This simple beef tongue recipe produces tender, melt-in-your-mouth meat. The mushroom-onion sauce is optional but greatly enhances the dish. The leftovers are excellent, too, whether gently reheated in the microwave or served cold.

Nose-to-tail eating is the ethical way for meat-eaters to consume meat, and cow tongue makes it very palatable indeed. It's wonderfully flavorful and tender, and surprisingly easy to make. I learned how to cook tongue from my Dad, and my friend Irina taught me to add a rich onion mushroom sauce. My entire family loves this recipe—yes, even the kids!
Ingredients
Here's a look at the ingredients needed to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below.
For Cooking the Tongue:
- Beef tongue: It's not usually available in U.S. supermarkets, so I special-order it at Whole Foods Market (by the way, some of their stores carry frozen tongues). You can also order it online at Wild Fork Foods or U.S. Wellness Meats. If you're lucky enough to have a Hispanic market nearby, you should also be able to find it there.
- To season: Kosher salt, black pepper, dried bay leaves, whole peppercorns, and whole allspice.
For the Sauce:
- Butter: I typically use unsalted butter, but it's fine to use salted butter.
- Onions and mushrooms: To make life easy, you can buy pre-chopped onions and sliced mushrooms.
- Beef broth: Store-bought is fine. I like the Kettle & Fire broth.
- Cornstarch: A tablespoon to thicken the sauce.
Variations
- You can add more spices or aromatics when cooking the tongue. I sometimes add a few garlic cloves to the cooking water.
- You can use ghee instead of butter.
- While beef broth is richer, using chicken broth is OK if that's all you have.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
You start by simmering the tongue in water with spices until tender for 3-4 hours, depending on its size.
Allow it to slightly cool until it's easier to handle, then remove the skin.
Slice the tongue and serve with or without the sauce.
If making the sauce, cook the onions and mushrooms in butter, then add kosher salt, black pepper, and beef broth. Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with cold water).
Serve the tongue topped with the sauce.
Expert Tips
- You'll want to let the cooked tongue cool a little before removing the skin. It's too hot to handle when you remove it from the stockpot. However, don't let it sit and cool for too long. Remove the skin as soon as you can. If it cools down too much, it will be very difficult to remove.
- Start preparing the sauce 30 minutes before the tongue should be ready. When the sauce is ready, you can turn the heat off, cover the skillet, and keep the sauce on the still-hot burner while you tend to the tongue.
- If not using the sauce, season the tongue slices with salt to taste. I don't salt the cooking water to ensure super tender meat, so the slices need salt when served.
- The cooking liquid remaining in the stockpot when the tongue is ready is rich and delicious and can be strained and used as a drinking broth, as shown in the image below. Salt it to taste.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! I can see why some people find this difficult to accept. I suppose there is a certain reluctance unless you grew up eating internal organs.
But for someone who's used to eating the entire cow, not just steaks like New York Strip or ribeye steak, it's really no more problematic than a piece of steak. It's just meat. And it's wonderful!
In fact, as far as I know, our modern Western culture is the first human culture to shun organ meats. Eating just muscle meat is a wasteful way to consume animals.
The tongue is a muscular organ that works hard, so it's very tough when uncooked. Much like beef heart, you have two options when cooking it: slice it thinly and cook it quickly, as done in Korean barbecue, or cook it low and slow, in a stockpot or in your slow cooker.
I like the second method better because it produces meat that literally melts in your mouth - so wonderfully tender!
Despite owning a slow cooker, I usually cook tongue on the stovetop because that's how my dad always did it.
These black spots are common, and there's no need to worry about them. The photo below shows them on the skin, which you will remove after cooking so you won't eat them.
Yes. You will need to cook it down some more - try cooking it for 30 minutes. However, for a rich, thick, luxurious sauce, as shown in the photo below, I highly recommend adding a cornstarch slurry.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this dish with anything you would serve with steaks or roasts. Here are a few of my favorite sides to pair with beef tongue:
- Mashed cauliflower
- Roasted carrots
- Roasted asparagus
- Cauliflower steak
- Green beans almondine
- Zucchini noodles
- Steamed broccoli, as shown in the photo below.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container (as shown in the photo below), for 3-4 days. Reheat them covered in the microwave at 50% power.
You can also freeze the leftovers in a freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge and reheat them covered in the microwave.
If you made the sauce, you can keep it in a sealed container in the fridge (as shown in the photo below) for up to 4 days. Reheat it gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. I don't recommend freezing the sauce.
While the leftovers taste great reheated (if you reheat them gently), my favorite way to enjoy them is cold, thinly sliced (like roast beef), with quick pickles (or pickled red onions), Dijon mustard, and veggies. Cold tongue is exceptionally creamy. See the photo below - this was a delicious lunch of cold tongue slices, mustard, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber pickles.
More Offal Recipes
Eat Well, Live Well Newsletter
Sign up for weekly meal ideas, cooking tips, and real food recipes straight to your inbox! We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time.
Recipe Card
Melt-In-Your-Mouth Beef Tongue
Video
Ingredients
- 1 beef tongue - 2 or 3 pounds
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon whole allspice
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces onions - 2 medium; chopped
- 8 ounces mushrooms - sliced
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Optional but Recommended:
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch - to thicken the sauce
- 2 tablespoons parsley - chopped, for garnish
Instructions
Cook the tongue:
- Rinse the tongue and place it in a large stockpot. Add enough water to cover it completely - I typically use 14 cups of water.
- Bring the water to a boil. This should take about 20 minutes. When the water starts boiling, skim the foam off the top with a spoon. Lower the heat to a simmer. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, and allspice.
- Cook partially covered, turning the tongue every hour with two wide spatulas to ensure even cooking on all sides. Cook 3 hours for a 2-pound tongue and 4 hours for a 3-pound tongue.
