Tacos de lengua

This authentic Mexican dish is simply amazing. Some cultures consider the tongue a delicacy. One bite into the tasty meat and you’ll know why. The meat is fatty and fine textured like pot roast and you can get them at many markets nowadays. Obviously we would prefer that you seek out a grass-fed cow tongue. You’ll need to plan ahead for this one. It takes some time to cook the meat.

1 beef tongue, 2–3 pounds (1 kg)
3 cloves garlic
1 large onion, quartered
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons (10 ml) salt
1 teaspoon (5 ml) peppercorns
1 tomato, chopped
½ red onion, finely chopped
½ cup (12 g) cilantro, chopped
1 lime, sliced

1. Rinse tongue well to prepare. In large pot, cover tongue with water.
2. Add garlic, onion, bay leaves, salt, and peppercorns and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for about 3 hours. Remove from heat and allow tongue to cool in broth.
4. When the tongue is cool enough, remove it from broth. Peel away the outer skin (it will feel like rubber) to reveal the tender meat inside. Remove any excess fatty tissue and dice up into chunks.
5. Serve in warm Coconut Flour Tortillas (recipe here) with tomato, red onion, cilantro, and a fresh squeeze of lime juice. You’ll want to have a favorite salsa or two lying around for some extra kick.

Plan Ahead—Have salsas and tortillas already made. Heat tortillas right before you serve.

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Tacos de lengua are one of the great Mexican street tacos, and homemade is miles better than any stand. A whole beef tongue simmers gently with garlic, onion, bay, and peppercorns until tender, then gets peeled, diced, and piled into warm coconut flour tortillas.

Pro Tips

• Simmer the tongue at a gentle bubble for about 3 hours — boiling hard tightens the meat. It's done when a knife slides in with no resistance.
• Cool the tongue in its broth before peeling; the skin slips off far more easily once the meat has relaxed, feeling rubbery as it releases.
• Trim away any excess fatty tissue after peeling, then dice the meat into even chunks so every taco gets tender, uniform bites.
• Serve in warm Coconut Flour Tortillas with chopped tomato, red onion, cilantro, and a fresh squeeze of lime — the raw garnish balances the rich meat.
• Keep the poaching broth: it makes an outstanding base for paleo soups and braises, so strain and freeze what you don't use.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you peel beef tongue?

Once the tongue is cool enough to handle, the thick outer skin peels away by hand — it feels like rubber and should come off in large pieces to reveal the tender meat underneath.

Is tacos de lengua paleo?

Yes — the tongue is simply poached in aromatics and served in grain-free coconut flour tortillas with fresh vegetable garnish. Just add your favourite clean salsa for extra kick.

Can I make the tongue ahead of time?

Absolutely. Poach, cool, and peel the tongue a day ahead, then dice and rewarm it gently in a little of its broth before serving in warm tortillas.

What does beef tongue taste like?

It's rich, tender, and deeply beefy with a soft, almost buttery texture once cooked properly — much like the best brisket, which is why it's a taco-cart favourite.

Recipe Card

Stav Kogan

Tacos de lengua

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Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 beef tongue, 2–3 pounds (1 kg)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 tomato, chopped
• ½ red onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup (12 g) cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, sliced

Method

 

1. Rinse tongue well to prepare. In large pot, cover tongue with water.
2. Add garlic, onion, bay leaves, salt, and peppercorns and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for about 3 hours.
4. Remove from heat and allow tongue to cool in broth.
5. When the tongue is cool enough, remove it from broth.
6. Peel away the outer skin (it will feel like rubber) to reveal the tender meat inside.
7. Remove any excess fatty tissue and dice up into chunks.
8. Serve in warm Coconut Flour Tortillas (recipe here) with tomato, red onion, cilantro, and a fresh squeeze of lime juice. You’ll want to have a favorite salsa or two lying around for some extra kick.

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