Beef Taco Soup Recipe
Soup is a classic cold-weather meal. But most soup recipes are time consuming and difficult to make. But not this delicious beef taco soup recipe! Just add six ingredients to a soup pot, then simply let it simmer for an hour and enjoy a yummy bowl of taco soup for dinner tonight.
For all Mexican food lovers, this soup will remind you of the famous beef chili, but brings in everything that is usually found in tacos and the same flavors: salsa, chili, beans, ground meat, corn, etc. It is just thinner and great for dinner.
As this homemade taco soup recipe uses a lot of canned ingredients like beans, tomatoes or corn and its very likely you already have these in your pantry, it comes in very handy when youre short of cooking ideas.
More About This Recipe
- Soup is a staple dinner not only because it warms you from head to toe on a cold day, but also because it makes for a great leftover meal that you can store in your freezer to keep on hand for busy nights. This taco soup and other soups made with beef and veggies are an especially good choice for making ahead of time. Seal this taco soup in freezer bags and lay them flat in your freezer so theyre easy to stack and dont take a lot of space when frozen. When youre ready to eat some tasty taco soup for dinner, let the soup defrost in the bags overnight in the refrigerator. Then, simply place into a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 4 to 6 minutes, or until heated through. Top your soup with extra shredded cheese and any one of your favorite taco toppings like sour cream or avocado. And soup season isnt limited to just the winter. Enjoy soup all year round but never get bored! These easy ways to take your soup up a notch are here to help.
How Do You Make Taco Soup With Ranch Dressing Mix
Truly, in my opinion, ranch seasoning is the secret ingredient in this soup, which makes the soup more taco than chili. Go ahead, try it, even if youre not a ranch dressing fan. I promise you youll like it.
I have recipes for Homemade Ranch Seasoning and Taco Seasoning, too you know exactly what youre getting when you make your own.
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How Do You Thicken Taco Soup
The easiest wat to thicken your soup is to add a cornstarch slurry at the end. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch and cold water then stir it into the simmering soup until you reach the desired consistency.
I like to work in 1 tablespoon starch + 1 tablespoon water increments. Do not add straight cornstarch to your hot soup or it will clump.
Add shredded cheese while its hot so it melts right in.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- No need to waste that beautiful bean liquid! I like adding undrained beans to dishes like soups and chili. The liquid adds a little extra thickness and body to the soup. You can definitely drain them if you prefer add an additional ½ cup of water to compensate for the missing liquid.
- Make sure to break up the meat as it cooks so you dont end up with large chunks of beef in the soup.
- If you use fatty ground beef, you will have to drain some of the fat, so the taco soup doesnt become oily.
- For more heat, you can add jalapenos to the soup.
- Feel free to use low sodium broth instead of water if you have some on hand.
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Slow Cooker And Instant Pot Version
Utilize your slow cooker or instant pot to make this delicious taco soup recipe a breeze.
SLOW COOKER- simply brown the beef and onion in a skillet, then drain any fat. Add the beef and onion to the slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients, stir and set to LOW for 4 to 5 hours.
INSTANT POT use the sauté mode to brown the beef and onion, drain any fat and then add the remaining ingredients, stir and cover with lid. Set to HIGH pressure for 10 minutes followed by a quick release of pressure.
How To Serve Taco Soup
Just like with tacos, you can change up the toppings for the taco soup with personal favorites. All the favorite toppings youd add to a good taco can with the soup . The toppings may be served in individual bowls on the table allowing your family to top their soup as they like it, just like you would tacos. We really enjoy serving this with:
- Tortilla chips or crushed Doritos
- A dollop of sour cream
- Diced avocado,
- Fresh cilantro
TIP: If you like heat, add some hot sauce or Sriracha to the soup.
This recipe brings together two amazing recipes in one: tacos and soup, a perfect combination. You are totally in for a treat with this quick taco soup.
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Stovetop Taco Soup Recipe
Making the taco soup on the stovetop is quick and easy and ready in 30 minutes!
- Brown ground beef in a Dutch oven and then drain away any excess fat.
- Stir in taco seasoning until well combined and then add my water and mix well. Next, I stir in all of the remaining ingredients for the soup.
- Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve with my favorite toppings!
How To Make Crock Pot Taco Soup
To make Crock Pot Taco Soup: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, breaking into smaller chunks, until no longer pink. Add the onion and cook until it softens, about 3 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste, chile powder, cumin, garlic powder, and kosher salt, and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring often. Transfer the meat mixture to a slow cooker and add the tomatoes, black beans, chili beans, corn, and spices and stir to combine. Stir in 3 cups water. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Taste for seasoning and top with your favorite taco toppings before serving.
