This Easy Taco Soup Recipe is a healthy soup recipe loaded with ground beef, beans and corn. It can be made in just a few minutes, with simple ingredients, is protein packed, hearty, and filling.
This simple taco soup recipe has all the southwest flavors you love and is 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.
If you love all things tacos, be sure to try our crispy beef tacos, taco pizza, and of course, our homemade taco seasoning.
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Taco Soup Video Tutorial
Simple Taco Soup Recipe
This is the best taco soup recipe. We've been making it for years and it's always a meal the entire family can agree on.
This one-pot meal can be made in just a few minutes, seriously about 20 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 Ingredients
- Oil: YOu’ll need just a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil to caramelize the onions. Avocado oil or another mild-tasting oil will work great.
- 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: This is actually an optional ingredient. I added it because I think the meat is so much better when sweetened with caramelized 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.
- Garlic: The jarred, pre-minced, garlic works great in this recipe. Add it to the pan when you’re browning your meat so it has a chance to cook and sweeten.
- 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, without chunks.
- Water: You may need to add some extra water to this recipe. That’s okay. 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) When you reheat the taco soup, you’ll need to add a little extra water too. The beans and the corn soak up the liquid when it’s cooled or frozen.
How to Make Quick and Easy Taco Soup:
- In a large pot, add a couple of tablespoons of oil and the diced onions. Cook on medium heat stirring occasionally until the onions are transparent and then turn a caramel color.
- Add the ground beef and brown the meat and a cup of water. (This will help the meat cook evenly while it cooks) Use a spoon and break up the chunks of meat until it’s in fine pieces. And almost all the meat is no longer pink.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for a couple more minutes until the garlic is transparent.
- Add peppers if desired.
- Add the beans. (It’s not necessary to drain the beans, just add the beans to the pot, juice and all)
- Add the crushed tomatoes, frozen corn, and taco seasoning.
- Continue to cook on medium heat until the taco soup is hot and bubbly.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, and your favorite corn chips. Enjoy!
Stovetop Taco Soup
Making this simple taco soup recipe on the stove is really easy. It's definitely the quickest way to make this meal. After your onions are caramelized and your meat is browned, you can simply dump the rest of the ingredients in the pot and heat until the soup boils. Easy Peasy.
Taco Soup Recipe- Crockpot Method
- In a pan on the stove, caramelize your onions.
- Add the minced garlic
- Brown the ground beef until there is just a little pink showing
- Add the prepared meat and the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker/crockpot
- Turn the slow cooker on low and cook for about hours or until the ingredients are hot.
- Turn the slow cooker on low until you're ready to eat.
- Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and your favorite corn chips
How to freeze this Easy Taco Soup Recipe
This easy taco soup recipe can also be a freezer meal. It is one of the best freezer meals and tastes as good after being frozen as it does when you make it. I like to make a double batch and then freeze it in containers portioned for my family.
Pour your taco soup into plastic freezer-safe containers. If the soup is still hot, let it sit on the counter until it cools off. Cover the plastic container with the lid and put it in the freezer. This taco soup recipe will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months.
How to Reheat Taco Soup From the fridge:
- 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.)
- If you're reheating just a small bowl, add a couple of tablespoons of water and heat on the stove until the soup is warm.
- If you're reheating several servings of taco soup, add about a half cup of water or until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Be sure to taste test the soup. If it seems a little bland, add a sprinkle of taco seasoning to liven it back up.
How to Reheat Taco Soup From the freezer:
- It's best to let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight and then proceed with the stovetop directions. Sometimes life is super hectic and you didn't even think about dinner. If that's the case, no worries.
- Take the soup out of the freezer and take the lid off. Set the container of taco soup in the microwave. (Make sure the container is microwave safe) Defrost on half power for 5 minutes.
- Take the soup out and try to break it up with a butter knife or stir it with the spoon. As soon as it's thawed a little, add a cup of water to a pot and put the taco soup in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.
- Keep trying to break up the frozen taco soup with a spoon. Add more water if needed. Continue to cook on med heat until thoroughly heated.
- Be sure to taste test the soup. If it seems a little bland, add a sprinkle of taco seasoning to liven it back up
Tips
- 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.
Easy Taco Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 med Onion yellow, white or red onions work great
- 2 Tablespoons Avocado Oil any mild flavored cooking oil will do
- 1 Tabelspoons Garlic
- 1 lb Ground Beef recommend 85/15
- 1 28 ounce Crushed Tomatoes canned
- 1 4 ounce Green Chilies
- 2 15 ounce Bean canned, with liquid
- 8-12 ounces Frozen Corn, Super sweet white corn Canned Corn will work too
- 3 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning homemade, packaged, or bulk
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large pot, add a couple tablespoons of oil and the diced onions. Cook on medium heat stirring occasionally until the onions 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 a cup of water. (This will help the meat cook evenly while it cooks) Use a spoon and break up the chunks of meat until it’s in fine pieces. And almost all the meat is no longer pink.
- Add the beans. (It’s not necessary to drain the beans, just add the beans to the pot, juice and all)
- Add the crushed tomatoes, frozen corn, and taco seasoning.
- Continue to cook on medium heat until the taco soup is hot and bubbly.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, and your favorite corn chips. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Here are some other great Soup recipes:
- Lasagna Soup
- Taco Soup
- Bean Soup
- Potato Soup
- Turkey Enchilada Soup
- Turkey and Rice Soup
- Roasted Tomato Soup
- Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Broccoli Potato Cheese Soup
- More Soup Recipes
Great Bread Recipes to serve with Taco Soup
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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. It has all the southwest flavors you love and is 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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