How to Cook Lengua (Mexican Beef Tongue)

Don’t knock it till you try it! If you didn’t grow up eating lengua, or beef tongue, I’m sure you might be cringing or feeling a little squeamish right about now. But trust me when I say it is absolutely delicious.

In fact, tacos de lengua have always been one of my son Blake’s favorite tacos. When he was younger, he would actually request cow tongue for dinner and get a kick out of telling his friends that we ate tongue tacos. I’ve always been thankful that my kids grew up willing to try just about anything.

And lengua is a perfect example of why you shouldn’t judge a food before tasting it.

When beef tongue is cooked low and slow, it becomes incredibly tender, juicy, and rich. There is no weird aftertaste or gamey flavor. It seriously tastes like the most tender slow-cooked brisket or pot roast and practically melts in your mouth.

Best of all, lengua is much easier to make than it looks. Place the beef tongue in the slow cooker with onion, garlic, water, and salt and let the Crock Pot do the work. Once it is tender, peel off the outer layer of skin while the tongue is still warm, then dice the meat and sauté it with onions and fire-roasted tomatoes.

From there, serve it Blake’s favorite way, tucked into warm corn tortillas for tacos de lengua, or pile it onto crispy corn tortillas for tostadas de lengua. I especially love it topped simply with chopped white onion, fresh cilantro, and a spicy drizzle of chile de arbol salsa.

This family recipe is also published in our original Muy Bueno cookbook and can be used as a filling for gorditas or sopes. One batch of lengua, so many delicious possibilities.

What Is Lengua, Exactly?

I’ll just get right to it: lengua is Spanish for “tongue,” and in Mexican cooking, it usually refers to beef tongue.

The appearance of a whole beef tongue can admittedly be a little intimidating, but once it is slow cooked and peeled, you’re left with incredibly tender, flavorful beef.

The flavor is actually quite mild. Think slow-cooked pot roast or slow cooker brisket, but even more tender. If you already enjoy beef brisket tacos or other slow-cooked beef dishes, I highly recommend giving lengua a try.

And once you know how to cook lengua, you can use the meat in all kinds of dishes. Tacos are Blake’s favorite, I love it piled onto crispy tostada shells, and it also makes an amazing filling for homemade flour gorditas.

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Ingredients & Substitutions

You don’t need a long list of ingredients to make flavorful lengua. Here are a few notes about the key ingredients.

• Beef tongue: The star of the recipe. Look for beef tongue at a Mexican grocery store or carnicería, butcher shop, or the meat department of a well-stocked grocery store. If you don’t see it, ask your butcher. It may be kept frozen or behind the counter.
• Onion and garlic: These aromatics flavor the lengua as it slowly cooks. You’ll also use more onion when finishing the meat in the skillet.
• Fire-roasted tomatoes: I love the extra depth of flavor from fire-roasted diced tomatoes, but regular canned diced tomatoes will also work.
• Flour: Just a little flour helps thicken the tomato sauce so it coats the meat rather than making it soupy.
• Reserved beef broth: Don’t throw away that flavorful cooking liquid! You’ll use some of it to finish the lengua. Save the rest for another recipe.
• Corn tortillas or tostada shells: Serve the lengua in warm corn tortillas for tacos or on crispy tostada shells. Store-bought tostadas work perfectly, or make your own homemade tostada shells.
• Toppings: Keep them simple. Diced white onion, fresh cilantro, sliced radishes, lime wedges, and a good homemade salsa are all you really need.

Where to Buy Beef Tongue

Beef tongue is commonly available at Mexican grocery stores and carnicerías, and many butcher shops and larger supermarkets carry it as well.

If you don’t see it in the meat case, ask. Some stores keep beef tongue frozen or behind the butcher counter.

How to Cook Lengua in the Slow Cooker

Don’t let the appearance of a whole beef tongue intimidate you. The slow cooker makes the cooking process surprisingly simple.

Step 1: Slow Cook the Lengua. Place the beef tongue, water, onion, garlic, and salt in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or until very tender.

The tongue should be easily pierced with a knife in the thickest part. If it still feels firm, let it keep cooking.

Step 2: Peel the Beef Tongue. Remove the tongue from the slow cooker and let it cool just until you can comfortably handle it.

While it is still warm, peel off and discard the thick outer layer of skin. Trust me, it is much easier to peel while warm than after it has completely cooled.

Once peeled, dice the tender meat into approximately 1/2-inch pieces.

Step 3: Save the Broth. Strain the cooking liquid and set some aside for the tomato sauce.

Don’t toss the rest! Refrigerate the broth and skim off the fat once it has chilled, or use a fat separator while it is still warm. Freeze any extra broth to use later in soups, stews, or other dishes.

Step 4: Finish the Lengua in Tomato Sauce. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally.

Add the diced lengua, reserved broth, black pepper, and garlic powder. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and coats the meat.

If the mixture seems too dry, add a little more reserved broth. You want the lengua moist and saucy, but not runny, especially if you’re serving it in tacos or on tostadas.

How to Serve Lengua

Now for the best part. Once your lengua is cooked, peeled, chopped, and saucy, there are so many delicious ways to serve it.

Tacos de Lengua

This is Blake’s favorite.

Pile the warm lengua into soft corn tortillas and top simply with diced white onion, fresh cilantro, your favorite salsa, and a squeeze of lime.

I especially love lengua with Chile de Árbol Salsa when I want some heat or my grandma’s Salsa Casera for a classic homemade salsa.

Tostadas de Lengua

For tostadas, spoon the warm lengua onto crispy corn tostada shells and top with diced white onion, fresh cilantro, thinly sliced radishes, salsa, and a squeeze of fresh lime.

You can use store-bought tostadas for an easy shortcut or make your own homemade tostada shells. I share both fried and baked methods, so you can make them whichever way you prefer.

More Ways to Serve Lengua

Don’t stop at tacos and tostadas. This same lengua makes a delicious filling for homemade flour gorditas, corn gorditas, or sopes.

You can also serve it simply with warm corn tortillas, flour tortillas, frijoles de la olla, refried beans, or Mexican rice.

Storage & Reheating

• Allow leftover lengua to cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Cooked lengua can also be frozen for up to 1 month. Store it in a freezer-safe container with a little of the sauce or reserved cooking liquid to help keep it moist.
• Thaw frozen lengua overnight in the refrigerator, then gently reheat it in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add a splash of broth or water if needed.
• Keep tostada shells separate from the meat and toppings so they stay crisp.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Mexican Beef Recipes

If you’re looking for more Mexican beef recipes, try some of these family favorites:

Beef Brisket Tacos (Tex-Mex Tacos de Suadero) + Video

Authentic Caldo de Res (Mexican Beef Soup)

Mexican Picadillo Recipe (Carne Molida con Papas)

Carne Asada Tacos

If you’ve always been curious about lengua but have been too nervous to try it, I hope this recipe convinces you to give it a chance. And if you grew up eating tacos de lengua like my family did, I’d love to hear how your family prepares it in the comments below.