This simple taco soup recipe can be made in 30 minutes on the stovetop for a hearty Mexican-inspired, make-ahead, one-bowl meal. Slow cooker and Instant Pot instructions have also been provided so you can make this easy soup however you prefer.
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“This is so quick and easy to make. Especially for all of you working moms with school age children! My family loved it!” -Malissa, FoodieCrush reader
Your Favorite Ground Beef Tacos … as a Soup!
I’m a big fan of soups inspired by my favorite meals. Case in point? Recipes like my slow cooker lasagna soup, cheeseburger soup, and turkey pot pie soup.
The latest and greatest addition to my meals-as-soups recipe rotation is this ground beef taco soup. It was inspired by my mother-in-law’s homemade Taco Bell Tacos.
Unlike many taco soup recipes on the web, I skip the ranch dressing packet flavoring (I prefer to top with real sour cream at the end) and the taco seasoning packet and use real food Mexican spices instead.
And because we all have different cooking styles and different needs — Fast. Slow. Later. — I’m giving you this recipe with *3* sets of directions. Slow Cooker. Instant Pot. Stovetop. Your wish is my command.
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Use 85% lean ground beef. It’s not too lean and not too fatty. Remember that fat = flavor, and since this is an otherwise very lean soup we’ll need the ground beef to provide some richness.
Tomato paste adds depth, a bit of acid, and umami to this soup. I keep a squeeze tube of tomato paste in my fridge for small additions to recipes like this. It prevents us from having to add another can of tomatoes, and consequently increase the simmer time.
Rinse and drain the black beans before adding to your soup.To keep the broth red and clear, rinse the juice away from the beans which will muddy the broth. The chili beans are fine to add with their juice.
Here’s What You’ll Need
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Ground beef — I use 85% ground chuck or 90% lean ground sirloin (feel free to use ground turkey instead, if you prefer).
- Yellow onion — Adds great flavor to the ground beef.
- Tomato paste — Adds depth and umami minus a long simmer time.
- Canned tomatoes with green chiles — I used two varieties of canned Rotel tomatoes in this soup, one mild and one spicy to get that medium chili heat.
- Canned beans — I like using a mix of black beans and chili beans (or pinto beans) for this soup.
- Frozen corn kernels — Canned works too, but I prefer frozen since they remain juicy rather than soft.
- Ground chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder — For that signature ground beef taco flavor.
How to Make This Taco Soup on the Stovetop
- Brown the ground beef. Use a large pot or Dutch oven since we’re making this soup all in one pot.
- Add the onions, tomato paste, and spices. The tomato paste needs to cook for a minute or two with the onions and ground beef to take away the raw flavor and sweeten its flavor just a bit more.
- Dump in everything else, then simmer. Mine thickened and developed good flavor after just 20 minutes, but you can simmer yours for longer if you prefer an even thicker soup.
Heidi’s Tip: Want to make this quick and easy soup in the slow cooker or Instant Pot? Detailed instructions for both cooking methods have been listed in the recipe card below.
Pile on the Toppings!
Just like any taco, the toppings are the best part of this soup. To serve, set out a variety of toppings in small bowls and let everyone help themselves.
- Tortilla chips
- Shredded cheddar cheese, Mexican cheese, or crumbled Mexican cotija
- Chunky guacamole or diced avocado (here’s how to ripen avocados perfectly)
- Chopped onion or quick pickled onions
- Sour cream, Mexican crema, or plain Greek yogurt
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Chopped jalapeño or pickled jalapeños
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
The Best Taco Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 10-ounce cans Mexican flavor diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 15-ounce can black beans , rinsed and drained
- 1 15-ounce can chili beans , with juice
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 4 cups water
- Shredded cheese, tortilla chips, avocado, cilantro, chopped onion, sour cream, and lime for serving
Instructions
To Make On the Stove Top
- In a large stock pot 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.
- Stir in the tomatoes, black beans, chili beans, and corn. Add the water and bring to a boil, then reduce to a rolling simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you like a thicker soup, cook it longer.
- Garnish with your favorite taco toppings and serve.
To Make In the Slow Cooker
- 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.
- 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.
To Make In the Instant Pot
- Sauté the ground beef, onions, and tomato paste in the insert of the Instant Pot. Add the spice seasonings and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, corn, and 3 cups water and bring to a boil.
- Lock the lid into place and seal. Set to Pressure Cook for 8 minutes.
- Allow the soup to Naturally Release for 15 minutes, then Quick Release the pressure valve with the handle of a wooden spoon until the soup has vented all the way. Stir, taste for seasoning, garnish, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
What to Serve with Taco Soup to Make It a Meal
Storage Tips
This soup can be made ahead of time or frozen for later. It’s good for 4-5 days in the refrigerator or frozen in freezer-safe bags for up to 3 months.
More Soup Recipes With Ground Beef
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Denise Moore
So delicious I made 2 changes just 1 can of spicy Rotel and add low sodium beef broth instead of water. So delicious
I’m glad you enjoyed Denise!
Thomas
Excellent recipe with awesome flavor. I added extra onions and about 3 garlic cloves smashed and chopped but just a personal preference. We will be making this again.
Happy to hear you enjoyed Thomas!
Sarajane
Used the stove top recipe, took a little longer than expected, but the flavor was excellent. I did not add the full amount of water, fearing it would become too watery, only added 2 cups. Husband likes it better than my regular chili! Adding to the recipe file, thank you!
You really can’t mess up this recipe. Add more or less of what you like! Thanks Sarajane.
Andere
Made this today and we loved it. Had to use what I had on hand so I tweaked it a bit. I only had one can of rotel so I added a pint of home canned tomatoes plus Cholula sauce. I used a can of corn with liquid so I only added 2 c. of water and it was just right. I made a pan of cornbread to go with it for hubby and I ate mine ladled over tortilla chips. This is now one of our favorite Instant Pot recipes. Thank you.
Elaine G Herring
Thank you for this Heidi. Really appreciate the banana information.
I usually buy a bag of avocados at Costco but found we never used them up in time and ultimately threw a couple away every time. I decided to buy an OXO Green Saver and now after they are ripe I put them in one and put in the fridge. Haven’t thrown one out since I bought it . read about in an article somewhere online and waa skeptical at the time.
Wow, that sounds like a great solution!
Michelle
Made this tonight (just on the stove). The only thing I changed was plant-based meat. It was FANTASTIC! So flavorful as is. Off to look for more of your recipes to make!
So glad you enjoyed it Michelle.
Jack
Very tasty. Prep times are way off. Recipe says 20 min cook time. Just 8 min instapot and 15 min pressure reduction is more than that. Hence my lower rating.
Okay Jack, sorry I was off on my math. Hope you liked it anyway.
Rhonda Sutton
Will this freeze well or not???
Sure Rhonda. Freeze it for up to 3 months in a ziploc freezer bag.
de_bel
Delicious! I like to put some fresh shredded cabbage, coleslaw mix or even broccoli slaw and pico de gallo at the bottom of the soup bowl before adding the hot soup. It adds a lot of freshness and some crunch.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Great idea!
Malissa
This is so quick and easy to make. Especially for all of you working mom’s with school age children! My family Loved it!
I’m so glad you all liked it Malissa. It’s a good one for weeknight kids eats for sure! Thanks for the comment.
Sabrina
great insta pot recipe, like that it works well basically throwing all the ingredient s in and letting the pot do the work, thank you!
It’s so versatile Sabrina, so you can make it with whatever appliance you have in your kitchen.
Sheela
Hi! When do you add the beans in the Instant Pot version? Thanks!
Thanks for the question Sheela. Add them after the beef is browned then set to cook. Enjoy!