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I hope everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving! We traveled home to Lexington, KY for the holiday and spent a week eating and drinking with friends and family. Now I’m back in VA with a freezer full of leftover turkey from the Friends Thanksgiving we hosted the day before our trip. On the drive back, I dreamed up a long list of recipe ideas and eventually put Turkey Mole Tacos at the top. I’m glad I did – they were delicious. Fresh out of turkey? Have no fear – you can roast a turkey breast or substitute a rotisserie chicken!
I’ve still got a lot of turkey so stay tuned for more recipes. Here’s a Turkey Chili recipe I shared last year. My mom made it last week and we gobbled it down. What is your favorite way to use up leftover turkey? Leave a comment and I will test it out!!!
Turkey Mole Taco Notes
I tried to keep this turkey mole taco recipe on the simple side. I know folks like relatively easy meals after cooking a large thanksgiving feast. I used far fewer ingredients than you will see in a traditional mole sauce and I opted for ground spices instead of whole (which need to be toasted and ground). In the end, I think this recipe acheives a great mole flavor for a fairly small effort. You do have to get your blender or food processor out to start the chili sauce but other than that it’s a one pot dish.
The chili sauce calls for dried guajillo and pasilla peppers. You can easily find these in a Hispanic grocery store. You can also order them from online retailers like Amazon or specialty food retailers.
Suggested Pairings
Pair your mole with warm corn tortillas and your favorite taco garnishes. We went with a few pepitas, bit of onion, sliced radish, cilantro, and queso fresco. I thought this worked well but feel free to experiment. If you’d like to imbibe with your meal, try an American Pale Ale or a fruity red with some chocolate or smokey undertones – perhaps a Zinfandel or Syrah. Margaritas are always an option with Mexican as well!!!
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Turkey Mole Tacos
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 40
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 to 14 tacos 1x
- Category: Tacos
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
A fantastic use for Thanksgiving leftovers. If you are fresh out of turkey, you can roast a turkey breast or use a rotisserie chicken.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp coconut or canola oil
- 6 dried guajillo peppers
- 3 dried pasilla peppers
- 1 cup pepitas, divided
- 2 corn tortillas, ripped into pieces
- zest and juice of 1 orange
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 cups turkey or chicken stock
- 2.7 oz dark chocolate (use chili flavored or mexican chocolate if possible)
- 2 to 3 cups shredded turkey
Garnish
- 1 lime
- 4–5 radishes, slice thin
- ¼ white or red onion, diced
- queso fresco
- cilantro, chopped (about ½ a small bunch)
Instructions
Turkey Mole
- Heat oil in a large heavy bottom skillet. Add the peppers and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cover with warm water. Let sit 20 minutes or until pliable.
- Add ¾ cup pepitas (reserving ¼ for garnish) and the tortilla pieces to the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor. Add the zest and juice of one orange to the blender.
- When the chilis are ready, transfer to the blender with 2 cups of their soaking water. Puree the mixture into a smooth sauce.
- Pour chili sauce in skillet and turn heat to medium low. Add cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, and honey. Add stock and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the chocolate and let it melt. Once the chocolate has melted, add the turkey and simmer another 10 minutes.
- Serve with warm corn tortillas and garnishes.
Notes
I think homemade turkey stock makes this recipe extra good.
Keywords: turkey, mole, taco, mexican