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Instant Pot Taco Soup Recipe
If you love your Instant Pot as much as I do, you know that it rarely leaves the kitchen counter! This soup comes together in a snap in the Instant Pot and is perfect for a quick lunch or supper!
- Brown my ground beef using the saute function of the Instant Pot. Once the ground beef is browned, I drain away any excess fat.
- Stir in the taco seasoning, water, and remaining ingredients until well combined. I secure the lid to the Instant Pot and seal the vent.
- Cook. Set the timer for 10 minutes on the High setting.
- Release. Let the Instant Pot naturally release for 10 minutes and then carefully allow it to quick release. Remove the lid to the Instant Pot.
- Serve the taco soup with my favorite toppings.
The Ingredients Youll Need
Not only is taco soup easy to make, it uses lots of pantry staples. Whenever the fridge is looking bare, this is the soup we turn to. Heres a quick rundown of what you need to make it:
Ground meat makes this soup easy and hearty. Use what you love beef, pork, turkey, and chicken are all excellent options. I love making the soup a little lighter/healthier and use lean ground turkey.
Onions and garlic add lots of flavor to the soup.
Taco seasoning is a must. It is taco soup, after all. The store-bought packets will do in a pinch, but for the tastiest taco soup, make your own seasoning. I promise its easy to do. Heres our recipe for homemade taco seasoning and Ive also talked about what goes into it below.
Canned tomatoes, canned green chiles, canned beans, and canned or frozen corn add even more flavor and heartiness.
Stock or broth makes up the base. Store-bought will work or you can make your own. Heres our homemade chicken stock recipe.
Fresh dill is our secret ingredient. I know it seems a little odd for a taco-inspired dish, but holy smokes does it add amazing flavor. Its also our way of adding the flavor of Ranch to the soup. Its common to add a packet of Ranch seasoning to taco soup. Instead of the store-bought packet, we go for the real thing and stir in lots of fresh dill . Try it, its so good!
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Why We Love This Taco Soup Recipe:
There is so much to like about this taco soup recipe! Heres why it is one of our favorites:
- Easy to Make This soup only requires browning the meat and dumping all the ingredients together. It couldnt be easier!
- Made with Pantry Staples This recipe is made with only 9 ingredients and some spices and you probably already have most, if not all, of them in your pantry!
- Hearty & Delicious This soup has 34g of protein from the beef and the beans and will definitely leave you feeling cozy and full!
What nutrients are in taco soup?
The full nutrition facts can be found below under the recipe, but this taco soup has 316 cal, 34g protein, 3g fiber per serving.
How Do You Make Taco Soup
First, gather your ingredients: Some ground beef, an onion, a couple cans of beans, canned tomatoes, green chiles, and corn. Youll also need some ranch dressing seasoning and taco seasoning, which you can make in advance or purchase.
After browning ground beef and onions in a large Dutch oven, you open all the cans youre planning to use and dump them in the pot. Go ahead, do it: beans, tomatoes, corn, chiles, liquid and all, then add some water and the seasonings and let it all simmer away until everything looks too good to resist.
Come dinnertime, serve it bowls over corn chips or with flour tortillas on the side. Dress it up with toppings, as many as your bowl will hold. Its a taco, after all.
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What Goes With Taco Soup
Almost anything!
- Try my delicious recipe for Mexican Rice to serve alongside big bowls of soup.
- Chopped cilantro to scatter on top, or chopped green onion and hot sauce.
- Slices of ripe avocado, to make things super healthy.
- Instead of corn chips, serve grilled flour tortillas on the side, or Frito chips.
Just promise me youll have fun with it!
How To Freeze Taco Soup
This taco soup makes a GREAT freezer meal. It holds up really well and reheats perfectly. Check out my easy freezing tips below.
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Storage And Freezing Instructions:
To Store: Store taco soup in the refrigerator for 3-4 days after making. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
To Freeze: Allow soup to cool completely. Place in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw soup in the refrigerator overnight and simmer on the stove until warm, or warm in the microwave.
Easy Taco Soup Recipe
I first shared this recipe exactly 5 years ago and its still a family favorite! I think its safe to say this is the BEST Taco soup! Its just one of those recipes everyone loves, picky eaters included!
