanut butter and brown sugar. Add chicken broth and a 1/4 cup of the water the chilies soaked in. Blend using either a blender or immersion blender until completely smooth. Simmer for 15 minutes before adding in chocolate. Season with salt to taste then add chicken back in. Cover and simmer over low for 1-1.5 hours.

½ white onion

2 tbsp raisins

3 tbsp peanut butter

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 c chicken broth

1 Mexican Chocolate Disk (sub: 3 squares dark chocolate)

¼ c pumpkin seeds

3 tbsp sesame seeds

3 whole cloves

½ tsp cumin seeds

¼ c peanuts

Step 6

for the Arroz Rojo

Step 1

Blend sauce. Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, salt, and water to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.

3 roma tomatoes

1 onion

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp salt

2 cup water

4 cloves garlic

Step 2

Toast rice in a pot/pan in oil over medium high heat until golden all over. Add tomato sauce and stir to incorporate. Slice a jalapeño into quarters, keeping the root intact so its one piece, and add on top of the rice. Once the rice begins to bubble, cover and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes then let sit covered for an additional 10 minutes. Remove the lid, add lime juice and fluff up.

1 ½ cup long grain white rice

1 tbsp oil

1 jalapeño

1 Juice of lime

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