To make the sauce:
- Start making the sauce about 30 minutes before the tongue is ready. Heat the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Swirl to coat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, for about 10 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until soft, for about 5-7 minutes. If the pan becomes too dry, add a splash of broth.
- Add salt, pepper, and beef broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes to thicken the sauce and meld the flavors.
- Mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Add this slurry to the sauce and stir until the sauce thickens. Turn the heat off, cover, and keep the sauce on the warm burner while you tend to the tongue.
Finish the dish:
- Remove the cooked tongue to a cutting board. Allow it to cool for a couple of minutes until it is easier to handle, and then use your hands to peel off the skin.
- Slice the tongue.
- Arrange tongue slices on plates. If not using the sauce, sprinkle them with salt to taste (they were cooked in unsalted water to keep the meat tender). If using the sauce, spoon sauce on top of each slice, sprinkle the dish with chopped parsley, and serve.
Notes
- The nutrition info assumes a 2-pound raw tongue yielding about 1.5 pounds (24 ounces) of cooked meat. A 3-pound tongue should yield about 2 pounds of cooked meat.
- The cooking liquid is rich and delicious and can be strained and used as a drinking broth. Salt it to taste.
- Let the cooked tongue cool a little before removing the skin. It's too hot to handle when you remove it from the saucepan. But don't let it sit and cool for too long. Remove the skin as soon as you can. If it cools down too much, the skin becomes difficult to remove.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in a sealed container, for 3-4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power, or enjoy them cold, thinly sliced (like roast beef), with veggies, pickles, and mustard.
- You can also freeze the leftovers in a freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge and reheat them covered in the microwave.
- If you made the sauce, you can keep it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat it gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. I don't recommend freezing the sauce.
Nutrition per Serving
Save this Recipe!
We will also add you to our weekly newsletter. Unsubscribe anytime. See healthyrecipesblogs.com/privacy/ to learn how we use your email.
Disclaimers
Most recipes are low-carb and gluten-free, but some are not. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate. Please verify it independently. The carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Please read these Terms of Use before using any of my recipes.
laura says
im searching for beef tongue recipes and was curious why this recipe indicates the cooking water from the tongue is great to drink but why not used for the broth in this recipe? i planned to keep the cooking water to use it as my gravy.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Great question, Laura! I start making the sauce 30 minutes before the tongue is ready. The tongue broth is very fatty and will separate in a sauce if the fat isn't removed first, which requires cooling the broth. So, using store bought broth is more convenient.
Pieter van der Merwe says
This is one of the less expensive cuts which makes it great value for money. In my country ox (Beef) tongue is available mainly pickled (raw). I find that roughly 1 hour (per raw kg) in an electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot) on high produces a very tender tongue that is super delicious and no need to salt afterwards. Adding your sauce makes it a super dining experience. Thank you for the recipe.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Thanks for the info, Pieter. I'm glad you like the sauce.
Nancy Bellande says
I don't like allspice, is it possible to leave that out? or is it essential for the cooking?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Nancy,
You can definitely skip it!
Luan Do says
Amazingly easy and tasty. I find that 2 tablespoons of cornstarch was just way too much. I'd mix cornstarch in a small amount of water and add a little bit at a time while stirring. You'll see when it thickens up to your liking. Taking the time to cook the onion brings out the sweetness, just like caramelizing it but not as long.
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Luan,
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for the feedback. The recipe calls for one tablespoon of cornstarch, not two, mixed with two tablespoons of cold water. However, I agree that you can start with just a teaspoon mixed with two teaspoons of cold water and see if this amount thickens the sauce enough.
Dave says
Hi, your recipe looks scrumptious and I’m planning on making it for Rosh Hashana. The butcher only had pickles tongue. Do you know if I can use it instead of non-pickled?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Dave,
I never used pickled tongue. According to this discussion, you would need to cook it for 20 minutes, pour out the water, and then proceed with the recipe. Supposedly, the initial cooking is meant to reduce the saltiness of the pickled tongue.
Shana Tova!
Karl says
Easy recipe and instructions, turned out perfect, sauce may need a little more salt or even better add extra salt and pepper to your dish. Kids enjoyed it also, the meat turned out like brisket.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed this recipe, Karl. Thank you for the feedback.
Shampa mum says
I am a mum, I am very careful with recipes I follow, as I do my own cooking daily or almost 4 times a week for my family. I have been conscious to serve healthy meals always, wholesome and absolutely tasty (well my family members chooses to eat at home 99% of the time, that is proof enough for me) I am the one who wants a break and want to eat out btw : )
Beef Tongue has been one of my favorite meat to eat. So your recipe is phenomenal, yes it is melt in your mouth and now our family favorite, ever since I found you 🙂 so thank you for your faithfulness in flavor and healthy wise chef ....I think I love you and your conscious mindful cooking style!
shampa mum
USA and India
Vered DeLeeuw says
Thank you so much for this comment! Your family is lucky to have you.
Vered says
Hi, can this be frozen when fully cooked?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Hi Vered! It can be frozen in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers for up to three months. I suggest slicing the cooked tongue, freezing the slices, and separating layers with wax paper.
Mary Jane says
I have just moved and after I bought the beef tongue my big pans are packed. Can I cook the tongue in a slow cooker?
Vered DeLeeuw says
Yes! I often do. To cook beef tongue in the slow cooker:
1. Rinse the tongue and place it in the slow cooker pan.
2. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, and allspice.
3. Add enough water to cover the tongue but ensure it doesn't reach the top, or it could bubble and spill over.
4. Cover and cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.
5. Remove the cooked tongue to a cutting board. Allow it to cool until easier to handle, then remove the skin, slice, and serve.