Recipes

Braised Beef Mole Tacos

Serves 4

| Prep Time: 5 min

| Cook Time: 2 hours 15 min

| Total Time: 2 hours 20 min

You may need: Mexican Mole

Discover The Recipe

Mole (pronounced MOLE-lay) refers to a group of Mexican sauces that are made from a base of braised chili peppers, aromatics like onion and garlic, spices, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and often chocolate to form an incredibly complex and rich sauce that is used to smother everything from grilled meats to tacos. There are many types of moles with a rainbow of colors, depending on the ingredients. Two states in Mexico lay claim to being the origin of mole, Puebla, and Oaxaca. But when you’re dealing with Mexico’s national dish, does it really matter? Every town in Mexico has its own version. Food historians trace a complex sauce to a complex lineage mirroring Mexico’s own cultural fusion of indigenous, European, and even Islamic roots. No matter where it originated, mole is a flavor that can only be experienced.

In our Braised Beef Mole Tacos recipe, we transform the humble beef chuck steak into a home-cooked Mexican fiesta for your tastebuds. Tender beef that melts in your mouth is seasoned with our Mexican Mole blend. While not the most authentic sauce preparation, we think this meal delivers with little active hands-on cooking time. Do give yourself some time for this dish to slow cook to properly tenderize this cut of meat and absorb the flavors of the mole sauce. Try making more traditional mole dishes in the other recipes on our website.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive or vegetable (or olive) oil
1.5 lbs boneless beef chuck steak
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp Piquant Post Mexican Mole spice
3 cups beef stock or broth
1 tsp salt
10 small corn tortillas
Suggested toppings: cotija (or your favorite cheese), sour cream, cilantro, red onions, diced radishes

Notes

We love to slow cook chuck steak, which comes from the shoulder of the cow. This cut is very flavorful, but is very tough with a lot of connective tissue. The slow cooking helps the connective tissue and collagen break down into gelatin, yielding a juicy, tender bite.

If 3 cups of broth is not enough to cover the beef, add a bit more to completely cover the beef. We often check after 25 minutes to ensure there is enough liquid to cover the meat. At a proper simmer and a covered pot, you should be okay, but always good to check.

Optional ingredients add a little character and flavor but don’t sweat it if you don’t have them.

Instructions

In a large pot, heat oil over Med-High heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chuck steak and sear, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the pot and set aside.

Using the same pot with the oil from the steak, add onions. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes, add Piquant Post Mexican Mole blend. Stir fry for 1 min, until fragrant. Add chuck steak back to pot and add beef stock and salt.

Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to Med-Low, cover, and continue simmering for 2 hours. Carefully remove meat to a cutting board. Cut the meat into small pieces. The meat should be very tender and cut easily.

Serve with warmed tortillas and top with cotija crumbles, sour cream, cilantro, red onions and radishes!

Alternatives & Substitutions

Instead of cooking over the stove, try slow cooking, like this Slow Cooker Pork Mole.
Use our Mole blend in this 20 minute mole, and smother it on anything or use it with some seafood, like this Mole Tilapia and Brown Rice.
For a vegan/vegetarian option, try our Portobello Mole Enchiladas our vegan Stuffed Poblano with Mole, and our Vegan Tlayuda recipe.
Try these classics, Chicken Mole Poblano , our Shrimp Mole Enchiladas, or our Memelas con Mole recipes!
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