Tacos de Lengua

Name: Tacos de Lengua (Beef Tongue Tacos)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 7 servings
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 4lb beef tongue; 3 slices bacon, cut into small pieces; 1/4 cup Simple Sofrito; 1 medium onion, halved; 6 garlic cloves, whole; 2 large bay leaves; 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns; 1 7oz can chipotle peppers in adobo; Liquid Smoke seasoning, a few shakes as needed; Water, as needed; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tbsp chili powder spice blend; 1/4 cup reserved broth; Corn tortillas, for serving; 1 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped; 1/2 medium white onion, finely diced; Lime wedges, for serving; Hot sauce, for serving; Spicy Pickled Carrots, for serving

Tacos de Lengua are tender, slow-braised beef tongue tacos infused with chipotle adobo, crispy bacon, and sofrito—a classic taco truck preparation made at home.

🌍Mexican 🏷️Beef tongue 🏷️Tacos 🏷️Pressure cooker 🏷️Lengua 🏷️Chipotle

Total

3h 30m

Servings

7

Difficulty

Expert

Est. Cost

$34–$56

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From The Sofrito Project

Ingredients

1 4lb beef tongue
3 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup Simple Sofrito
1 medium onion, halved
6 garlic cloves, whole
2 large bay leaves
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
1 7oz can chipotle peppers in adobo
Liquid Smoke seasoning, a few shakes as needed
Water, as needed
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp chili powder spice blend
1/4 cup reserved broth
Corn tortillas, for serving
1 small bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 medium white onion, finely diced
Lime wedges, for serving
Hot sauce, for serving
Spicy Pickled Carrots, for serving

19 Ingredients

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Instructions

1
Add the beef tongue, bacon, sofrito, onion, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, chipotle peppers and liquid smoke to the pressure cooker and add enough water to fill up to machine's max fill line.
2
Pressure cook according to manufacturer instructions until tongue is tender (approximately 90 minutes).
3
Remove tongue and let cool. Reserve broth for later use.
4
When cool enough to handle, peel and trim the tongue, removing any tough outer skin.
5
If smoking: Place prepared tongue in smoker and smoke at low temperature. If using oven: Place in dutch oven with lid and roast low and slow with a little reserved broth.
6
When meat is fork-tender and ready, shred or chop into small pieces for tacos.
7
Heat vegetable oil in a pan and sauté the shredded tongue with chili powder and some reserved broth until heated through and slightly crispy.
8
Warm corn tortillas and fill with the prepared lengua.
9
Top with chopped cilantro, diced white onion, and serve with lime wedges, hot sauce, and spicy pickled carrots.

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Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Trim excess fat from the tongue before braising; this reduces greasiness while maintaining moisture during the long cook.
Render the bacon slowly before adding other ingredients to build a flavorful base; reserve crispy pieces for garnish.
Taste the braising liquid after 2 hours and adjust liquid smoke incrementally—it intensifies as it cooks.
Shred the tongue against the grain after cooling slightly; this ensures tender, bite-sized pieces in each taco.

Substitutions

Beef brisket → beef tongue (longer cook time, less tender result)
Simple Sofrito → tomato-onion-garlic base (milder, less complex flavor)

Storage & make-ahead

Store braised tongue in braising liquid in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stovetop or in a skillet with a splash of broth.