Mole Negro with Chicken, Mexican Chocolate, Walnuts, and Banana at Red Iguana - Salt Lake's most famous Mexican restaurant

Signature Mole Negro with Chicken

by Red Iguana, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Although Salt Lake City was technically part of Mexico before the United States annexed the Republic of Texas, it isn’t widely known for its Mexican cuisine. This isn’t surprising; it's over a thousand miles from Utah to the southern border, and the region’s cultural influences stem more from Mormon pioneers and settlers than from Spanish explorers or missionaries.

One standout exception is Red Iguana, one of the city’s most beloved and iconic restaurants. Renowned for its expansive menu of authentic Mexican dishes, Red Iguana draws consistent crowds. Its signature offering, mole, is what most people come to eat.

a plate of Red Iguana's signature mole negro in Salt Lake City, Utah
a plate of Red Iguana's signature mole negro in Salt Lake City, Utah

Mole (pronounced MOH-leh) is the unofficial "national dish of Mexico". The word literally means "sauce" and can refer to any of the myriad rich regional sauces and marinades typically made from stewed fruit, nuts, chili peppers, and spices.

I ordered the mole negro, or "black mole", one of Red Iguana's most popular signature dishes. This mole is a thick, rich sauce made from spicy chilis blended with Mexican chocolate, peanuts, walnuts, bananas, raisins and poured over shredded chicken and topped with a handful of sesame seeds. Sweet, savory, rich, and complex, the mole is delicious and packed with flavor that goes so nicely with the tender shredded chicken.

Red Iguana's mole negro with shredded chicken
Red Iguana's mole negro with shredded chicken

Each order of mole is served with the classic side dish of refried beans topped with melted cheese and a scoop of Mexican rice (arroz mexicano or arroz rojo), a side dish so ubiquitous as a side in Mexican cuisine that having grown up in Texas, it was more or less the only way that I had ever had rice for the first few years of my life. Mexican rice is a savory rice dish made from white rice, tomato, garlic, onion.

An order of mole at Red Iguana also comes with your choice of flour or corn tortillas. While I generally prefer corn tortillas, I decided to go with a side of flour tortillas this time, as they are thicker and heartier and more able to soak up the delicious mole.
Red Iguana's full menu can be viewed on their website https://www.rediguana.com/menus/red-iguana-main-menu. They serve a great selection of delicious Mexican dishes, but when I visited, I was there for one reason only: to try their famous signature mole. I highly suggest ordering from the mole menu for something truly special that put Red Iguana on the map.

Red Iguana's signature mole menu - Salt Lake City, Utah
Red Iguana's signature mole menu - Salt Lake City, Utah

Location


One of Salt Lake City's most famous restaurants, Red Iguana can get pretty busy at dinnertime. I arrived around 6pm and had to wait about half an hour for a table. The wait wasn't so bad, but I suggest making a reservation in advance or arriving early. Reservations can be made online via RESY, accessible through https://www.rediguana.com/reservations/.

Red Iguana in Salt Lake City, Utah
Red Iguana in Salt Lake City, Utah
Location: 736 W North Temple St, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, USA

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