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    Home / Dinner / Mole Amarillo

    Mole Amarillo

    One of Oaxaca’s most traditional dishes, Mole Amarillo is the yellow mole of the Valles Centrales and the one that most resembles the ancient moles of pre-Hispanic Oaxaca.

    ⏱ 45 minPrep time
    🔥 90 minCook time
    🍽 6Servings
    🏷 DinnerCategory
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    Mole amarillo oaxaqueño stew with chicken and vegetables

    One of Oaxaca’s most traditional dishes, Mole Amarillo is the yellow mole of the Valles Centrales and the one that most resembles the ancient moles of pre-Hispanic Oaxaca. Bright, brothy and touched with hoja santa, it is thickened with masa rather than nuts or chocolate, and loaded with potatoes, green beans and zucchini. It is the everyday festive mole, served with chicken and a mountain of tortillas.

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    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Poach the chicken in salted water until just cooked, then strain and reserve 6 cups of the broth.
    2. Toast the chiles on a comal until fragrant and pliable, then soak them in hot water for 20 minutes.
    3. Boil the tomatillos until soft, then blend them with the onion, garlic and drained chiles until smooth.
    4. Strain the puree into a cazuela with the lard and fry, stirring, until thickened and fragrant, about 10 minutes.
    5. Stir in the masa mixture, cook for 5 minutes, then add the reserved broth and simmer for 30 minutes.
    6. Add the potatoes and green beans, simmer 10 minutes, then add the zucchini, chicken, hoja santa and epazote. Cook 10 minutes more, season with salt and serve with rice and tortillas.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Chilhuacle amarillo gives mole amarillo its signature sunny color; a guajillo and árbol blend is the accepted substitute. The mole should stay brothy — this is a saucy mole, not a thick paste.

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    Recipe details

    Prep45 min
    Cook90 min
    Servings6
    CategoryDinner
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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