Mole de Olla
Mole de Olla Receta Recipe – This easy Mexican beef stew recipe is made with a bounty of fresh veggies and tender beef, all simmered in a deliciously bold chile tomato broth.
Why We Love Mole de Olla
Mole de Olla is a classic Mexican stew that is LOADED with goodness!
The soup base is stewed with bone-in beef shank, herbs, and dried chiles for a deep smoky, robust flavor. Then, lots of hearty vegetables – like corn, potatoes, carrots, and squash – are added to provide freshness and contrast.
Although it is not a quick recipe to prepare, Mole de Olla is quite easy and requires very few steps or hands-on cooking. So it’s great for relaxing weekends and special occasions when everyone is gathered around the dinner table.
This Mexican beef soup is the perfect all-in-one meal to satisfy any south-of-the-border craving!
Ingredients You Need
- Butter – unsalted
- Bone-in beef shank – or bone-in short ribs, oxtail, or beef stew meat
- Sweet or white onion – peeled and chopped
- Garlic – minced
- Jalapeno – chopped
- Dried guajillo chiles – adds a rich, tangy flavor
- Dried ancho chiles – adds smoky, sweet flavor
- Bay leaves – to enhance the flavor
- Epazote (a Central American herb) – chopped
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes – regular diced tomatoes with a dash of smoked paprika also works
- Chayote squash – peeled, pitted, and chopped
- Xonconstoles (prickly pears) – peeled, seeded, and chopped
- Ears corn – shucked and cut into 2-inch segments
- Carrots – sliced
- Russet potatoes – peeled and chopped
- Green beans – trimmed and halved
- Salt and pepper – brings out the flavor
- Lime wedges – for garnish (optional)
Pro Tip: If you can’t find some of the authentic ingredients, you can swap them for common herbs and vegetables that are available to you. See our suggestions below.
How to Make Mexican Beef Stew
- Set a large 8-quart saucepot over medium heat. Add the butter. Salt and pepper the beef slices liberally on both sides. Then add them to the butter and brown on both sides.
- Add in the chopped onion, jalapeño, and garlic. Sauté and stir for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the epazote, bay leaves, and canned tomatoes. Add enough water to cover the beef completely. Then cover the pot with a heavy lid and simmer for 1 ½ – 2 hours, until the beef is tender.
- While the beef is cooking, pop the stems off the tops of the dried chilies and shake out as many seeds as possible. Peel and chop the remaining produce. Cut the potato and chayote close to the end of prepping so they don’t have time to brown. Once the beef is fork-tender, add the dried chiles.
- Push them down under the beef to keep them submerged and simmer another 10-15 minutes.
- Use tongs to pull out the cooked chilies. Place them in the blender with a little broth. Puree until smooth.
- Then pour the chili paste back into the pot. Taste the broth. Then add salt and pepper to taste. (I usually 1 – 1 ½ teaspoons of salt here.)
- Now add in all the fresh chopped produce. Simmer another 15 to 20 minutes.
- The potatoes and carrots should be just fork tender, and not mushy. Taste again, and salt and pepper as needed.
- You can remove the bones and bay leaves, or leave them in to serve authentically. Serve warm with a fresh lime wedge on the side.
Get the Complete (Printable) Mole de Olla Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Variations
- If you can’t find chayote or xoconstoles don’t worry! You can substitute 2 zucchini for the chayote, and a large tart green apple for the xoconstoles.
- In fact, feel free to swap out any of the produce. Other veggies that can be added include yellow squash, peas, sweet potatoes, and parsnips – just to name a few. Your Mexican beef soup might not be authentic Mole de Olla, but it will undoubtedly be delicious!
- If you can’t find beef shank, beef stew meat will also work well. Reduce cook time from 1 1/2 hours to 1 hour.
- Save time by using chopped frozen vegetables.
- While you can prep several ingredients ahead of time (like shucking and slicing corn), it is recommended that you wait until the last minute before cutting up the chayote and potato. Both will begin to brown quickly, so you want to add them to the broth as soon as possible after chopping.
- This stew is best when the vegetables are cooked but still have some bite. Check the doneness after the soup has simmered for 15 minutes and then keep a close eye on the veggies so that they don’t get too soft.
Serving Suggestions
Hearty, flavorful mole de olla is a comforting dish perfect for sharing with family or friends!
Serve it as a main course with warm, freshly made corn tortillas, a side of fluffy white rice, or a squeeze of lime juice for a zesty kick. Pair it with crisp radishes, sliced avocado, or a tangy Mexican slaw to add some crunch and freshness.
For a complete meal, enjoy it alongside a simple salad or with a side of refried beans. You can even garnish with chopped cilantro, diced onions, or crumbled queso fresco for extra layers of flavor!
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe is easy to tweak for a Mexican chicken stew! Use 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts – or 6 boneless skinless thighs – in place of the beef shank. Chop into 1-inch pieces and cook per the recipe, until the chicken is tender. While beef soup needs 1 1/2 – 2 hours, chicken Mole de Olla will only require about an hour of simmering time.
Hearty beef stew is fantastic to enjoy as leftovers! Let the soup cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Yes! Mole de Olla is easy to freeze. Once the soup has cooled, transfer it to a freezer-safe container with a lid and wrap it in a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Then thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating to serve.
Looking for More Soup and Stew Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
- Crockpot Brunswick Stew
- Pozole Rojo (Red Posole Recipe)
- The Best Chili Recipe
- Carne Guisada Recipe (Con Papas)
Mole de Olla Receta (Mexican Beef Stew Recipe)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 pounds bone-in beef shank
- 1 large sweet onion peeled and chopped
- 6-8 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeno chopped
- 4 dried guajillo chiles
- 3 dried ancho chiles
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/3 cup chopped epazote or swap for 4 Tb cilantro + 1 TB oregano
- 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 chayote squash peeled, pitted, and chopped
- 2 xoconstoles prickly pears, peeled seeded and chopped
- 2 ears corn shucked and cut into 2 inch segments
- 2 large carrots sliced
- 1 large russet potato peeled and chopped
- 8 ounces trimmed green beans halved
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh lime wedges for garnish optional
Instructions
- Set a large 8-quart sauce pot over medium heat. Add the butter. Salt and pepper the beef slices liberally on both sides. Then add them to the butter and brown on both sides.
- Add in the chopped onion, jalapeño, and garlic. Sauté and stir for 8 to 10 minutes.
- Stir in the epazote, bay leaves, and canned tomatoes. Add enough water to cover the beef completely. Then cover the pot with a heavy lid and simmer for 1 ½ – 2 hours, until the beef is tender.
- While the beef is cooking, pop the stems off the tops of the dried chilies and shake out as many seeds as possible. Peel and chop the remaining produce. Cut the potato and chayote close to the end so it doesn’t have time to brown.
- Once the beef is fork tender, add the dried chiles. Push them down under the beef to keep them submerged and simmer another 10-15 minutes.
- Use tongs to pull out the cooked chilies. Place them in the blender with a little broth, if needed, and purée until smooth. Then pour the chili paste back into the pot.
- Taste the broth. Then add salt and pepper to taste. (I usually 1 – 1 ½ teaspoons of salt here.)
- Now add in all the fresh chopped produce. Simmer another 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are fork tender. Taste again, and salt and pepper as needed.
- You can remove the bones and bay leaves or leave them in to serve authentically. Serve warm with a fresh lime wedge on the side.
My daughter had to make a Mexican recipe for school and selected this one! It was a huge hit and had amazing flavor.
Such a delicious stew! My whole family absolutely loved this!
great dish and love chile and beef stew, this seems like a nice combination of the two with really nice flavors, so thank you