How to make cow tongue tacos for dinner is here. Cooking lengue or beef tongue to tender is simple following our step by step directions on the stove with this recipe.
Ok so we have been venturing out and trying new things recently, this lengua tacos were a winner! On Tuesdays it was time to try a new Mexican recipe with organ meat and this was the one. If you are interested in how to cook tongue to tender we have some tips for you here. (affiliate links present)
Beef Tongue Tacos Recipe
Letโs start with a bit of basics shall we. We will share how to cook cow tongue first. This is a type of meat that comes from the tongue of a cow, obviously. It is considered a delicacy in many cultures and is known for its tender and flavorful protein. It does take a bit of time to cook it properly to begin with so the insides soften nicely and it can be sliced thin.
What is lengua taco made of?
Lengua is another name it is called. The recipe below will explain how the meat is cooked. Beyond that you make as you would โnormallyโ with pico etcโฆ There are several other dishes you can make with it of course, we will mention a few others later. Letโs stick with a kid fave though shall we? You can keep the wrap soft, make low carb with a lettuce wrap or go with air fryer tacos that crisp up nicely!
How to Cook Tongue
You can click on the full instructions below to follow; To prepare this cut of meat youโre going to need a large pot or Dutch Oven. It is usually first boiled or braised until tender. The tough outer skin really needs to be removed and discarded, and the remaining meat can be sliced or shredded to make a variety of dishes.
This unique cut of beef is a good source of protein, iron, and vitamin B12, but it is also relatively high in fat and calories. If you are considering adding this into your diet, it is important to consume it in moderation just as you would beef liver or other pieces.
Instant Pot Beef Tongue Tacos
Basically this takes about an hour to do it under high pressure submerged in 8 cups broth or water with seasonings, and veggies underneath with a natural release at the end. Cuts down the cook time by quite a bit but still a great way to get it tender enough to slice and throw into tortillas.
- Once tongue meat is boiled and done it can be diced into small pieces and thrown into casseroles.
- Sliced thin it is great layered in between bread and made into sliders
- Throw it into any sort of soup to add protein
- Or substitute this instead of other cuts to make beef tongue stew for dinner
You have to slow cook it for a few hours first though to get it to the point where it is ready for all the things. After boiled it will look like this yโall, donโt be scared. ๐ Once you use a small sharp knife to slice the outside tougher layer off it will just look like a large piece of leftover ham kindaโโฆ.
Ingredients
- 1 cow tongue
- 90 oz beef broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 onion and carrot
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 allspice seeds whole
- Coriander seeds
- To make tacos:
- 2 tomatoes
- Bunch of cilantro
- 3 tbsp salsa verde
- 6-8 air fryer tortillas
I do like a soft flour wrap but you could make your own tacos shells in air fryer with corn tortillas so they are crunchy. You could make a lengua lettuce wrap if you wanted to cut down on the carbs too. Works the same way where you can still add the cheese, salsa, avocado slices etcโฆ
The average size will be between 2-4 lbs. When choosing a piece remember that you will lose and throw away a bit of it because the outer layer with the taste buds will be cut off. It is not a good texture, would be hard to chew and should just be discarded. The insides are wonderful though.
Um we wouldnโt share them if they werenโt. Dress them up like any other, just; put the fried tongue pieces on the tortilla with salsa on top. Add chopped tomatoes and cilantro to tortillas. Drizzle with lime juice, diced onion if desired.
Seriously I promise you, if you donโt tell your kids what this is and you dice it small they wouldnโt know. With all the other fixings inside they will likely say the beef tongue taste is different than ground meats but not in a weird way. Just go with it โYeah just tried something new this timeโโฆ.. until at least they are full. Then you could expose your secret. ๐
How to Make Tacos with Cow Tongue
- To make it tender put the cowโs tongue, peeled onion, cut into halves, carrot slices, bay leaf, salt, allspice and coriander into a pot.
- Pour in the beef broth.
- If it doesnโt cover the tongue, add more broth or water.
- After it begins boiling put in the cowโs tongue and boil on medium heat covered with a lid for 3 hours.
- When the tongue is cooked, take it out of the broth and cool.
- Peel or cut the outer tougher layer off and discard.
- Then cut the insides into thin strips.
- Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry or cook beef tongue pieces for 5-7 minutes until browned to your liking.
- Tortillas can also be fried in a pan to make the edges crispy served with Qdoba salsa verde on top
Jump to tacos de lengua recipe below and let us know your thoughts!
Cow Tongue Tacos
Equipment
- 1 pan
- 1 pot if you need to cook the raw tongue yourself
Ingredients
- 1 cow tongue
- 90 oz beef broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 allspice, whole
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 3 tbsp salsa verde
- 6-8 tortillas
Instructions
- To make it tender put the cow's tongue, peeled onion, cut into halves, carrot slices, bay leaf, salt, allspice and coriander into a pot. Pour in the beef broth. If it doesn't cover the tongue, add more broth or water. After it begins boiling put in the cow's tongue and boil on medium heat covered with a lid for 3 hours.
- When the tongue is cooked, take it out of the broth and cool. Peel or cut the outer tougher layer off and discard. Then cut the insides into thin strips. Melt the butter in a frying pan and fry pieces for 5-7 minutes until browned to your liking.
- Tortillas can also be fried in a pan to make the edges crispy. Put the fried tongue on the tortilla, salsa verde on top. Add chopped tomatoes and cilantro to tortillas. Drizzle with lime juice, if desired, before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.