Roasted Carrots With Mole Encacahuatado

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated Sept. 30, 2025

Roasted Carrots With Mole Encacahuatado
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Prop Stylist: Sophia Eleni Pappas.
Total Time
55 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(42)
Comments
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If your love of peanut sauce knows no bounds, it’ll surely extend to this recipe, adapted from my cookbook “Linger: Salads, Sweets and Stories to Savor” (Knopf, 2025). It’s inspired by a Mexican peanut mole that is traditionally served with chicken in the dish pollo encacahuatado. The term mole stems from the Nahuatl word “molli,” which means sauce or concoction. Mole — not just one dish but a whole category — is used in different ways: as a dressing or sauce for meats or roasted vegetables, or smothering enchiladas or rice. Here, this dark, intense peanut sauce is served with cumin-scented roasted carrots. Bunches of small carrots are ideal, as the carrot greens make an herby addition to the dish, but you can simply substitute fresh carrot tops with parsley, if your carrots are lacking. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Carrots

    • 2pounds small carrots, scrubbed well (reserve any healthy green tops)
    • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2teaspoons ground cumin 
    • Sea salt and black pepper
    • 2 to 3handfuls of baby spinach

    For the Mole Encacahuatado

    • ¼cup unsalted roasted peanuts (no skin), plus more chopped peanuts for serving
    • 1teaspoon ground allspice
    • 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1tablespoon neutral oil, such as sunflower or grapeseed
    • 1yellow onion, roughly diced
    • 1medium tomato or 10 cherry tomatoes, chopped
    • 2garlic cloves, chopped
    • 2whole dried guajillo or ancho chiles, stems removed
    • 1½cups vegetable stock
    • Sea salt and black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

331 calories; 20 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams dietary fiber; 13 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 905 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    Place the carrots on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, scatter the cumin on top, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Roast until golden and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, make the mole: In a medium pot or deep skillet, toast the peanuts over medium heat, tossing constantly, until they begin to turn golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the allspice and cinnamon, and stir until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds.

  4. Step 4

    Add the oil, onion, tomatoes and garlic to the peanuts, and cook until the onion has softened and the tomatoes begin to soften or burst, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the guajillo chiles and turn until they are fragrant or slightly darkened in spots, about 2 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Add the stock and ½ teaspoon salt, and season with black pepper. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and cover. Set aside for 10 minutes to soften the chiles. Transfer to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

  6. Step 6

    Take a handful of the carrot tops and roughly chop. Toss the cooled carrots with the spinach and half of the chopped carrot tops.

  7. Step 7

    To serve, spread the mole onto a large serving dish or platter. Top with the carrot mixture, season with a little salt, drizzle with a touch of olive oil and top with the remaining chopped carrot tops and more chopped peanuts.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
42 user ratings
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Comments

Liz

I have made this recipe (https://anasheavenlytacos.com/red-mole-sauce-recipe-no-nuts-or-peanuts/#recipe) for a mole without any nuts, and have successfully used pumpkin seeds as a replacement in a traditional recipe. They are both quite good.

Jean L

The thing about carrot tops is that the carrots are best if the tops are removed immediately at harvest. Otherwise, the green tops want to keep growing, and draw moisture and nutrients from the bottoms.

AWW

If you can make this you are a cook. Less confusing version that doesn't involve meanwhiles, drizzles, mixtures, tops, etc, etc: 1: Roast carrots 2: Make a mole 3: Plate, service, add NYT green stuff on top because pretty photos, eat.

Leslie T

Good, but not great, so probably won't do it again. I added some bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs to roast with the carrots, otherwise followed the directions. There was plenty of sauce, even after reducing it as some suggested.

Cate

This sauce is amazing! I followed what others said and only used a cup of broth. Used almonds instead of peanuts. I didn’t add the spinach. The texture and consistency of the sauce was perfect. I wish I had doubled it. It can be a great sauce with chicken, too.

LoJo

This was good. The sauce would likely benefit from being reduced after blending, to thicken and intensify flavors. Will try that next time. Now, I love greens of all sorts and will frequently have them on top or beneath almost dish whether it calls for it or not, but I didn’t think the spinach added anything much here.

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Credits

Adapted from “Linger: Salads, Sweets and Stories to Savor” by Hetty Lui McKinnon (Knopf, 2025)

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