Tacos de Lengua

If you ask someone what the most famous Mexican dish is, I would argue 9/10 people would say tacos. They are so versatile and have so many varieties I could eat tacos every day and never tire of them. These tacos de lengua are one of my favorite types of tacos, and quite a fun experience to make.

tacos de lengua mexican tongue tacos

Tacos de Lengua, or tongue tacos, are a very popular Mexican street food. Actually they are a very popular food in general as many Mexican households will cook tongue regularly. I recently make a long and detailed article for how to cook beef tongue and included a European recipe, however if you are trying to do something more casual then these delicious tacos de lengua are for you.

Here are some more taco recipes you might enjoy:

Cooking The Tongue

braised beef tongue

To cook the tongue just bring the meat and beef stock to a boil, reduce to a simmer and put the lid on, and let braise for 4 hours. This is super easy as it is set it and forget it, so you can totally start this in the morning and go about your day.

peeling the beef tongue

After four hours make a small incision and peel off the skin. Place the tongue back into the pot of stock and braise for another half hour. This is the basics, but of course you can read my whole article for how to cook beef tongue for more details and pictures.

Making Tacos de Lengua (tongue tacos)

tacos de lengua chopped meat

After doing the basic steps for preparing tongue, it’s time to turn that meat into tasty tacos de lengua. This recipe is my favorite way to do it, although the best would be just buying them from an abuela with a push cart on the street.

To start, chop up the tongue into small pieces. You want to make sure to mix everything together as the back of the tongue is more fatty and thus more tender than the tip. So mixing everything is the best way to even it out. Then add the pieces back into the beef stock to simmer for another 30 minutes, this time with the lid off.

simmering the tacos de lengua meat in stock

At this point the meat is perfectly tasty, however it wouldn’t be proper without a spicy soup to pour over your tacos. Luckily I have a quick cheat way to do that.

spicy soup ingredients in blender

Start by removing all the meat to a bowl and setting aside. Into a blender add half of a white onion, 6 cloves of garlic, and 5-6 serrano chilies. You can remove the seeds to reduce how spicy it is. Then just add in a couple cups of the hot beef stock right from the pot and blitz it until liquid.

spicy tacos de lengua soup

Next is simply a matter of building the tongue tacos. If you are entertaining by throwing a garden party or a faux taco truck party then you can just set everything out on a table. The only things I add to tacos de lengua as garnish is diced white onion and rough chopped cilantro.

Don’t Eat Tongue? What About Giving My Grilled Octopus Tacos A Try?

tacos de lengua building station

Traditionally you should use corn tortillas, however those are impossible to find where I live so I just cut down some flour ones to street taco size. I warm up the tortillas on an open flame and lay them down on a plate. Scoop over some tongue meat, sprinkle on onion and cilantro, then a good pour of the spicy tacos de lengua soup. These are messy tacos so serve with plenty of napkins!

tacos de lengua mexican tongue tacos
tacos de lengua mexican tongue tacos

Tacos de Lengua (Mexican Tongue Tacos)

These tacos de lengua are a great way to make Mexican street food at home. While the recipe takes a long time, it isn't difficult and you only need a few ingredients. Perfect for Mexican themed celebrations, these will quickly become your favorite type of taco.
4.67 from 3 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Main Course, Main Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 12 tacos
Calories 384 kcal

Equipment

  • Pot
  • Knife
  • Blender

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 kg Beef Tongue
  • 2 liters Beef Stock
  • 250 ml Red Wine
  • 1 large White Onion
  • 6 cloves Garlic
  • 6 Serrano Chilies
  • 1 bunch Cilantro
  • 12 Corn Tortillas or use flour if you can't find corn

Instructions
 

  • In a pot or dutch oven add the beef stock and tongue and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, put the lid on, and braise for 4 hours.
  • Remove the tongue and peel off the skin by making a small incision down the middle. Return the tongue to the stock for another half hour.
  • Remove the tongue and chop into small pieces. Add back into the simmering stock for another half hour. Remove tongue meat using a slotted spoon or ladle and set aside.
  • In a blender add half of the white onion, the garlic, and the chilies. Also add in a couple cups of the hot stock. Blitz until liquid.
  • Heat up the tortillas on an open flame and compile the tacos de lengua. Add a scoop of tongue meat, some chopped white onion and cilantro, and spoon over a generous amount of the spicy soup. Enjoy!

Notes

The meat can be stored for up to a week in the fridge. I recommend storing the meat in the spicy soup in a sealed container. This will allow the meat to further infuse with the chili flavor if you want it more spicy. 
Keyword Mexican Food, Street Food, street tacos, Tacos de Lengua, Tongue Tacos
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