Mole Chicken Tacos

Half the school year done — or close enough. Parent-teacher conferences at the end of this month. I have been preparing materials: the progress data, the goal updates, the specific thing I am going to say to each family that is true and specific and focuses on the child rather than the system. This preparation takes as long as the conferences themselves. I do it on Sunday evenings at the kitchen table with the lamp on and cold brew in a glass. This is what teaching looks like from the inside.

T. has started talking to me about his weekend. He tells me in the morning what he did on Saturday, usually in three or four sentences, direct eye contact for parts of it. "We went to my grandma's. She made jerk chicken. It was very good." I said I had never had jerk chicken. He said "It has allspice." He said this like I should have known. He was right, I should have known. I went home and looked it up and bought allspice at the international market on 18th Street and made jerk chicken that weekend.

T.'s jerk chicken: marinated chicken thighs in a paste of scotch bonnet pepper (I used one, which was probably not enough), allspice, garlic, ginger, thyme, brown sugar, soy sauce, green onion, vinegar. Marinated overnight. Cooked in the cast iron until caramelized and slightly charred. Under four dollars. T. asked on Monday how it turned out. I said very good. He said "Did you use enough allspice?" I said I thought so. He said "My grandma uses a lot of allspice." Note taken.

I told him his grandmother's recipe was better. He said "Obviously." Then he went to the book basket. Then he sat down and started reading, exactly like the first day. Some kids return to themselves in the places they feel safest. That is what a classroom is supposed to be — the place they come back to. I made jerk chicken because T. taught me. I said that in the blog post. "T. (not his real name) taught me this. His grandmother's version is better. Use more allspice."

T. sent me to the international market on 18th Street, and once you’ve started paying attention to the way spices can completely transform a piece of chicken, you don’t stop. Mole is the recipe I reach for now when I want that same layered, purposeful depth — the kind that makes you slow down and notice what you’re eating, the way T. noticed the allspice in his grandmother’s kitchen. These tacos aren’t jerk chicken, and they aren’t his grandmother’s recipe, but they carry the lesson he gave me: use more spice than you think you need, and mean it.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 4 (2 tacos each)

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup prepared mole sauce (store-bought or homemade)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
8 small corn tortillas, warmed
1/2 cup white onion, finely diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese (optional)

Instructions

Season the chicken. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season on both sides with salt and black pepper.
Sear the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs and sear 4—5 minutes per side until deep golden brown. Transfer to a plate; the chicken does not need to be fully cooked through at this stage.
Build the mole sauce. Reduce heat to medium. In the same skillet, add mole sauce, chicken broth, and tomato paste. Stir in cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and chili powder. Whisk together until smooth and beginning to simmer, about 2 minutes.
Simmer the chicken. Return seared chicken thighs to the skillet, nestling them into the sauce. Cover loosely and simmer on medium-low for 18—22 minutes, turning once halfway, until chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Shred and coat. Remove chicken from skillet and shred with two forks. Return shredded chicken to the pan and toss to coat thoroughly in the mole sauce. Cook uncovered for 2—3 more minutes until the chicken absorbs the sauce and caramelizes slightly at the edges.
Warm the tortillas. Heat corn tortillas directly over a gas flame for 20—30 seconds per side, or wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for 45 seconds until pliable.
Assemble the tacos. Spoon mole chicken onto warmed tortillas. Top with diced white onion, fresh cilantro, and cotija cheese if using. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

Nutrition (per serving)

Mole Chicken Tacos — What T. Taught Me About Spice