I mean how could you go wrong with a soup that tastes similar to chili but has added mix-in upgrades like corn, avocado and tortilla chips? Plus you get the extra flavor of a ranch mix or cilantro and lime . It really is one of the best soups, plus its easy to make!
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What To Serve With Taco Soup
Taco Soup can be served with a bun or a slice of bread, tortilla chips and cheese.
If your taco soup is more of an appetizer or the first course for a dinner party, it is perfect served before Chicken Fajitas or Shrimp Fajitas! And dont forget to include a delicious dessert-like Apple Pie Tacos!
Set out a tray of toppings for everyone to garnish their own bowls! Some of my favorite toppings are:
- Avocado
Slow Cooker Taco Soup Recipe
The slow cooker method for this soup helps you whip it all together in the morning and then let it simmer away while you are away so that it is ready and waiting on you when you walk back in the door in the evening. How great is that?!
The slow cooker method is also great when you are entertaining since you can do all the work well in advance of your guests arriving and then just pull out the toppings and serve whenever your guests are ready to eat!
I love to use this method when serving taco soup when we are entertaining. The slow cooker keeps the soup warm and is just perfect for serving a crowd.
- Brown my ground beef in a skillet on the stove top and then drain away any excess fat.
- Add my browned ground beef to my slow cooker, along with all of the remaining ingredients for the soup and cover with the lid.
- Cook the taco soup on low setting for 6 hours.
- Serve with your favorite optional toppings available for people to serve themselves buffet style.
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More Great Soup Recipes
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the ground beef.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spatula.
- Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Add the taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chiles, beef broth, black beans, pinto beans and corn to the pot. Bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately with toppings of your choice.
How To Make It
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions. See notes section of recipe card for Crock Pot instructions
Cook and crumble the ground beef and onions in a large soup pot until cooked through. Add the jalapeno and garlic, and cook until softened. Add the butter, taco seasoning, hot sauce, oregano, mustard powder, and cayenne.
Add the diced tomatoes and use liquid to clean the bottom and sides of the pot. This will give the soup more flavor. Add the enchilada sauce and black beans.
Add the beef and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to low. Add the sour cream and cream cheese to a small bowl and mix warm broth into it until combined, then add it to the soup. Remove from heat.
Slowly sprinkle in the cheese, stirring continuously. Serve!
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Tips For Serving This Quick And Easy Taco Soup
- Make a day before. This soup actually tastes better the second day after cooking, so plan ahead.
- This soup is made for topping. Be creative and add what you love, but you can try corn chips, sliced avocado, sour cream, chopped chives, shredded cheese, or your favorite hot sauce.
Heres a list of what you need:
- Ground beef you can swap the beef for ground turkey if you desire
- Taco seasoning you can buy a packet of taco seasoning or you can use your own homemade taco seasoning
- Canned corn Mexi-corn is a great swap
- Canned kidney beans you could use black beans
- Canned stewed tomatoes you can use a can of diced tomatoes
- Tomato sauce
How To Make Taco Soup On The Stove Top
Simply brown some ground beef with a little onion, drain any fat and then add some taco seasoning and all the canned goods!
DO YOU DRAIN THE CANS? For this recipe we are going to use the liquid from the beans and corn to help make up the soup consistency. So no need to drain!
*If you prefer to drain the beans and corn, make sure to add in at least 2 cups of beef broth to the soup.
Let the mixture simmer for a few minutes and VOILA! Youre done!
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Quick And Easy Taco Soup
Those of you that follow along on Instagram stories saw that I was a part of an amazing blogger retreat in Malibu earlier this month. The weather was perfect, and we had amazing beach views. And one of the most magical parts of the retreat was welcoming McCormick as our sponsor! As you all know, Im lucky enough to have a long-standing relationship with McCormick, and they were kind enough to come and spend the day with us. Every meal that we had with them that day was so beautifully set up and we knew that we could count on the food to be delicious and packed with flavor. We are still talking about the AMAZING Berbere Chicken with Roasted Vegetables and Citrus Broth that they made for us for dinner!
During the day, we had different sessions that taught us how to be Flavor Experts by showing us how to appreciate the flavor and quality of products! I have always loved and known the amazing quality of McCormick products, but it was so cool to put it to the test.
Knowing all of this, I was so inspired and I chose to make this amazing cheesy taco soup for youtoday to show off the AMAZING flavors in McCormick Taco Seasoning. It is a family favorite and soeasy to make. You just dump in all of the ingredients and it is jam-packed with amazing cheesy,delicious flavor.
