The BEST Keto Baked Chicken Mole recipe ever! This easy keto chicken dinner recipe never fails me, thanks to this simple keto mole sauce that is easy to make! Make the sauce a couple of days ahead of time and then a quick time in the oven and dinner is ready!
With Cinco de Mayo right around the corner, I thought it was due time for a Mexican-inspired recipe.
Just like my Taco Meat recipe, Mexican Pulled Pork Carnitas and this Keto Pork Birria Recipe , this keto baked chicken recipe was adapted from America's Test Kitchen.
With only a few modifications from their recipe, I was able to create an easy keto chicken dinner recipe with a "mole" twist!
Now if you ask me if it is authentic, I am going to have to say "no". I have not had chicken mole in Mexico and have only visited there once. However, authentic or not, this is one of the best keto chicken recipes ever!
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Ingredients
Here is a list of the main ingredients for making this keto baked chicken mole. Not listed are oil, salt, pepper, and sweetener to suit your taste.
- Peppers - You will need 2 types of peppers in two different forms - dried ancho peppers as well as a canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. Stem and seed the dried pepper before toasting it.
- Onion - Any type of onion will work in this recipe.
- Spices and Chocolate - Ground cinnamon and cloves are combined with sugar-free chocolate and minced garlic for the perfect keto mole sauce.
- Chicken Broth - leads the necessary liquid and saltiness needed for the mole sauce
- Canned tomatoes - The acidity of the tomatoes makes ensures that this keto mole is not too sweet.
- Nut or Seed Butter - To save time, instead of grinding down the nuts or seeds, using nut or seed butter works to give this sauce just the right taste and texture.
- Chicken - I used boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat but chicken breasts could work as well. You can also use bone-in chicken but make sure to remove the skin and cook the chicken for at least 35-45 minutes.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Although this keto baked chicken mole looks like a lot of steps, it is actually really easy and only requires 1 pan. You can use the same pan for making the sauce and to bake the keto chicken.
Toast the seeded and stemmed dried peppers in skillet. Remove the peppers once toasted.
Add the oil to the now empty skillet and saute the onion until it has softened.
Stir in the cinnamon, cloves and sugar-free chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted. Add in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
Stir in broth, tomatoes, almond or sunflower butter, toasted dried ancho chiles, chipotle pepper, and sesame seeds, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and measures about 3 ½ cups, about 10 minutes.
Transfer mixture to blender and process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Season with salt, pepper, and sweetener to taste.
Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken in a single layer in a shallow baking dish and cover with mole sauce, turning to coat the chicken evenly
Bake for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 160 degrees F. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve with a garnish of sprinkled sesame seeds.
Hint: The keto mole sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Substitutions
I have only made this recipe with the listed ingredients but I am fairly certain that the following substitutions can work for this easy keto chicken dinner recipe.
- Dried Peppers - instead of ancho, you can use guajillo peppers
- Nut or Seed Butter - you can use cashew butter or any other type of seed or nut butter.
- Chicken - I used boneless skinless chicken thighs but you could use chicken breast or even bone-in chicken. Make sure to remove the skin if you are using bone-in chicken and cook it for at least 35 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
Variations
This keto baked chicken mole recipe can be slightly altered to suit your tastes with just a few modifications to the sauce.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes or some hot sauce if you like a spicy mole
- Super Chocolaty - add some unsweetened cocoa powder
- Sweet or Salty - add some additional sweetener, salt, black pepper, or some apple cider vinegar for the perfect balanced mole flavour.
See this Easy Keto Mexican Sauce that is Dairy-Free for another idea for Cinco de Mayo or your next keto Mexican dish!
Equipment
I like to use a really large saucepan to make the keto mole sauce as it helps to quicken the time it takes for the sauce to thicken.
You will also need a high-speed blender to puree all the keto mole sauce. In order for this to be the best keto chicken, you want the sauce to be really smooth and the only way to accomplish this is by using a high-speed blender.
As for actually making the keto baked chicken, you can use a cast-iron skillet, an oven-proof saucepan, or any other baking dish.
Storage
Store the keto mole sauce for up to 3 days in the fridge. As for the actual keto baked chicken mole, place the chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Top tip
Make sure that you taste the keto mole sauce and adjust the sauce according to your taste. I am not a huge salt fan but some people may want to add some salt, pepper or even some additional sweetener. I love adding 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the sauce as well as some unsweetened cocoa powder.
What does the term "mole" mean?
The loose translation of the word mole is "sauce".
Are there different types of moles?
Yes! So much so, that there actually isn't really just one authentic recipe. Mole can vary from yellow, brown, red, or even black in colour, depending on the ingredients used.
What are the most common ingredients in a mole sauce?
Despite the diversity of moles that exist, most moles include nuts or seeds, chili peppers, and dried spices.
How long do you cook chicken thigh meat in the oven?
Depending on the thickness of your chicken thighs, it can take anywhere from 25-35 minutes for boneless chicken thighs to be fully cooked.
What temperature is fully cooked chicken thigh meat?
The chicken thigh meat needs to reach an internal temperature of 170 degrees F. However, since we are allowing the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before serving, you can remove the chicken from the oven at 165 degrees F. The chicken will continue to bake out of the oven and will rise by 5 degrees after the 10 minutes.
Can I freeze the mole sauce?
Yes! This recipe makes too much mole sauce for just one keto chicken dinner so save any leftover sauce and freeze it for up to 3 months.
The BEST Keto Baked Chicken Mole
The BEST Keto Baked Chicken Mole recipe ever! This easy keto chicken dinner recipe never fails me, thanks to this simple keto mole sauce that is easy to make! Make the sauce a couple of days ahead of time and then a quick time in the oven and dinner is ready!
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn into ½-inch pieces (about ½ cup)
- 1 chipotle pepper with adobo sauce (about 1 tbsp)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 oz sugar-free chocolate
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup almond or sunflower seed butter
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted (plus more for garnish, if desired)
- 2- 2.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat
- salt and sweetener to taste
Instructions
- Toast the ancho peppers in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant, 2-6 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a plate. Add oil and onion to a now-empty skillet and cook over medium-high heat until softened 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in the cinnamon, cloves, chocolate, and toasted chiles and cook until chocolate is melted and bubbly, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, tomatoes, almond or sunflower butter, toasted dried ancho chiles, chipotle pepper and sesame seeds and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and measures about 3 ½ cups, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer mixture to blender and process until smooth, about 20 seconds. Season with salt, pepper, and sweetener to taste.
- Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken in a single layer in a shallow baking dish and cover with some of the mole sauce, turning to coat the chicken evenly (you will most likely not need all the mole sauce so freeze it for another day!). Bake, uncovered, until chicken thighs register 165-170 degrees F, about 25-35 minutes, depending on the thickness of your meat.
- Remove chicken from the oven, tent it with aluminum foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Take some of the sauce and drizzle it over the chicken before sprinkling with extra sesame seeds before serving.
Notes
- make sure to taste the sauce after it has been pureed and add additional salt, pepper and sweetener. My favourite variation adds all 3 plus a little extra unsweetened cocoa powder and apple cider vinegar!
- you will most likely end up with leftover sauce that can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- the sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; loosen with water as needed before continuing.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving with sauce
- Calories: 275
- Sugar: 3
- Fat: 16
- Carbohydrates: 9
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 24
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