Lime chicken thighs in pepita mole

Inspired by peanut mole, this pepita mole with lime chicken thighs blends pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, chili peppers, and spices to create a smoky sauce that's even better the next day. 

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One of my most popular recipes on this blog is my Crispy, juicy, chicken quarters. I use a similar method to cook incredibly tender pepita mole chicken thighs.

Ingredients

Lime Chicken thighs

• chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on
• Real sweet cream butter (stick), cut into small squares or cubes
• lime, thinly sliced
• celery salt
• whole coriander seed, medium-fine grind
• smoked paprika
• olive oil
• shallot, chopped 
• garlic, grated
• dry white wine
• fresh cilantro
• lime zest and juice 
• cotija cheese crumbles

Smoky pepita mole

• unsalted roasted pepitas
• whole allspice
• cinnamon stick
• Roma tomatoes, halved
• shallot, halved
• garlic cloves, peeled
• anaheim or poblano peppers
• vegetable broth 
• chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, plus adobo sauce

See the lime chicken thighs with pepita mole recipe card for quantities.

smoky pepita mole

On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss tomatoes, fresh Anaheim chili peppers, garlic cloves, and shallots with a tablespoon of oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cover the garlic and shallots with peppers to keep them from burning. 

Anaheim and poblano peppers are considered very mild. However, cooking chili peppers releases more capsaicin, so remove the ribs and seeds if needed. 

Roast in a 450-degree oven until the vegetables blacken in spots, about 20 to 30 minutes. Once the vegetables finish, set them aside to cool for a few minutes while you start the aromatics. Alternatively, you can broil the vegetables.

Combine pepitas, allspice, and cinnamon stick in a large saucepan. Toast over medium heat, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Carefully add roasted vegetables, broth, chipotle chiles, and adobo sauce to the saucepan. 

Bring to a boil over medium. Cover and remove from heat. Allow the mixture to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before blending. Using an immersion blender, pulverize the sauce until smooth. 

Hint: You can replace the fresh peppers with a dried variety like guajillo chilis (which I believe are traditional to a peanut mole). If you use dried chilis, toss them into the saucepan with the vegetable broth. As per the directions, bring everything up to a boil, cover, and let the chilis reconstitute for 10 minutes off heat. 

Strain the pepita mole into a medium bowl using a fine-mesh sieve, then stir in lime zest and juice. If needed, season with a large pinch of salt and pepper; I used almost a ½ teaspoon of salt. Set aside. 

Prepping the lime chicken thighs

Before I begin, I always cover my non-porous cutting board with a layer of freezer paper and a few paper towels. Doing so helps make it easier to clean my work surface later. 

Pat the chicken as dry as possible. Next, season both sides of the chicken with an herb paste: celery salt, coriander, smoked paprika, and just enough olive oil to make a paste, then rub it all over the cornish hens making sure to get it into all of the crevices. 

Using your finger, disjoint the skin from the muscle by sliding it underneath the skin. After, stuff thinly sliced limes and pats of butter underneath the skin to sit directly on top of the muscle. 

How to cook these pepita mole chicken thighs

Warm a large stainless steel skillet over medium heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. When the pan is hot, carefully place each piece of chicken skin side down. Sear the skins until golden brown.

When it releases from the pan, flip it over and cook for five minutes. I cover the pan with a lid to help with splatter but watch the heat so the bottom of the pan doesn't burn. 

Remove onto a clean baking sheet and set them aside in a warm zone. Turn the burner down to a lower temperature, letting the pan cool slightly before moving on. 

Sweat the finely chopped shallots and grated garlic over medium to medium-low heat until soft, translucent, and slightly golden. Before adding wine, remove any excess fat, but leave the chicken drippings.

Pour in white wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Bring the wine to a simmer before adding the pepita sauce.

Carefully pour in enough pepita mole to cover the bottom of the pan; you may not use all of it. Situate the chicken's skin-side-up in the sauce.

The bases of the chicken should be submerged, but the skin exposed. At this point, you can add a little more sauce, avoiding the skins. 

Bring the sauce to a simmer over low heat, cover, and cook the chickens until the internal temperature reaches 185 degrees F. The residual heat will cook the meat another 5 to 10 degrees.

Remove from the heat to let stand for 10 minutes. If necessary, season with more salt and pepper, then garnish with cilantro, lime, and cotija cheese. 

Variations

• Spicy - Anaheim and poblano peppers are considered very mild. However, cooking chili peppers releases more capsaicin, so remove the ribs and seeds if needed. 

Equipment

• immersion blender
• Enamel cast-iron braiser

Storage

Remove the meat from the bone and store in an airtight container mixed with extra sauce. 

Top tip

Cooking dark meat: The residual heat will cook the meat another 5 to 10 degrees. However, the final internal temperature of the chicken needs to reach a minimum of 175 degrees F for tender dark meat, ideally closer to 195 degrees F, because it has abundant connective tissue. 

The longer, slower, and more gently it cooks, the more connective tissue liquefies. Allowing dark meat to cook at an internal temperature between 140 degrees and 195 degrees for a longer period gives collagen extra time to break down. 

As it dissolves into gelatin, the muscle becomes juicy and tender but don't let the internal temperature pass 210 degrees F, or the meat will get stingy and bland. 

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Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 175 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with a high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
• Prep the butter, lime slices, and seasonings before touching the chicken. Depending on the size, you will need two to four small squares of butter per thigh and one to two thinly sliced lime rounds. 
• Keep your work area clean. Sanitize the area with bleach water by removing any visible food remnants. Unscented bleach water is considered food-grade at one tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water. After sanitizing, disinfect the area by spraying with bleach water again. Allow the solution to sit on the surface for 10 minutes or until dry. If using a different solution, read the back label. Disinfecting times vary depending on the brand. If using a solution that is not food-safe, wipe with water after disinfecting has occurred. 

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

This recipe was inspired by Food and Wine's Oyster mushroom tamales