Mole: Your Modern Menu Multiplier

For restaurant brands seeking to tap into the growing appetite of diners for bold, authentic flavors, mole offers a compelling opportunity. The many varieties of this sauce—an emblem of Mexican culinary heritage—all boast a multi-layered profile of sweetness, spice, heat and umami that resonates with both curious and cautious palates. Mole is an essential component of many Mexican dishes, but its complex and labor-intensive preparation has proven something of a barrier for foodservice operations that may want to feature only a few such dishes among their broader menu mix.

Enter DOÑA MARIA^® Mole Rojo from MegaMex Foods, a carefully crafted artisan mole paste developed especially for foodservice. It captures the rich, bold, authentic flavors of traditional mole rojo recipes, while eliminating the back-of-house labor strain required of from-scratch recipes.

The consistent quality and ease of use of this mole paste allows restaurants to kick up their offerings of enchiladas, tamales, chilaquiles and the like—while leveraging the flavor advantages of mole to transform a wide range of unexpected menu applications, from sandwiches to desserts and even cocktails!

The timing could not be better. According to research from Technomic¹, 34 percent of all consumers and 42 percent of diners in younger demographics agree that sauces influence their dining decisions. Menu innovation built around use of sauces with robust flavor profiles is a smart strategy for success, as Technomic predicts high change in operator penetration growth for complex pepper sauces, spicy flavor combinations and global sauces for 2025. In other research, Technomic² also discovered that the median spend of an entrée with mole had increased by 52 percent.

Mole is well-positioned to excite chefs and menu developers, as well as their customers. “My love for moles—specifically mole rojo—starts with their rich mouthfeel,” says Chef Brian Barney, business development chef at MegaMex Foods. “When I have a sauce, I want to have three distinct flavor experiences at the beginning, middle and end. The beginning bit of a mole starts with the rich savory notes from the dark chocolate and peanuts, before transitioning to the earthy spice flavors and then finishing with a hint of heat from the ancho and pasilla peppers.” He calls DOÑA MARIA^® Mole Rojo “a classic mole, ideal as a standalone sauce or as a base to add distinctive flavor to a variety of dishes.”

Chef Barney identifies five menu categories where the DOÑA MARIA^® Mole Rojo paste can empower foodservice chefs to seize its potential to captivate the palate, and he offers specific suggestions to try.

1SANDWICHES

“I went a little overboard on sandwiches,” admits Barney. “Sandwiches provide a great canvas for chefs to incorporate mole flavors in a variety of ways, from glazes to spreads to dips—which all can be used to enhance flavor and visual appeal.” In addition, many customers prove willing to experiment with items that incorporate new ingredients into a familiar favorite, leading operators to create signature variations that provide differentiation in a competitive market. With this in mind, Barney offers several mole-infused ideas featuring popular handhelds.

• Mole-Glazed Crispy Chicken Sandwich: Crispy fried chicken breast coated with DOÑA MARIA^®Mole Rojo, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and topped with sweet pickle-and-purple-cabbage escabeche and a drizzle of an ancho-pasilla-spiked mayonnaise. “This build incorporates colors and flavors that enhance the mole sauce, especially the toasted sesame seeds,” explains Barney, adding, “The slaw helps to balance the savory peanuts in the mole and brings out the chocolate.”
• Mo-gochujang Crispy Chicken Sandwich: Crispy, double-fried chicken breast is brushed with a combination of DOÑA MARIA^® Mole Rojo and Korean barbecue sauce before being topped with mozzarella and a sweet-and-spicy Korean coleslaw. “Mole and Korean barbecue sauce create a deep umami bomb of flavors that work well together,” notes Barney.
• Mole Borracho Smash Burger: Two smash burger patties are steamed on the grill in a mole-cervezas marinade, then topped with pepperjack cheese, crispy onions and pepper aioli. “One of the best burgers I have ever had was a smash burger that was ‘steamed’ on the grill with a marinade before being topped with cheese,” says Barney of the inspiration behind this concept.
• Mole Pulled Pork Hoagie: Pork shoulder is slow-cooked in a mole marinade, shredded and tucked into a submarine roll or baguette, then covered with thinly sliced jamon, melted queso Oaxaca, lettuce, tomato, onion and a spread of WHOLLY^® GUACAMOLE Serrano Lime Guacamole.
• Mole Prime Rib Torta (pictured above): Smother leftover prime rib with DOÑA MARIA^® Mole Rojo and serve atop refried black beans in a telera roll.

2SALADS

“Mole works extremely well in sweet, fruit-forward vinaigrettes, as well as savory, fatty dressings,” notes Barney. “I like incorporating mole in a sweeter salad dressing because it adds such a distinctive flavor. This is simple for the culinary team to execute and provides an easy menu extension, cross-utilizing a current dressing on the menu while still being highly differentiated.”

