This is the Best Taco Soup Recipe, loaded with ground beef, beans, and corn. It’s protein-packed, hearty, and can be made in just a few minutes with simple ingredients.
And if you love all things tacos, be sure to try our crispy beef tacos, taco pizza, and of course, our homemade taco seasoning.
Best Taco Soup Recipe
This is the best taco soup recipe—full of all of the Southwest flavors you love and thick and hearty enough for a meal. Load it up with corn chips, cheese, salsa, and sour cream and you have a one-pot meal the entire family can agree on.
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This one-pot meal can be made in just under 30 minutes. It’s also versatile enough you can make it in the slow cooker for those days when the family can’t seem to eat at the same time and you need a meal that can stay warm for several dinner shifts.
Taco Soup Video Tutorial
Key Ingredients
- Ground Beef: It’s best to use a lean cut of ground beef for this taco soup recipe so you don’t have to drain the fat off the cooked meat. I like to use 85/15 ground beef. It makes for juicy ground meat without a lot of extra fat.
- Onions: To get the taste of fresh onions without having to cut them up is to purchase diced onions in the freezer section at the supermarket. This small detail is a game-changer in so many recipes. Yellow onions, white onions, or even red onions work great in this taco soup with ground beef.
- Taco Seasoning: You can use a homemade taco seasoning, packets from the spice isle, or the bulk taco seasoning. Pretty much any of those will work great.
- Beans: You can make this taco soup with black beans, kidney beans, or pinto beans. I like to add a mixture but any variation of these beans will work great.
- Corn: The best corn for this recipe is super sweet white corn from the freezer section. Seriously—use freezer corn. It’s so fresh and will add a sweetness you don’t get with canned corn. If you’re in a pinch, canned corn will work too.
- Peppers: Sometimes I have a bunch of pepper from my garden. If you like to “hide” veggies from your kids or have some peppers in your fridge you’d like to use up, this is a great option. Just dice them small and throw them into the pot when you add the minced garlic.
- Crushed Tomatoes: You can also use diced tomatoes or tomato chunks for this recipe. My kids really dislike chunks of tomatoes so I use crushed tomatoes. It gives the soup a deep rich tomato flavor.
- Water: You may need to add some extra water to this recipe. Just add a half cup at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. We like a thick and hearty soup at our house (kind of like the consistency of chili).
How to Make Taco Soup
- Cook the onions. In a large pot, add the oil and diced onions. Cook on medium heat stirring occasionally until the onions are transparent and turn a caramel color.
- Add the ground beef. Cook the ground beef with about 1 cup of water until browned, using a spoon to break up the chunks.
- Add the rest of the veggies. Add the minced garlic and cook for a couple more minutes until the garlic is transparent. Finally add the peppers, beans, crushed tomatoes, frozen corn, and taco seasoning. Continue to cook on medium heat until the taco soup is hot and bubbly.
- Serve. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, and your favorite corn chips. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
- You can sub ground turkey or ground chicken for the beef in this recipe.
- You can also use chicken breast like this chipotle chicken.
- Use canned or frozen corn.
- Add more veggies-green beans, shredded carrots, or diced red peppers.
- Top with your favorites, sour cream, diced tomatoes, diced avocados, Guac, or fresh salsa.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re wanting to reheat the taco soup after it’s been in the fridge, simply put it in a pan on the stovetop, add a little water (It will probably be really thick at this point. The beans and the corn absorb the liquid). Stir frequently until warmed through.
Yup! Taco Soup is a great freezer meal. Just store completely cooled soup in freezer bags or another airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, transfer to the fridge overnight.
Yes! You should still cook the onions, garlic, and ground beef over the stove top. From there, add everything to the slow cooker and cook on high for about 3 hours, or on low for about 4-5 hours. Set the slow cooker to warm until you’re ready to eat.
Easy Taco Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 medium onion, diced (yellow or white)
- 1 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground beef, 85/15
- 1 cup water
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 4-ounce can green chilis
- 2 15-ounce cans black beans, with liquid
- 12 ounces super sweet white corn
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large pot, add the oil and heat over medium. Once shimmering, add the diced onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are transparent and then turn a caramel color.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for a couple more minutes until the garlic is transparent.
- Add the ground beef and 1 cup of water to help the meat cook evenly. Use a spoon and break up the chunks of meat until it’s in fine pieces, and cook until there is almost no pink left in the meat.
- Add the beans along with the liquid, the crushed tomatoes, corn, and taco seasoning. Continue to cook at a simmer until the soup is warm and bubbly—about 5 more minutes.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, and your favorite corn chips. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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This Easy Taco Soup Recipe is a hearty and healthy homemade soup recipe loaded with ground beef, beans, and corn. It can be made in just a few minutes, with simple ingredients.
I used beef broth instead of water and I doubled it. Turned out great!!