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You are here: Home » Recipes » Antojitos

Beef Tongue Barbacoa Tacos

Published: Oct 13, 2011 · Updated: Mar 19, 2019 by Mely Martínez

JUMP TO RECIPE

As a food blogger, have a lot of pictures stored on my external hard drive waiting to be published. Like these pictures, they have been sleeping there for more than 2 years. I went in search of them after reading an article in a cooking forum about how cooking beef tongue is becoming a trend among Chefs in upscale restaurants across America.

Beef Tongue Barbacoa Tacos

Lengua Tacos recipe


I decided it was about time to get them out before this humble low-cost delicacy that is usually eaten in a taco in so many places of my country becomes a forbidden fruit. I mean in case this trend picks up and the price goes up. In Mexico, we also serve them in stews, where the cooked meat is sliced and then slowly simmered with different types of sauces. But that is another story. This recipe is super easy, no rocket science here.

beef tongue tacos | Mexican Food Recipes

Beef Tongue Tacos

This recipe is using the Crockpot; it is a good idea to do it overnight and have your barbacoa ready for breakfast, especially on Sundays, like we do in northern Mexico.
If you do not have a crockpot, cook in a large pot on your stove for about 2 ½ to 3 hours. This will depend also on the size of the beef tongue. A faster way will be using the pressure cooker and cook for 30 minutes after the valve starts whistling.

If you have never tried Beef tongue, this is the easy way to go. The texture is soft that almost melts in your mouth. The leftovers if any, are great for sandwiches, flautas,  scramble with eggs, etc. It also freezes well.

Beef tongue barbacoa tacos recipe | Mexican Food recipes

How to make Beef Tongue Barbacoa Tacos

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

NOTES: 

  • When buying the meat make sure it is coming from a trusted source. Since not a lot people buy this type of cut very often, chances are you will find it frozen. I am lucky to have a Grass Fed source and the quality can’t compare to the one found at regular supermarkets from my personal experience. Beef tongue is still very affordable; buy it in a place that you trust for their quality.
  • Cooking time using an INSTANT POT, prepare as directed and cook for 45 minutes in the pressure setting.
  • For the Stove Top pressure cooker, cook for 1 hour.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Rinse the beef tongue with water and place in your crockpot, add onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and water.  Cover and set the crockpot on low for 8 hours. Cook until tender. If after 8 hours the meat is not tender enough to shred cook a little bit longer. Not all Crockpots work alike.

beef tongue barbacoa tacos | Mexican Food recipesbeef tongue tacos | Mexican recipesBeef tongue tacos easy recipe

2. Remove the Beef tongue from the crockpot and place in a large dish, remove the skin using a knife to make a cut at first and discard. Trim off any fatty tissue at the bottom end. As you can see from the pictures above it is mostly meat.
3. Shred the meat using 2 forks and place in a serving bowl with some of the cooking broth that has already been decreased and strained.

The way we serve it at home is buffet style with the tortillas, chopped onion, cilantro, salsa, some lime wedges, and salt. Let everyone prepare their own tacos.

Tacos de Barbacoa

¡Buen provecho!
Mely
Red heart

📖 Recipe

Beef Tongue Lengua Tacos recipe

Barbacoa Lengua Tacos (Beef Tongue)

Mely Martínez
These lengua tacos prove how delicious beef tongue can be! The meat is tender and covered in an incredible green sauce. Tastes delicious in some homemade corn tortillas!
4.85 from 20 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 50 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Antojitos, Tacos
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4 SERVINGS PER POUND
Calories 243 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 beef tongue (2-3 pounds)
  • ¼ of medium size onion
  • 4 garlic cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt to taste
  • Water enough to cover the beef tongue

TO SERVE:

  • warm corn tortillas
  • 1 cup of chopped cilantro
  • 1 cup of chopped white onion
  • salsa of your choice.

Instructions
 

  • Rinse the beef tongue with water and place in your crockpot, add onion, garlic, bay leaf, salt, and water. Cover and set the crockpot on low for 8 hours. Cook until tender. If after 8 hours the meat is not tender enough to shred cook a little bit longer. Not all Crockpots work alike.
  • Remove the Beef tongue from the crock pot and place in a large dish, remove skin using a knife to make a cut at first and discard. Trim off any fatty tissue at the bottom end. As you can see from the pictures above it is mostly meat.
  • Shred the meat using 2 forks and place in a serving bowl with some of the cooking broth that has already been degrease and strained.