In Barney’s experience, mole works well as a plus-one in fruity vinaigrettes, such as a raspberry-walnut variety, where the pairing brings out the chocolate and sesame notes in the mole. “This is a great way to enhance a summer salad and drive experimentation,” he says.

Acknowledging that “mole works extremely well with fatty meats like bacon,” Barney suggests a warm mole-and-bacon vinaigrette for a spinach salad featuring grilled chicken, gorgonzola and candied walnuts. “This dressing is rich, distinctive and carries hints of nuttiness, balanced with cocoa beans.”

3APPETIZERS

Mole is a great ingredient to enhance the appetizer menu, especially when it comes to injecting a robust flavor boost to neutral carriers like potatoes and chicken. With just a sampling of ideas, Barney demonstrates the long runway this category offers chefs ready to reimagine this category.

• Pueblo Poutine: Shredded chicken is cooked in a mole gravy smothering crispy sweet potato fries and topped with crumbles of queso fresco and green onion.
• Crispy Chicken Wings: Toss wings in a honey-mole sauce prior to service.
• Mole Black Bean Hummus: Upend expectations with this hummus. Further the flavor story by serving with crispy bolillo chips and escabeche carrot sticks.
• Pueblo Baked Brie: Top the cheese with a sweet mole-and-fig jam and serve with tortilla chips. Try swapping the brie for a Mexican panela or Camembert.
• Mexican Charcuterie Board: Feature a mole-fig spread, elote (using HERDEZ Mexican-Style Street Corn), mango-pineapple pico with a Mexican seasoning blend, a cucumber-carrot-onion escabeche, Mexican dark chocolate, meats and cheeses plus bolillo toast points.

4BEVERAGES

Mole is ready to claim space on both the alcoholic and non-alc columns of the beverage menu. Barney suggests starting by crafting mole bitters: combining a mole base with vodka (80-proof or higher) in a sealed container for at least a week, shaking daily. Strain before packaging for use.

Mole bitters can be used to make an Oaxaca Old Fashioned. Combine Reposado tequila, mezcal and agave. Muddle with fresh cherries, mole bitters and garnish with an orange peel. Another cocktail option is a Mole Brandy Alexander. Mix according to tradition, but add mole and agave, says Barney.

Coffees and sweet drinks also can deliver new flavor notes with the addition of a little mole. Think Mole Mocha Latte, Mole and Vanilla Frappuccino and Mole Chocolate Shake, he suggests.

5SWEET STUFF

Desserts are another category well-positioned for innovative flavor play. Trend-watchers see classics making a comeback—albeit with a twist. Plus, consumers aren’t calling a halt on indulgence in this space. Chefs can check all the boxes by adding mole into the mix. Consider Barney’s suggestions as the fuse for creative brainstorming.

• Sweet Mexican Crepes filled with dulce de leche cream or crema pastelera can be topped with a mole chocolate drizzle. That same sauce can be used to glaze a panna cotta or as a dip for sweet sopapillas (Mexico’s version of the powdered sugar-coated beignet).
• Refresh the traditional crème brulee with mole, cherry and chocolate.
• Mole works well in baked chocolate desserts, including: Triple Chocolate Mole Bread Pudding, Date and Mole Brownie and Mole Chocolate Lava Cake.

Mole works in sweet breakfast applications, as well, Barney advises. Try a Sweet Mole and Chocolate Smoothie Bowl or Sweet Masa Pancakes with Mole Maple Drizzle.

And, for good measure, Barney has a few entrée ideas featuring mole that he can’t resist sharing:

• Mole demi-glace: “I recently prepared a filet mignon topped with sauteed wild mushrooms and a mole demi-glace,” the chef recounts. “It also works well over the top of a thinly sliced, grilled flank steak.”
• Beef Wellington: Top a seared filet with a mole mushroom duxelles and substitute tarragon with epazote to lean into a greater Mexican profile. “I personally love this classic. Consumers, especially Millennials, according to Technomic², are more likely to try new flavors now than three years ago and are seeking out global renditions of comfort foods like this.

MOLE FOR ALL

DOÑA MARIA^® Mole Rojo was developed with feedback from chefs and foodservice operators representing different segments, sizes and cuisine concepts across the U.S. Their input informed every aspect of the product, from minor adaptations to the original recipe and the consistency of the paste to ensuring its ease of use by updating the packaging from a small glass container to a kitchen-friendly, resealable, wide-mouthed plastic jar.

Uniting the richness of Mexican culinary heritage with the demands of modern foodservice kitchens, DOÑA MARIA^® Mole Rojo provides restaurant chefs with a seamless way to spotlight the bold complexity of traditional mole. Enhance your menu with signature dishes and inventive twists—all elevated by this versatile, labor-saving, flavor-forward ingredient.

¹ Technomic Menu Trends and Beyond, May 2025
² Technomic Flavor Consumer Trend Report, 2023

DOÑA MARIA^® Mole Rojo for foodservice is now available to purchase on Amazon.