Tacos de mollejas
Tacos de mollejas are tacos of sweetbreads, the thymus or pancreas of a calf or steer, poached, peeled and then griddled or grilled until crisp outside and creamy inside.
Definition
Mollejas are sweetbreads, which despite the English name are organ meat. MasterClass and the cookbook author Mely Martínez of Mexico in My Kitchen both explain that the term covers the thymus gland, sometimes called the throat sweetbread, and the pancreas, the heart sweetbread. Beef and veal sweetbreads are the easiest to find, with lamb and pork sold in some places. In Spanish the same word, molleja, is also used for a chicken's gizzard, so beef sweetbreads are often specified as mollejas de res.
Martínez ranks beef sweetbreads among the mildest offal, smoother and creamier than liver, with a taste she likens to tripitas.
Preparation
Sweetbreads need some preparation before they go on the fire. MasterClass describes soaking them in cold water, parboiling them in salted, vinegared water for five to ten minutes until just cooked, chilling them and then peeling away as much of the outer membrane as possible. Martínez instead simmers them with onion, garlic and bay leaf until the skin firms, peels them, chops them and stir-fries the pieces until golden, then warms the tortillas in the same pan with a little cooking broth.
Grilling is the other main method. Martínez says the most popular home approaches are a charcoal grill or a skillet, cooking slowly over moderate heat, and notes that some cooks soak the glands in salt water, milk or vinegar beforehand.
Where they are eaten
According to Martínez, mollejas are not a common taquería filling in Mexico; they are more often found at restaurants specializing in grilled meats, similar to a steakhouse. MasterClass calls the taco a staple of Tex-Mex cooking. In Houston, the food writer Robb Walsh profiled Taquería Tacambaro, a taco trailer on Airline Drive known for its mollejas, which he found best mid-morning, when the sweetbreads were moist inside with a slight crust, and overdone by afternoon. In Mexico City, the 24-hour stand Los Cocuyos lists molleja beside its head meats, according to El Financiero.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 750 g beef sweetbreads
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/2 white onion, plus chopped onion for serving
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons oil or beef tallow
- 12 corn tortillas
- Chopped cilantro, limes, salsa verde or chile de árbol salsa
Steps
- Soak the sweetbreads in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain.
- Simmer in salted water with the vinegar, onion, garlic and bay leaf until firm and pale, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to ice water.
- Peel off as much of the outer membrane and connective tissue as you can and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the pieces, turning, until deep golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt.
- Warm the tortillas in the pan drippings, fill with mollejas and top with onion, cilantro, lime and salsa.
For grilled mollejas, poach and peel as above, then cook whole lobes over medium charcoal until browned before chopping.
Where to try it
- Taquería Tacambaro, Houston: Taco trailer profiled by Robb Walsh in 2013 for its mollejas tacos.
- Los Cocuyos, Mexico City: 24-hour historic-center stand that sells molleja alongside head meats.
Reviews
Reviews and tips open at launch. Readers will be able to share where they found the best version of this and how they make it at home.
See also
References
- "How to Make Mollejas Tacos: Sweetbread Taco Recipe". MasterClass. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Beef Sweetbreads Tacos (Tacos de Mojellas)". Mexico in My Kitchen. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "Mollejas: Mexican Sweetbreads". Houstonia. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
- "5 de cabeza para empezar: aquí los encuentras en la CDMX". El Financiero. Retrieved 2026-10-10.