Instant Pot Beef Tongue is extremely easy to make and is a special treat for a dinner! This is some tender and flavorful meat that you can use in so many different ways once you cook it up.
Beef Tongue (lengua) ranks up there as one of the most overlooked pieces of beef to use in home cooking, but it is so delicious!
Beef tongue was used heavily in America 50-70 years ago when no part of a cow from the local farms went to waste. Women began to get creative with beef tongue in the 1950s and it started to show up with various recipes in cookbooks. I’m not really sure why it has waned in popularity. Sure, it gives some people the “ewww” factor, but frankly, most people wouldn’t even know that they were eating the tongue if you didn’t tell them.
What Does Beef Tongue Taste Like
I get that question a lot! It is extremely mild and tastes like flank steak or a mild steak. It is tender and flavorful due to the fat content.
Where to Buy Beef Tongue
You can buy beef tongue from your butcher or several grocery stores.
If you are looking at your grocery store and at a quick glance it is not near the livers, check in the frozen meat section. Sometimes they put them there, as beef tongue is not sought out as much as it used to be. If you don’t see it there, go to the meat counter and ask the butcher.
If you have a local butcher or a farmers market that sells organic meats and vegetables, they carry them there all the time. That is where we found two of ours. We also got one when we purchased a ½ cow years ago and that started our quest on how to cook beef tongue in the first place.
Either way, you can always call ahead before leaving your house.
Is Beef Tongue Healthy
Beef tongue should be healthy but should be eaten in moderation since it has a higher cholesterol content.
When you do eat beef tongue, be prepared to enjoy a high boost of protein, vitamin B12 , iron and zinc. Zinc helps boost your immune system, fight off infection and heal while the iron helps the blood fight anemia and produce extra energy.
My grandmother would make beef tongue recipes when we were sick. All those great vitamins and nutrients were thought to help us get over our colds faster.
How to Cook Beef Tongue in the Instant Pot
If you are an Instant Pot cook, you know how fast, easy and flavorful that cooking in a pressure cooker can be! The meat always comes out tender and delicious and best of all, it is virtually hands off! I love saving time in the kitchen as much as possible.
Step One: Rinse the beef tongue and place in the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add in red onion and garlic cloves. Cover with enough water to cover beef tongue.
Step Two: Turn the Instant Pot on HIGH MANUAL for 90 minutes. Once the timer goes off, allow it to NATURALLY depressurize.
Step Three: Remove the beef tongue, peel the hard layer of skin and serve up into slices for dinner.
TIP: Alternatively, you can make tacos, enchiladas, or grind it up for a sandwich mix (this is what my mom did in the “good ‘ol days” and it is incredible.
Can You Freeze Beef Tongue
You bet! I wrap mine in saran and place it in a freezer safe Ziploc bag. It stays good in the freezer for about two months.
What to Do with the Peeling from the Tongue?
Don’t throw out the hard outer surface of the beef tongue after you peel it. It is great for adding to a pot for making your own bone broth. Stack them together and freeze them until it is time to make your homemade bone broth.
Instant Pot Manual
Make sure to stay safe when using your Instant Pot. If you are unsure how to work your model, check out the Instant Pot Manual Page to double check if you have any questions. Each IP is slightly different, so referencing your model is best for all recipes if you are unsure.
If you are in love with your Instant Pot as much as we are, check out these other awesome recipes!
Instant Pot Tomato Florentine Soup This soup is to die for delicious! Holy cow, you are going to fall in love with it! Just don’t skip out on the grilled cheese croutons as they are the icing on the cake here!
Instant Pot Spanish Rice This is so yummy and if I had younger kiddos, I would make it with them in mind. It is healthy and delicious so they won’t know they are eating good! Check out the ingredients as it isn’t spicy at all. It is a little bit sweet which is why I would serve younger kids.
Instant Pot Lemon Bundt Cake This is the perfect cake to make when you are just learning to bake in the IP. Since it uses a cake mix, this one whips up so easy and you feel like a rockstar! If you prefer a chocolate cake, just change out the cake mix. It is that easy!
Instant Pot Beef Tongue
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 beef tongue
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 red onion
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Place one cup of water in bottom of Instant Pot. Place beef tongue on top of the water.
- Cover tongue with chopped red onion and garlic.
- Turn Instant Pot on MANUAL HIGH for 90 minutes. Allow to manually release.
- Once cooked and cooled, the outside of the tongue will gently pull away from the meat easily and now you can make tacos, enchildadas, sandwiches or whatever you'd like.
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