Notes

  • When buying the meat make sure it is coming from a trusted source. Since not a lot people buy this type of cut very often, chances are you will find it frozen. I am lucky to have a Grass Fed source and the quality can’t compare to the one found at regular supermarkets from my personal experience. Beef tongue is still very affordable; buy it in a place that you trust for their quality.
  • Cooking time using an INSTANT POT, prepare as directed and cook for 45 minutes in the pressure setting. 
  • For the Stove Top pressure cooker, cook for 1 hour.

Nutrition

Serving: 4OZCalories: 243kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 23gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 59mgPotassium: 325mgVitamin A: 15IUVitamin C: 1.5mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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  1. Joseph

    December 03, 2022 at 1:04 pm

    Hi!
    I have a large pressure cooker. Would it be ok to do 4 at once? I only se recipes for 1 at a time.

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      December 04, 2022 at 10:24 am

      Hello Joseph,

      Yes, you can cook them if they fit.

      Reply
  2. Angel

    November 05, 2022 at 9:50 am

    5 stars
    Easily one of my favorites!

    Reply
  3. Teresa

    July 17, 2022 at 1:56 pm

    Hi! Where do I find the recipe for the yummy looking green sauce? Lengua tacos are my favorite and I'd love to try them like this!

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      July 18, 2022 at 3:14 pm

      Hello Teresa,

      Here is the link to the recipe for the Salsa Verde.https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/salsa-verde-recipe/

      Reply
    • Elizabeth

      July 29, 2022 at 9:48 pm

      I made this tonight 7/29/22 and OMG let me tell you it turned out amazing 😍🔥🚒 everyone in the house devoured it 🤣 .I didn't have the bay leaves so I substituted it with basil and oregano, loved the taste of all the flavors

      Reply
  4. Sylvia Casiano

    May 13, 2022 at 6:17 pm

    Hello, so I may need some help on making my Lengua, should I put crock pot on high or low if cooking over night?

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      May 14, 2022 at 4:01 pm

      Hello Sylvia,
      Set your slow cooker to low.

      Reply
  5. Lauren

    February 24, 2022 at 7:40 am

    Hey Mely,
    I have a huge cow tongue that i cant wait to use on this recipe! I have never cooked with cow tongue before and was wondering if i need to peel off the outer layer? And when I’m making the barbacoa how long would i wait to peel off the skin of the tongue?

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      February 24, 2022 at 2:15 pm

      Hello Lauren,
      Yes, you need to peel it after cooking. Check the instructions in step 2.
      Cooking times could vary depending on the size of the beef tongue. Maybe sure you cook it until the meat is very tender.

      Reply
  6. Mom of 6

    October 07, 2021 at 3:23 pm

    4 stars
    I try to get my beef from the local farmers at the farmer's market here in Indiana. A friend was talking about beef tongue, and it tasting like roast. Well, at the time, I was pretty grossed out because of the image I had seen of a beef tongue on display at our butcher, when I was little. Me being an African American, beef tongue is not commonly eaten, only "soul food", which I do not do for health reasons. I've ventured out into other meats like buffalo, bison and lamb. For some reason I couldn't get the beef tongue out of my head, so I ordered it, and will be cooking this next week. Since I'm feeling quite adventurous I think I will try your recipe.

    Reply
  7. AD

    September 06, 2021 at 8:25 am

    5 stars
    I loved this! What a gem. Can I use the cooking liquid for something else after completing the recipe? A beef broth for a different soup?

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      September 07, 2021 at 12:31 pm

      Hello,
      Yes, of course, you can use that leftover broth on soups.

      Reply
  8. Carl

    November 15, 2020 at 6:32 am

    5 stars
    Super easy! One of the best for sure.

    Reply
  9. Rhonda Smart

    May 25, 2020 at 6:32 pm

    I purchased a tongue yesterday. I LIVE FOR LENGUA TACOS! So yummy! I live alone, and the tongue was already frozen, so I had the butcher cut it in half. Now I fear, it won't cook right and will be ruined.
    I planned on making it according to your recipe.
    It was VERY SPENDY....$30!.
    CAB YOU HELP THIS GRINGA?

    Reply
    • Mely Martínez

      May 25, 2020 at 6:49 pm

      You can cook just half, or cook the whole piece, and freeze the rest to enjoy later on.

      Reply
      • Diana

        May 07, 2022 at 9:36 am

        Yes, it's very rich & delicious but also very fatty.

      • Mely Martínez

        May 07, 2022 at 2:01 pm

        Hello Diana,
        You have to remove the fat and separate the meat.

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About me

Hi, I'm Mely Martinez, a former Mexican school teacher, home cook, and food blogger. I moved to the United States about ten years ago, after living in Mexico my whole life. Now I love to share home-style recipes for authentic Mexican food.
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