Green Mole with Chayote and Chicken
By America's Test KitchenPublished on September 2, 2025
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 poblano chiles, stemmed, halved, and seeded1 pound tomatillos, husks and stems removed, rinsed well and dried1 serrano or jalapeño chile, stemmed, halved, and seeded1 onion, chopped coarse½ cup roasted, unsalted pepitas plus extra for serving¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted, plus extra for serving4 garlic cloves, chopped1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano ¾ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon ground allspice 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1½ pounds chayote, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces1¾ cups chicken broth, divided, plus extra as needed1 ounce fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (about 2½ cups)
Before You Begin
You can substitute one drained 28-ounce can of tomatillos for fresh. If you can’t find chayote, you can substitute 1½ pounds of zucchini, halved lengthwise and then sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick. After searing the zucchini in step 4, transfer it to a bowl, then stir it into the pot with the poblanos in step 6. Serve with rice or warm corn tortillas.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack 3 to 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange 3 stemmed, halved, and seeded poblano chiles skin side up on prepared sheet and press to flatten. Broil until skin is puffed and most of surface is well charred, 5 to 10 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through broiling.
- Using tongs, pile poblanos in center of foil. Gather foil over poblanos and crimp to form pouch. Let steam for 10 minutes. Open foil packet carefully and spread out poblanos. When cool enough to handle, peel poblanos (it’s OK if some bits of skin remain intact) and discard skins. Slice crosswise into ½-inch-thick strips and set aside.
- Meanwhile, combine 1 pound husked, stemmed, rinsed and dried tomatillos; 1 stemmed, halved, and seeded serrano or jalapeño chile; 1 coarsely chopped onion; ½ cup roasted, unsalted pepitas; ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds; 4 chopped garlic cloves; ¾ teaspoon table salt; 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano; ¾ teaspoon cumin; and ½ teaspoon allspice in blender and process until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add 1½ pounds peeled, cored, and chopped chayote and ¼ teaspoon table salt and cook until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, carefully add sauce (sauce will splatter). Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until slightly darkened and thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces; 1¼ cups chicken broth; and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt into pot and bring to simmer. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low; and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through and chayote is tender, about 20 minutes.
- Combine 2½ cups fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems and remaining ½ cup chicken broth in clean, dry blender jar and process until just smooth, 30 to 45 seconds (do not overprocess). Stir cilantro mixture and reserved poblanos into mole in pot and bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and thin mole with extra broth as needed. Sprinkle individual portions with extra pepitas and sesame seeds and serve.
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 4Ingredients
3 poblano chiles, stemmed, halved, and seeded
1 pound tomatillos, husks and stems removed, rinsed well and dried
1 serrano or jalapeño chile, stemmed, halved, and seeded
1 onion, chopped coarse
½ cup roasted, unsalted pepitas plus extra for serving
¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted, plus extra for serving
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1½ pounds chayote, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1¾ cups chicken broth, divided, plus extra as needed
1 ounce fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (about 2½ cups)
Ingredients
3 poblano chiles, stemmed, halved, and seeded
1 pound tomatillos, husks and stems removed, rinsed well and dried
1 serrano or jalapeño chile, stemmed, halved, and seeded
1 onion, chopped coarse
½ cup roasted, unsalted pepitas plus extra for serving
¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted, plus extra for serving
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1½ pounds chayote, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1¾ cups chicken broth, divided, plus extra as needed
1 ounce fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (about 2½ cups)
Ingredients
3 poblano chiles, stemmed, halved, and seeded
1 pound tomatillos, husks and stems removed, rinsed well and dried
1 serrano or jalapeño chile, stemmed, halved, and seeded
1 onion, chopped coarse
½ cup roasted, unsalted pepitas plus extra for serving
¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted, plus extra for serving
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1½ pounds chayote, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1¾ cups chicken broth, divided, plus extra as needed
1 ounce fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems (about 2½ cups)
Why This Recipe Works
Unlike mole poblano (which is perhaps more famous globally and uses an assortment of dried chiles, fruit, and spices), green mole uses fresh chiles and tomatillos, sesame seeds, pepitas, and piles of herbs. For our take, we used a pound of chicken thighs cut into pieces, then bulked up the meat with tender bites of chayote. Though the meat is usually poached first (and the cooking liquid used as broth for the mole), we added the raw meat straight to the sauce to maximize its impact; the protein released its rich juices into the sauce as it cooked. To make the mole sauce, we blended the aromatics and seeds and then cooked the mixture in oil to concentrate the flavors.
Before You Begin
You can substitute one drained 28-ounce can of tomatillos for fresh. If you can’t find chayote, you can substitute 1½ pounds of zucchini, halved lengthwise and then sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick. After searing the zucchini in step 4, transfer it to a bowl, then stir it into the pot with the poblanos in step 6. Serve with rice or warm corn tortillas.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack 3 to 4 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange 3 stemmed, halved, and seeded poblano chiles skin side up on prepared sheet and press to flatten. Broil until skin is puffed and most of surface is well charred, 5 to 10 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through broiling.
- Using tongs, pile poblanos in center of foil. Gather foil over poblanos and crimp to form pouch. Let steam for 10 minutes. Open foil packet carefully and spread out poblanos. When cool enough to handle, peel poblanos (it’s OK if some bits of skin remain intact) and discard skins. Slice crosswise into ½-inch-thick strips and set aside.
- Meanwhile, combine 1 pound husked, stemmed, rinsed and dried tomatillos; 1 stemmed, halved, and seeded serrano or jalapeño chile; 1 coarsely chopped onion; ½ cup roasted, unsalted pepitas; ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds; 4 chopped garlic cloves; ¾ teaspoon table salt; 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano; ¾ teaspoon cumin; and ½ teaspoon allspice in blender and process until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add 1½ pounds peeled, cored, and chopped chayote and ¼ teaspoon table salt and cook until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, carefully add sauce (sauce will splatter). Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until slightly darkened and thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces; 1¼ cups chicken broth; and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt into pot and bring to simmer. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low; and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through and chayote is tender, about 20 minutes.
- Combine 2½ cups fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems and remaining ½ cup chicken broth in clean, dry blender jar and process until just smooth, 30 to 45 seconds (do not overprocess). Stir cilantro mixture and reserved poblanos into mole in pot and bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and thin mole with extra broth as needed. Sprinkle individual portions with extra pepitas and sesame seeds and serve.
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