Taco Soup is bold, comforting, easy to customize and always a family favorite! Ground beef and black beans fill every serving with plenty of protein while veggies offer some nutrients. This one pot soup recipe checks all the right boxes!
Stay warm with more of the best soup recipes like Chicken Dumpling Soup, Tuscan White Bean Soup and Sausage Orzo Soup.
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Taco soup is one of those recipes that’s great for cleaning out your fridge/pantry! Some of my most favorite recipes are the ones where you can just toss a bunch of stuff into a pot and call it dinner.
It also helps that my family is obsessed with this taco soup recipe. I love serving it, because it’s a great way to sneak protein and nutrients into the mouths of even the most selective eaters!
Flavorful, easy, versatile, family friendly… This beef taco soup seriously satisfies.
Why we love it:
- Filling – This easy taco soup can stand on its own without a side dish. The black beans and ground beef pack it with protein and make it so filling!
- Flavorful – You may be full from just one serving of taco soup — however, it’s so flavorful you’ll go back for seconds anyways!
- One pot – Less clean-up is always a HUGE win in my kitchen. This soup recipe is easily prepared in just one pot.
- Budget-friendly – You won’t be breaking the bank to make this taco soup! Check out the ingredients below and you’ll see that they’re all nice and inexpensive.
Taco Soup Ingredients
- Ground Beef – I like to use lean ground beef since it doesn’t render as much fat when cooking. If you use higher fat beef, you may want to drain excess fat after browning.
- Black Beans – Make sure they’re thoroughly drained and rinsed before adding to the pot. Any kind of beans will work here!
- Beef Broth – Low-sodium beef broth is preferred. If you use regular beef broth, you may want to omit the additional sprinkle of salt.
- Salsa – Use your favorite brand of salsa (feel free to make it spicy)! Or, go the extra mile by using Homemade Salsa.
- Veggies – I love using a medley of onions, corn, and bell peppers in this recipe, but feel free to experiment and add some extras from the fridge.
- Seasonings – All you need is a sprinkle of salt and some taco seasoning to create the very best flavor!
How to make Taco Soup
Take a quick look at how I make the BEST taco soup recipe! Scroll to the bottom of this page for more detailed instructions and ingredients.
- Add the beef, onions, and peppers to a pot over medium heat.
- Once the beef is cooked, stir in the remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Stir often.
Taco Soup Variations and Substitutions
- Make it creamy: When I’m serving this to my kids, I stir in some heavy cream to cool it off and reduce the spice.
- Thicken it: You can stir in some tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes for a thicker soup.
- Add in additional veggies: Mushrooms, peppers, spinach, or whatever you think you’d like to eat in your taco soup!
- Add rice: Add in some quick rice and simmer for 5-10 minutes, or long grain rice and simmer 20-30 minutes until tender for a thicker soup.
- Top it up: For me, this soup is all about the toppings, but toppings are optional and additional ingredients. Try cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado, fresh tomato and lime wedges.
- Make it with chicken instead: Add all of the ingredients to a large pot and throw in two whole, raw chicken breasts. Simmer over medium-low heat until chicken is tender. Remove chicken breasts, shred, and add back into the soup to serve.
How to store this easy Taco Soup
Once it’s cooled to room temperature, transfer taco soup to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat for 30 seconds at a time in the microwave, stirring each time it stops, until warmed all the way through.
Can I freeze Taco Soup?
Sure thing! Allow the soup to fully cool before storing it in a freezer-safe container. I recommend pouring it into a zip-lock bag and laying it flat on a baking sheet to freeze, that way it optimizes how much room you have in your freezer.
Freeze for up to 3 months and let it slowly defrost in the fridge prior to reheating.
Can I make Crockpot Taco Soup?
Yes! This easy Taco Soup is also a perfect Crockpot soup recipe!
- Brown your ground beef in a skillet, then add to a 3-4 quart slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients, and cook on low for 3-4 hours (you can leave it longer and it won’t hurt anything, or on high for 1.5-2 hours.
- Serve.
Can I make it in the Instant Pot?
You sure can.
- Brown your ground beef in the Instant Pot on sauté.
- Add your broth and scrape the bottom to remove any bits.
- Add the remaining ingredients and select pressure cook on high for 2 minutes.
- When the cook time is over, let the pressure release naturally for at least 5-10 minutes (just because soup can be very steamy), then open the valve and remove the lid to serve.
More soup recipes you’ll love!
When the weather cools off, all I want is soup, stews and chilis! If you’re the same, you’ll love these cozy dinner ideas:
- Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup — a classic made easier.
- Classic Beef Stew — don’t forget the crusty bread!
- Easy Vegetarian Chili — big on flavor, you won’t even miss the meat!
- Chicken Rice Soup — make it in the slow cooker or on the stove top
- The BEST Sausage Tortellini Soup — so cozy and full of flavor!
Easy Taco Soup recipe
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 red bell pepper (finely chopped)
- ½ onion (finely chopped)
- 2 ½ cups low sodium beef broth
- 540 ml canned black beans drained and rinsed (19oz)
- 341 ml canned sweet corn with juice (12oz)
- 1 cup mild tomato salsa
- 1 teaspoon low sodium taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, brown ground beef with red pepper and onion over medium heat. Drain any excess fat if desired.
- Add broth, beans, corn, salsa, taco seasoning and salt. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. until vegetables are tender.
- Serve with optional toppings: tortilla chips, shredded cheese, avocado, lime wedges, or sour cream.
Nutrition Information
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Jayne R. Muich says
My family & I really loved this recipe! My only change was adding a cup of medium salsa in place of the cup of water in the sauce recipe. It added r
thickness and a little spice to the sauce!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Jayne! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Victoria says
I made this tonight and my family loved it!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Victoria! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Mary Tognazzini says
TONIGHT OVER MICROWAVE POLENTA.
Debbie Smith says
I just made this recipe and it was delicious. I used Herdez Salsa Casera in a jar for the salsa and it was just wonderful. Very easy to make and definitely worth making again.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Debbie! I’m glad you liked it!