This easy taco soup is hearty and flavorful. Loaded up with ground beef, beans, tomatoes, green chiles, and more. This soup comes together in one pot and in just 30 minutes making it perfect for a weeknight meal for the family.

Bowl of taco soup served with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

All about this Taco Soup…

  • Easier than taco night: skip dealing with filling tortillas for the entire family and simply prepare a large pot of this soup! It’s made with all your favorite taco ingredients, ground beef cooked in a homemade taco seasoning. Then top with all your favorites: cheese, sour cream and fresh cilantro.
  • Pantry/Freezer ingredients: using canned beans and tomatoes make this a quick and easy meal to put together. And other than the ground beef..you probably have all of these ingredients on hand already. Plus the corn can be fresh, canned or frozen. These simple shortcuts provide a flavorful meal with little prep time.
  • Family friendly: using a mild diced green Chile and a homemade seasoning blend lets you control the heat in this soup making it perfect for serving to your family. If you want more heat you can easily swap the chiles for a jalapeño!

Ingredients Needed:

Ingredients needed for taco soup laid out on the counter.

Notes on some ingredients:

  • Ground Beef: an 80/20 mix is good for flavor and we will be draining excess grease after cooking. This can be swapped for ground turkey or chicken as needed.
  • Beef Broth: use a low or no sodium broth to control the salt, and beef broth adds a lot of flavor. This can be substituted for chicken broth or a vegetable broth if needed.
  • Green Chiles: canned diced green chiles are a very mild Chile, if you would like to add more flavor you can swap this for a jalapeño and sauté it with the onion.
  • Canned ingredients: black beans, corn and crushed tomatoes make putting this soup together a breeze. Of course you can use dried beans, be sure to soak them overnight, and fresh or frozen corn. Frozen corn can simply be added directly into the soup.

How to make (step-by-step)

Step by step how to make taco soup showing cooking ground beef with seasonings, then adding other ingredients to a large pot.
  • Step 1: Cook Ground Beef, add the ground beef to a large pot, cook the meat over medium heat until mostly browned, add the diced onion and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until the meat is browned. Add in the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Drain the excess grease and add in the seasonings.
  • Step 2: Add remaining ingredients, add in the beans, corn, chiles and tomatoes, then pour the broth over all of it and stir.
  • Step 3: Simmer, Let this come to a simmer on the stovetop and cook for 10 minutes.
Ladle spooning up a thick hearty taco soup.

Expert Tips:

  • Lighten things up: switch out the ground beef for a lean ground turkey or chicken. And swap out the beef broth for either chicken or vegetable broth.
  • Add more veggies: some ideas of additional ingredients you could add are: Hominy, Jalapeno, pinto beans, bell peppers, zucchini, squash, and sweet potato.
  • Drain & rinse beans: when making this soup be sure to drain and rinse the beans, this washes away a majority of the sodium in the canned beans. This allows you to control the salt in your meal.
  • No Sodium broth: when making this recipe grab a no or low sodium broth to allow you to control the salt.

FAQ’s:

Can I make this in a slow cooker or instant pot?

Yes! You can make this recipe in either of these appliances, instructions for this are included in the recipe card below.

What are some topping ideas?

Any of your favorite taco toppings will work, some ideas include: cheese, cilantro, sour cream, tortilla chips, olives, and green onions.

Can I freeze this soup?

Yes. Allow the soup to cool completely then place in a freezer safe container or bag. Store in freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw soup in the refrigerator overnight and heat to a simmer on the stove until warmed through.

Up close view of a bowl of taco soup showing chunks of beef, beans and corn in a dark red broth topped with melted cheese and sour cream.

More Soup Recipes:

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Bowl of taco soup served with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Taco Soup

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Author: Serene
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American, Tex Mex
This easy and comforting Taco Soup is a perfect family friendly meal that comes together in only 30 minutes! This recipe is great for a busy weeknight and makes for perfect lunch leftovers. Loaded up with beef, beans, corn, and all your favorite Tex Mex ingredients.
5 from 3 votes
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Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • ½ yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1½ tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 (28 ounce can) crushed tomatoes
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 (4 ounce can) diced green chiles
  • 1 (15 ounce can) black beans , drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15.25 ounce can) whole kernel golden sweet corn, or 1 and 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels

Toppings (optional)

  • cheddar cheese, shredded
  • sour cream
  • tortilla chips
  • cilantro, diced

Instructions

  • Cook Ground Beef: Add the ground beef to a large pot, cook the meat over medium heat until mostly browned, add the diced onion and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until the meat is browned. Add in the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
  • Drain & Season: Drain the grease and return the pot to the stovetop. Add the seasonings (salt, cumin, chili powder, black pepper, oregano). Stir to combine.
  • Create Broth: Pour in the crushed tomatoes and beef broth, add in the black beans, green chiles and corn. Stir to combine.
  • Simmer: Bring soup to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to low. Let this cook for 10 minutes.
  • Serve: Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, diced cilantro, and tortilla chips.

Notes

  • To make this taco soup in the slow cooker: brown the ground beef and cook the onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Then add the meat to theslow cooker. Add in the remaining ingredients. Set to cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.
  • To make this taco soup in the instant pot: set the instant pot to saute, add the ground beef and onion, cook until meat is browned. Drain the grease. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
  • Freezing: Allow the soup to cool completely then place in a freezer safe container or bag. Store in freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw soup in the refrigerator overnight and heat to a simmer on the stove until warmed through.
  • Storage: Store taco soup in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 532kcal, Carbohydrates: 80g, Protein: 35g, Fat: 11g
Did you make this recipe?Tag @HouseofYumm on Instagram and hashtag #houseofyumm!

Photography done by the talented @KJandCompany.co

Recipe first published February 17, 2016. Updated on October 1, 2021 with new images and information. Recipe is unchanged.