Instant Pot Chicken Mole Tacos

Mole chicken is a classic Mexican dish that usually takes hours to cook. Now you can make this recipe in under an hour for an easy weeknight dinner!

Instant Pot chicken tacos are a great option for when you want a delicious meal without a ton of work. Using a pressure cooker creates tender, juicy meat that’s infused with flavor. And there’s no constant checking to make sure it’s cooked all the way through.

This meal comes together with a delicious mole sauce that’s a mix of savory, sweet, and spicy.

What is mole?

A mole is a Mexican sauce that’s made with toasted nuts, dried fruit, chiles, chocolate, and various other flavoring ingredients.

It’s typically simmered for six hours, but sometimes you just don’t have time for that!

Making it in the Instant Pot allows the flavors to meld together in a fraction of the time. Plus, the meat itself gets infused with all that flavor as well.

How to make mole chicken

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken thighs – I use bone-in, but boneless thighs will work too. Either kind should be skinless.
• Kosher salt

For the mole sauce

• Dried ancho chiles
• Tomatoes – use a large can of whole roasted
• Onion – roughly chopped for easier blending
• Sliced almonds
• Sesame seeds
• Dark baking chocolate
• Raisins
• Chicken stock – chicken or vegetable broth would also work
• Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce – find this in a can in the Mexican food aisle
• Garlic – whole cloves or 1 ½ tsp minced
• Spices – cumin, cinnamon, Mexican oregano

INSTRUCTIONS

Make the sauce

First, you’ll need to rehydrate the ancho chiles. While that’s happening, toast the almonds and sesame seeds.

Then, add all of the sauce ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, pulsing a few times as needed to break up any large chunks.

Cook the chicken

Salt the chicken and put it in the Instant Pot. Spread the pieces out to make as close to a single layer as possible.

Pour the mole sauce over the chicken and seal the Instant Pot. Cook on high for 25 minutes (or 20 minutes for boneless), then do a Quick Release.

Remove the chicken from the pot and shred. Then add back to the pot and stir to coat in the sauce.

Making chicken mole tacos

Now it’s time to assemble these Instant Pot chicken tacos! You’ll need:

• Corn tortillas
• Cotija cheese
• Cilantro 
• Limes

First, toast the tortillas on both sides. You can do this directly over the burner for a more charred flavor, or toss them in a skillet just to give them some texture.

Then, add some chicken and sauce to the tortillas. Sprinkle some cheese and cilantro over the top and serve with lime wedges.

RECIPE NOTES

• If you can’t find chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, you can make your own version at home. Here are my recipes for dried chipotle peppers and homemade adobo sauce.
• Flour or gluten-free tortillas can be used in place of the corn, depending on your preferences or dietary needs.
• Reserve leftover mole sauce to use in enchiladas, drizzled over eggs, or added to soups and chilis.

MORE RECIPES TO TRY:

• Roasted Chicken with Almond Banana Mole
• Pork Mole Negro Enchiladas
• Slow Cooker Flank Steak Tacos
• Mojo Carne Asada Tacos

Watch how to make this below!

Instant Pot Chicken Mole Tacos

Mole chicken is a classic Mexican dish that usually takes hours to cook. Now you can make this recipe in under an hour for an easy weeknight dinner!

5 from 13 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 582kcal

Author: Kevin Is Cooking

Ingredients

• 3 dried ancho chiles
• 28 oz whole roasted tomatoes
• 1 medium onion roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds toasted
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds toasted
• 1/2 cup dark baking chocolate
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp Mexican oregano
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 lbs chicken thighs bone-in, skinned (See Note 1)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 16 6-in. corn tortillas
• 1/4 cup Cotija cheese crumbled
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves chopped
• 2 limes cut into wedges

Instructions

• In a bowl cover ancho chiles with boiling water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain and discard stems and seeds.
• In a small sauté pan toast the almonds and sesame seeds for 3 minutes. Set aside.
• In a blender or food processor add seeded chiles, tomatoes, onion, almonds, sesame seeds, chocolate, raisins, chicken stock, chipotles and adobo sauce, cumin, cinnamon, Mexican oregano and garlic in a food processor until smooth.
• Season chicken with salt and place inside Instant Pot. Pour in mole sauce mixture. Cover, seal vent and hit Manual setting, High Pressure, 25 minutes.
• Open vent and allow steam to release. Remove chicken and place on a cutting board to remove bones. If sauce is thin, cook on Sauté to reduce and thicken while you shred chicken.
• Shred chicken into large pieces then return to Instant Pot and mole sauce. Reserve 2 cups of the mole sauce for another use.
• Toast and slightly char corn tortillas on both sides over medium-high directly on burner or toast on both sides in a small skillet over medium heat. 
• Top tortillas with chicken mole sauce, cheese, and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes

1. Feel free to substitute bones chicken thighs, but bone-in lends so much more flavor. Lower cooking time to 20 minutes.

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Nutrition

Calories: 582kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 115mg | Sodium: 494mg | Potassium: 806mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 4035IU | Vitamin C: 12.5mg | Calcium: 171mg | Iron: 5.3mg

Have you made this recipe? Let me know on InstagramTag @KevinIsCooking and hashtag me #keviniscooking!