The Best Tacos De Lengua Recipe for Instant Pot

Tacos de lengua are melt-in-your-mouth tender, full of classic traditional Latin flavors & unbelievably simple to make in the Instant Pot. Seasoned just right, this weeknight-easy authentic Mexican beef tongue recipe is perfect topped with fresh cilantro, onions & a squeeze of lime. A classic comfort food that’s the perfect DIY family meal night choice.

Have you ever thought about having some traditional Mexican street tacos, but you’re conflicted about eating out…again? (Me too, btw!)

Or maybe you went half on a whole steer. Got the organs (including the cow tongue) & it’s been staring at you from the freezer shelf every time you open the door.

We’ve been hooked on tacos de lengua since the first time we had it at a little taqueria in Gaithersburg, MD.

It’s juicy, so flavorful & so simple to make from popular common pantry staples too! Like the jalapenos I keep in the freezer for use anytime.

Even if you don’t make a lot of homemade Mexican meals yet, you probably have 98% of all you need to make this super easy Mexican taco recipe at home.

When I tell you this is an easy Mexican recipe to try at home that’s no lie. I made homemade tacos de lengua for the first time ever & they tasted just like the ones I order when we go out.

And it all comes together in the Instant Pot! This is truly a foolproof recipe for making the best beef tongue tacos.

This is how you do it.

Pin it for later! 👇🏽📌

Getting Started

The elephant in the room…

Eating delicious lengua taco at a restaurant is different than staring at a cow tongue on your kitchen counter.

But if you truly want a nose-to-tail eating moment, you’ll have to brave it for the experience. It’ll be worth it, don’t worry!

Beef tongue is a muscle like other cuts of meats from legs & such. The texture of cooked beef tongue is no different than tender fall-off-the-bone ribs.

Pressure cooking it (or in this case slow braising action of the slow cooker) breaks down the muscle fibers into their tenderest bits.

Don’t be squeamish here. Eating cow tongue is not different than eating pork belly (bacon) or chicken livers & gizzards (which are organs). There’s a ton of benefits to eating organ meats you should consider too!

Is it fatty or greasy?

Some recipes online said beef tongue can be fatty or greasy. But that wasn’t the case for me. It was very lean actually.

And anyways, I like a bit of natural fat because fat = flavor. This cow tongue recipe has just the right amount.

Because the tongue is easier to peel when it’s still a bit warm, do this step first. Then if you prefer less fat (or none at all) leave it to cool completely in its broth in the fridge overnight.

The fat layer will congeal & you’ll be able to skim it off. Use it to make other dishes though! Don’t you chuck that flavor in the bin, girl.

The back/bottom of the tongue (where it connects to the mouth) is a bit fattier or juicier. This is like the dark meat on chicken though & I don’t recommend cutting it away.

Now if you wanna eat, grab a seat.

Ingredients you’ll need

To get started making this recipe, get in those cabinets & pull out the following items.

Here is what you’ll need:

A note on the ingredients

Finding Cow Tongue

Your neighborhood Spanish or Asian market will likely carry beef tongue in the freezer section. I have seen whole steer heads (with horns!) there before.

If you do not have an international market, check with a local butcher. There’s a good chance they will have some also.

The tongue will likely still have the membrane or “skin” on it. This means besides the pink of traditional raw meat, it may also have a grey hue & speckles on it.

It’s also possible you can find beef tongue in box stores like Costco.

If you cannot find cow tongue, try the recipe with veal tongue, beef roast or a whole chicken. The technique will work well & the seasonings will be delicious still.

Sourcing Guajillo Chiles

Spanish markets or international markets are your best bet of finding authentic chile guajillos. They are long chiles (usually as big as your hand) & generally a dark red-brown color with a smooth skin.

Although it may not be one of your routine pantry staples, it’s a classic for traditional Mexican dishes so try not to skip it.

Here’s what they bring to the party.

A subtle smokey sweetness with a heat level similar to jalapenos. Guajillo chiles are often used in sauces, salsas & other dishes with ancho & pasilla chiles – which have different purposes I should add.

But if you’re already on the hunt for one, you may as well get the cousins too. 😎✌🏽

Cut the stems off the top of your dried chiles and rub your fingers up and down the hull to loosen the seeds inside. Shake out as many as possible.

OR, cut the dried chile open & remove the entire seedy membrane.

Whole Garlic

If you’re not used to cooking ethnic meals, you’ll be surprised by the amount of garlic used in many dishes.

This recipe calls for a whole bulb – that is not a typo. And it should remain in it’s paper although you should clean any dirt that remains in the roots. (Or nix the roots altogether.)

Simply cut the bulb in half horizontally to expose the middle of the cloves. This will be placed in the pot in it’s entirety. Yes, it will.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Arrange all your ingredients to be sure you have everything & because it makes for a really pretty picture. However, everything can be measured or prepared straight into your Instant Pot or Crockpot & you’ll save the extra dish or two.

But why not make the memory, eh?

Step 2: Remove the cow tongue from it’s packaging & clean thoroughly with cool water & lime juice. Remove any hair & other debris then squeeze half a lime over the tongue & use it to scrub the tongue.

Leave the membrane or skin intact for now. It will be easier to peel after cooking.

Step 3: Add all of your ingredients to an Instant Pot (mine is a thrifted 6QT Instant Pot model) or Crock pot adding just enough water to cover the tongue. Cover with the lid & lock in place. This dish typically cooks in 3-4 hours on high depending on the size of the tongue used.

Step 4: After 3 hours, check the tenderness of the meat to be sure it is done. If it does not pierce easily with a fork, let it cook for another hour or two at the current setting then check again. Once done, remove the tongue from the pot.

Step 5: Use a sharpened knife to cut a slit into the membrane of the tongue. Starting at the tip, peel the membrane away from the meat underneath. This is similar to removing chicken skin from thighs or breasts & should be easy to do.

The back/bottom of the tongue where it connects to the mouth is often juicier like dark meat.

Step 6: Dice or shred the cooked meat or chop into finer pieces. Taste for salt (or spice if preferred) & adjust accordingly.

Step 7: Serve with Mexican brown rice or cilantro lime rice, toasted warm corn tortillas, fresh cilantro & more lime wedges. Green tomatillo salsa verde is an excellent topping also, but certainly not required because the meat will be infused with tons of delicious flavor already.

Good, good baby!

Reading this recipe takes longer than the actual hands-on time of cooking!

When we sat down to eat that night, my soul ’bout went to Heaven. They were the best beef tongue street tacos I’d ever made & that was only my first!

That means so many good things to come.

After cooking & Eating…

Before you go! This dish makes quite a bit of broth because all the spices, herbs & seasonings infuse into the water the meat is cooked in.

Do not waste this. It’s perfect as the base for albondigas soup. 👌🏽 You can also use it to make beans or rice.

Similarly, don’t discarded the beef tongue skin just yet. It can be added to soups or broths to get the last drop of flavor & other benefits from it.

If there are leftovers (& there may not be unless you’re cooking for one), freeze them.

I love adding leftover meals, meats & broths to my Souper Cube freezer trays so they can be neatly & individually portioned. Then I vacuum seal them after freezing for longer term storage.

The more broth you use to cover the meat, the longer it should last in the freezer. Frozen in an air-tight container, it should last 6 months or more.