Beef tongue requires 3-hour slow braise to break down collagen into silky gelatin—explaining why it's Mexico's ultimate taco filling.
Beef Tongue Tacos
Dive into a flavor fiesta with our tantalizing Beef Tongue Tacos! Tender, smoked beef tongue is expertly marinated with a blend of bold spices and grilled to juicy perfection, then topped off with our zesty homemade salsa that packs a spicy punch. Wrap it all in warm tortillas for a deliciously unforgettable meal!
Prep
30
min
Cook
285
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(9)
- cilantrooptional
- corn tortillas
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 cloves of garlic
- lime juiceoptional
- 1/2 onion
- 1/4 onion
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- water
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 2 beef tongues
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 1/2 stick of butter
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- olive oil
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- 5 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon of salt (15 ml)
- Hatch Chile Verde rub
- Notorious Pig seasoning
📦Other(1)
- 60 chile de arbol
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Trim the fat off the beef tongue and boil it with garlic, onion, bay leaves, and salt for 2 hours.
- 2
Remove the membrane from the beef tongue after boiling.
- 3
Season the beef tongue with olive oil and the two seasonings.
- 4
Smoke the beef tongue at 250°F for about 3 hours.
- 5
Wrap the beef tongue in foil with butter and continue cooking until tender.
- 6
Prepare the salsa by frying chile de arbol, garlic, onion, and tomatoes, then blend with water and salt.
- 7
Chop the smoked beef tongue into cubes.
- 8
Fry chopped onion in a pot, then add the chopped tongue.
- 9
Serve the beef tongue in lightly fried corn tortillas with salsa, cilantro, and lime juice.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Peel the tongue membrane while it's still hot (140-160°F) because the collagen contracts as it cools, making removal exponentially more difficult and potentially tearing the meat.timing140-160°F
- ✓Wrap the tongue in foil with 2-3 tablespoons of butter when internal temperature reaches 160°F to create a steam environment that breaks down remaining connective tissue through moist heat conduction.technique160°F internal temp
- ✓Char your chile de arbol for 30-45 seconds until they release oils and turn deep red-brown, as the Maillard reaction creates pyrazines that add smoky complexity to your salsa.timing30-45 seconds
- ✓Dice the smoked tongue into ¼-inch cubes for optimal surface area to volume ratio, allowing maximum caramelization during the final frying step while maintaining tender interior texture.technique¼-inch cubes
- ✓Test tongue doneness by inserting a fork at the thickest point - it should penetrate with 2-3 pounds of pressure when collagen has fully converted to gelatin at 190-200°F internal temperature.technique190-200°F internal temp
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