Come home to a meal that tastes like you slaved in the kitchen all day: Try this chicken mole recipe

Cooktop Cove: Come home to a meal that tastes like you slaved in the kitchen all day: Try this chicken mole recipe

By Robin Donovan

Traditional Mexican mole sauces are among the most complex sauces you can make. A classic recipe can take days to make. The recipe below is a very simple version that gives you all the flavors of mole — rich dark chocolate, spicy chiles, and earthy spices such as cumin and cinnamon — in an easy, set-it-and-forget-it slow cooker stew.

Although traditional mole starts with whole chilies, whole spices, whole nuts, and dried fruit, all ground with a mortar and pestle, this one uses almond butter and ground chiles and spices. Put all of the sauce ingredients in a blender and process until smooth, pour this over your chicken in the slow cooker, and you’re good to go.

Slow Cooker Chicken Mole

10 minutes

4 or 8 hours

4 or 8 hours plus 10 minutes

4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 onion, quartered

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce

½ cup almond butter

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper, and place them in the slow cooker.

In a blender, combine the tomatoes, onion, chile powder, chipotle chiles with adobo sauce, almond butter, chocolate, garlic, olive oil, cumin and cinnamon. Blend until smooth. Pour the mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Serve hot.