Perfect Pairs: 8 BEST Side Dishes to Serve with Chicken Mole

Chicken mole isn’t just an ordinary dish.

It starts with a dark, slightly sweet mole sauce with chili powder, peanuts, and unsweetened chocolate.

Some might think that chicken mole requires hours to make – but it doesn’t.

Only 30 minutes are needed to throw together this delicious poultry meal.

The sauce is made by pureeing onion, garlic, spices, and unsweetened chocolate.

The sauce is simmered for a few minutes before adding the chicken broth, tomatoes, and chili powder.

Once this comes to a simmer, the chicken and olives are added.

The mole sauce is simmered until the chicken is cooked through – around 20 minutes.

In terms of taste, the sauce has dark chocolate undertones with a hint of sweetness.

And in terms of texture, it’s creamy, rich, and is perfect when poured over rice.

Typically, chicken mole is served with sides like refried beans and Mexican rice.

In this article, we will list our top pick for side dishes to serve with chicken mole.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes for Chicken Mole?

First and foremost, you should know that Chicken Mole is a dish made of chicken and a dark, rich sauce made up of peppers, chocolate, and spices cooked together for hours.

As a result, since mole chicken is cooked for so long, it can get quite dry.

Additionally, because of the ingredients used to make mole sauce, many people may not consider Chicken Mole a good choice for dinner parties since they are picky eaters or allergic to certain foods.

This means that Chicken Mole might be better suited for lunch.

However, you should realize that Chicken Mole is a very flavorful dish and can be made equally as delicious even with side dishes.

If you are hosting a dinner party or want to make your lunch more enjoyable, serve some side dishes alongside your mole chicken.

Another great thing about serving side dishes with Chicken Mole is that the sauce can double as a dipping sauce for tortilla chips, French fries, or even vegetables.

This is especially true if you have some leftovers after your meal.

Pairing side dishes with Chicken Mole has many benefits, so why not try it out?

What to Serve with Chicken Mole? 8 BEST Side Dishes

Here are eight side dishes that you can serve with Chicken Mole to take your meal to the next level:

1 – Cilantro Lime Rice

Since Chicken Mole is already pretty rich, it is best served with an equally light side dish.

This means that having Cilantro Lime Rice will help create balance in your meal.

Because the ingredients are mixed while they are still dry, this adds to the lightness of the rice by helping prevent excess absorption of liquid.

Cilantro Lime Rice is also flavored with lime juice, which brightens up the flavor of your Mole sauce while simultaneously providing a crisp, clean taste to your side dish.

This will help cut through some of the heaviness that sometimes accompanies mole chicken.

It’s like getting two dishes for the price of one.

If you want to be more creative, you can also try making Cilantro Lime Rice Pudding for a different twist on the side dish.

2 – Fresh Vegetables

Fresh vegetables are one of the healthiest pairing options because they have many nutrients and vitamins to offer your body.

Carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, and celery all taste great with Chicken Mole.

They are so good for you that raw vegetables provide more nutrients than if they were cooked.

If you want some serious health benefits with your meal, this is the decision to go with.

Carrots are especially delicious when dipped into mole sauce due to their sweetness and vibrant color.

Bell peppers and broccoli are also nice because of their mild flavor.

3 – Cajun Roasted Potatoes

For a side dish that has some kick to it, Cajun Roasted Potatoes are the perfect option.

They are easy to make since they are baked in the oven rather than cooked on the stove, so you don’t have too much preparation involved.

The combination of spicy cayenne pepper with oregano, thyme, and paprika is the perfect mix of flavors to go along with mole chicken.

This will also cut through some of the heaviness and make it much more enjoyable.

It is important to note that too much cayenne pepper can be harmful, so you should try not to add more than a tablespoon.

Try making Cajun Roasted Potatoes along with Cajun Roasted Corn for a tasty combo.

4 – Fried Plantains

Fried Plantains are a Caribbean side dish that is perfect for mole chicken because it contrasts with the taste of the sauce.

It will be sweet, crispy, and crunchy, which provides a nice contrast to all of those spices in your Chicken Mole.

They are best made by cutting them into thin slices, coating them in cornstarch or flour, and frying them in vegetable or canola oil.

Try sprinkling some chili powder on top for an extra kick.

Besides being perfectly tasty, these plantains are also incredibly healthy.

They are full of fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium.

This makes them a great choice for your next Chicken Mole meal.

5 – Corn Tortillas

Since the mole sauce is very rich, it’s best to save some of that richness for another course of your meal.

Pairing it with corn tortilla chips allows you to enjoy all the flavors in the sauce without feeling too heavy.

For a truly delicious side dish to go with mole chicken, try making your corn tortillas.

This way, they are hot and crispy when you serve them with your mole sauce which makes for the perfect combination.

Adding vegetables is also a good idea since it will make the tortillas healthier overall.

Try adding some shredded carrots or chopped red onions to give that extra zest to your side dish.

6 – Refried Beans

If mole chicken is a bit too rich for your tastes, try pairing it with some refried beans.

These are easy to make and ideal for people who want something that’s lighter (but still delicious) on their stomachs.

The best thing about refried beans is that they have a very creamy texture that complements the mole sauce chili.

They are also nice and mild, so they won’t overpower the mole flavor that you love.

The best part is that these beans are healthy too.

They are full of protein since they contain large amounts of both black beans and pinto beans.

These are some seriously nutritious side dishes.

7 – Wild Rice Pilaf

The spices in mole sauce are best paired with something that has a little bit of nuttiness.

Wild rice pilaf is an excellent choice for this reason.

This side dish will provide the perfect flavor to complement all that mole chicken you’re eating while also satisfying your need for healthy ingredients.

To make wild rice pilaf, you’ll want to start by cooking the wild rice in boiling water or stock along with some salt.

Once this is done, you can add a mixture of vegetables and spices to make your final dish spectacular.

8 – Jalapeno Peppers

There are few better options than jalapeno peppers for a dish that adds the perfect kick to your mole chicken.

This spicy side dish is easy to make and incredibly flavorful.

There are many recipes online that provide the right amount of heat to keep things interesting.

One of the best parts about jalapeno peppers is that they are perfect for stuffing with cheese and then frying until they are nice and crispy.

The resulting dish goes well with your mole chicken, but you can also serve it as a great appetizer before your main course.

You can then top them with cheese before serving for a spicy and cheesy side dish.

Conclusion

Chicken mole is a rich dish that you’ll want to pair with something equally healthy and delicious.

Luckily, there are many side dishes that can do this for you while also giving your taste buds the flavors they love.

Try making the suggested dishes so you can enjoy your chicken mole to its full potential.

Once you have, you’ll find that it’s even better than you expected.

About The Author

Sharing is caring!