Loaded Chicken Mole Skillet (The Ultimate Mexican Lasagna!)

Delicious mole sauce is layered in a skillet with shredded chicken, vegetable fajitas, refried beans, tortillas, and melted cheese! This is similar to an enchilada bake, except way way better. Plus, with plenty of healthy ingredients and a bit of cheese (because we are only human), this is a weeknight dinner you can feel good about feeding your family. The extra bonus? It tastes AMAZING reheated as leftovers. Your entire office will be jealous. I’ve been making different renditions of this for a few years, and it’s always remarkably popular. One friend even deemed it “the best thing she’s ever eaten.” Yep, it’s that good.

Let’s talk about mole paste….

Have you ever heard of mole? Mole is a thick sauce used in Mexican cuisine. It usually contains around 20 ingredients including a variety of spices, chiles, herbs, seeds, and sometimes dark chocolate. There is an assortment of mole pastes including tons of regional variations, but one of my favorites is green mole paste, which is thickened with pumpkin seeds. Of course, I also love traditional mole negro (with cinnamon, cloves, dark chocolate, and chiles), and one time I was lucky enough to come across mole de ajonjolí (containing lots of ground sesame seeds). Heck, I’ve never met a mole paste I didn’t like!

Where to buy mole paste?

You can probably find mole paste in the international section of your grocery store, but the best varieties are purchased from a market. I love the Grand Central Market in Downtown Los Angeles, and there’s wonderful mole lady who is the main reason that I visit that market. (Of course, delicious coffee and damn good pupusas are another perk of my visit, but I’m really there for the mole.) There are multiple vendors selling mole paste but Chiles Secos is my favorite because the paste is fresh and flavorful, and it’s a small family business. They always have an assortment of mole pastes to choose from, and you can sample them before committing.

I also love visiting markets while in foreign countries, because it gives a glance into the lives of local residents. During a day trip to Tijuana, we visited Mercado Hidalgo where I found some amazing mole paste, along with tasty tacos, sweets, warm tortillas, enormous tamales the size of a brick, and some dried hibiscus flowers to make jamaica. Not a bad haul!

About this delicious baked mole…..

I modeled this after lasagna, but used all my favorite Mexican flavors. It starts with a light base of refried beans, then there’s a layer of corn tortillas topped with shredded chicken, tons of sautéed bell peppers and onions, and a sprinkling of cheese. Then the layers repeat themselves, and I smother the top with mole sauce and more cheese before baking it all together. This is the ultimate skillet loaded with flavor, but still healthy enough that you can feel good about eating it. Your family and friends will love this!

Starting that first layer. Beans, tortilla, shredded chicken, and veggie fajitas!

This is a delicious, cheesy, saucy, mess. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Loaded Chicken Mole Skillet

Delicious mole sauce is layered in a skillet with shredded chicken, vegetable fajitas, refried beans, tortillas, and melted cheese! This is the ultimate Mexican lasagna!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

• 12 oz monterrey jack cheese, shredded
• 2 cups refried beans
• 1 whole rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 15-20 corn tortillas

Vegetable Fajita Layer:

• 2-3 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 large sweet yellow onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 3 large bell peppers, thinly sliced Use a mixed variety!
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp ground chili powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp onion powder

Mole Sauce:

• 1 cup mole paste
• 3 cups chicken broth

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. For vegetable fajitas: In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and bell peppers with avocado oil over medium heat until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add all spices, and continue to sauté about 3-5 more minutes, until soft. Set aside.

3. In a medium saucepan, combine mole paste and chicken broth. Use a fork to break mole paste into small chunks. Set to medium-high heat, and whisk occasionally until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and continue to whisk frequently until mixture thickens, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. To layer mole bake, place all refried beans in a single layer on the bottom of the skillet. Top with 1/2 cup of prepared mole sauce. Then top with torn tortillas, forming a single layer.

5. On top of tortillas, add half of the shredded chicken, half of the fajita mixture, 3/4 cup of mole sauce, and 1/4 of the shredded cheese. Top with a layer of torn tortillas. Repeat, using 1 cup of mole for the next layer. 

6. Finally, top with all remaining mole sauce and shredded cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Once done baking, set oven broiler to high to lightly brown cheese on top. Keep an eye on it! This process is quite quick and you don't want it to burn. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Mole paste can be found in the international section of your grocery store, but my preference is to buy it fresh from a market (especially from Chiles Secos at the Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles).