This hearty Taco Soup recipe bursts with crave-worthy Mexican flavors, and then it comes together in just 30 minutes. After only 10 minutes of prep work, it’s easy to serve up a warm bowl of this soup loaded with ground beef, tomatoes, corn, beans, and a quick homemade taco seasoning.
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The Best Taco Soup Recipe
Like our Slow Cooker Beef Chili, this is the perfect bowl of comfort for cooler weather, and it also has the same crowd-pleasing flavors as our irresistible Taco Salad. This Taco Soup is the best of both!
We love Mexican foods around here. Whether it’s Chicken Fajitas, Fish Tacos, or even Ceviche, Mexican-inspired recipes are always on our regular rotation. This taco soup is a great substitute for Taco Tuesday when you want tacos but want to cozy up to a bowl of something hot and cozy.
But if you need more reasons to try this easy taco soup, here are some convincing points:
- Easy, 30-minute meal and a 1-pot recipe for fast cleanup
- Simple ingredients found in your pantry and versatile (you can change it up)
- Make-Ahead – Reheats and freezes well (see storage tips below)
Ingredients for Taco Soup
These taco soup ingredients are mostly found in your pantry, and then we just add a quick homemade taco seasoning for that authentic Mexican flavor:
- Taco Seasoning – Prepare our easy homemade taco seasoning (which is easy and the perfect blend of spices), or use your favorite store-bought taco seasoning.
- Ground Beef – Use lean ground beef 85-90% for best taste. Since we’re using lean ground beef, add a little oil to keep it from sticking to the pan
- Onion – White or yellow. White onion is often used in Mexican cooking, but white and yellow onions are generally interchangeable
- Bell Pepper – 1/2 of each of red and green peppers, gives great flavor and color to the soup, but you can use 1 whole pepper of either color in a pinch.
- Garlic – adds great flavor and aromatics
- Beans – We prefer kidney beans or pinto beans, but you can use black beans or even garbanzo beans if you prefer
- Corn – canned, fresh, or frozen will work
- Tomatoes – diced tomatoes work great here, but you can substitute canned diced tomatoes or 2 jars of Rotel (canned tomatoes with green chilis) depending on how spicy you like your soup
- Beef Broth – We use low sodium to control the salt in the soup
Pro Tip
Be sure to rinse and drain your canned beans and corn before adding them to the soup as they can be high in salt. Rinsing canned vegetables is recommended to reduce the salt content. It’s better to season the soup yourself, adding salt to taste.
Substitutions
Taco soup is super forgiving and versatile. Try some of these substitutions to make it your own:
- For added heat, chop jalapeños to add with the garlic, or afterward, add Sriracha or hot sauce at the end
- Adjust the thickness of the soup by adding or reducing the amount of broth, or adding an extra can of beans for a thicker soup. Also, you could even use refried beans
- Swap the protein – instead of ground beef, try ground turkey, pork, or chicken. For shredded chicken, check out this recipe for our Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Canned tomatoes – Instead of fresh tomatoes, add two cans (10 oz each) of Rotel tomatoes and green chilis.
How to Make Taco Soup
In the original version of this recipe, we browned the beef first and then added veggies, but I found it’s better to add them while cooking the meat to save a step and ensure the onions and peppers are tender. You’ll love how easy this soup is, and it’s made in about 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot and sautee the ground beef, onion, and bell peppers until the beef is cooked and browned. Spoon out any excess fat if desired.
- Season – Add garlic and taco seasoning and stir for another minute.
- Add beans, corn, tomatoes and broth. bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and taco seasoning.
- Serve Hot with your desired toppings.
Don’t Forget Dessert!
After the soup, don’t forget to finish the meal with a Mexican-inspired sweet treat like Churros, Flan, or Tres Leches Cake.
What is the difference between chili and taco soup?
Taco soup and chili have similar ingredients, but the main differences are in consistency and seasonings. Taco soup is thinner than chili. We use Taco Seasoning for taco soup because it lends a traditional Mexican flavor.
Can I make Taco Soup in a slow cooker?
Sure! After sautéing the meat in step two, transfer the cooked meat and the rest of the ingredients to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours for a delicious crock pot taco soup.
Is Taco Soup low carb?
This Taco Soup recipe isn’t low-carb, but with a few tweaks, it could fit a low-carb, keto diet. Omit the beans and any carb-heavy toppings, like tortilla strips.
Toppings for Taco Soup
We love adding all our favorite taco toppings when serving taco soup, and we like serving the toppings in individual bowls on the table just like you would with tacos. Here are a few toppings to try:
- Tortilla chips or crushed Doritos
- A dollop of sour cream
- Diced avocado or guacamole
- Cheddar or Mexican cheese, shredded
- Fresh cilantro or chopped green onions
- Lime wedges
- Warm Homemade Tortillas
This taco soup recipe brings together two amazing recipes in one: Beef Tacos and soup, a perfect combination. You are totally in for a treat with this quick taco soup.
Make-Ahead
Taco soup keeps really well, so you won’t waste a single drop! Be sure to cool the soup completely to room temperature before refrigerating or freezing. You can set the warm pot over an ice water bath to quickly cool down your soup. Portioned soup will also cool faster if you portion it in smaller containers.
- To Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days
- Freezing Taco Soup: Transfer the soup into freezer-friendly containers or use freezer zip-top bags. In fact, we like to freeze in single-serving portions for easy defrosting.
- To Reheat: Thaw in the fridge overnight, and then reheat in the microwave or on the stove. You can also reheat from frozen in a saucepan, stirring occasionally for even heating.
More Easy Soup Recipes
If you loved this taco soup recipe, check out these fan-favorite soup recipes for your next meal:
- Tomato Soup Recipe
- Zuppa Toscana Recipe
- Corn Chowder Recipe
- Potato Soup
- Creamy Vegetable Soup
- Hamburger Soup Recipe
- Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup
Easy Taco Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Taco Soup:
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- ½ green bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp Taco Seasoning, or more to taste
- 16 oz can beans, drained (kidney or pinto)
- 1 cup corn, canned, freshly or frozen
- 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, diced, from about 1 lb fresh tomatoes*
- 2 cups beef broth
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven, heat oil. Once hot, add the ground beef, onion, and bell peppers and sauté until the beef is browned, breaking it up with a spatula as you cook. Spoon out any excess fat.
- Add garlic and Taco Seasoning, and stir for another minute.
- Add beans, corn, tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover, and keep at a simmer for for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste, or add more taco seasoning.
- Serve soup hot with your desired toppings.
Notes
- For spicier soup – chop jalapeños to add with the garlic, or add Sriracha or hot sauce at the end
- Adjust the thickness by adding or reducing the amount of broth or adding an extra can of beans or even refried beans for a thicker soup.
- Swap the protein – instead of beef, try ground turkey, pork, or chicken. For shredded chicken, check out our recipe for our Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Canned tomatoes – Instead of fresh tomatoes, add two cans (10 oz each) of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilis.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hi! I’m Natasha Kravchuk, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, food photographer, and writer. Here you’ll find delicious, reliable recipes made with simple ingredients, plus easy step-by-step photos and videos to help you cook confidently at home. 
I had never had taco soup before, but this was better than chili, so may never make chili again! Instead of chopped fresh tomatoes I used a can of diced fire roasted tomatoes (did not have fresh on hand), but that’s the only change I made. I topped with sour cream, shredded cheese, and pieces of grain free tortilla chips. Wish I could post a picture! It was SO Good! I put it on Facebook and did your hashtag.
No worries, we can imagine! I’m sure it was great and we’re glad you loved it!
Natashas can you make this in a crockpot? All the ingredients at once and for how long.
Hi Joanne, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you experiment, let us know how it turns out.
crockpot worked great! It was so very good! I did precook meat and onions
Hi Inga! That’s great, thank you for sharing.
Do you have a ground chicken version? I have kids that will not eat beef.
Hi Julie! I do not, but you can definitely use this recipe with ground chicken.
It was 97 degree’s today. I’m sick of salads. I wanted chili but thought it would be to heavy. This Taco soup was PERFECT! It had excellent flavor. The spices were perfect! This and the zucchini fritters are the best!
Wonderful! So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Vickie!
Wonderful! It became my son’s favorite. Making it at least one a month. Thank you!
That’s great! So glad it’s a favorite.
Hi Natasha.
What corn do you use for the recipe? Also, can I use taco seasoning from the store?
Hi Marina, in the winter, I use canned corn and in summer this is even better with freshly cooked corn on the cob. You can use store-bought taco seasoning. That is what I use.
Natasha, this was DELICIOUS I made this tonight for dinner, I’ve tried quite a few of your recipes,and I love how easy they are and how flavorful they are, keep the recipes coming. Thank you!
I will do that, Lisa! I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try from my website. Thank you for the review!
Just made this recipe for dinner tonight in extremely chilly Florida! It is delicious! We loved it! Only thing I changed was using canned tomatoes instead of fresh because I didn’t have any fresh. Still wonderful! A comforting soup for cold days!
The perfect recipe to keep you nice and warm! I hope you love it, Betty!
This recipe is phenomenal! I am 31 and this will be my families forever chili recipe. I feel like making the taco seasoning makes all the difference. You hit it on the mail with the amount.
Thank you. Natasha
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Hope!
This is the best taco soup recipe I’ve ever had. Delicious.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I made this last night with the left over chicken from our roasted chicken. I made the stock the day before, skimmed the fat, shredded the chicken and used both instead of ground beef and beef broth. Garnished with crumbled corn chips, cilantro, and Mexican cheese. So warm and yummy on a cold mountain night. My teenagers even gave it a 95% yummy!
We love so many of your solid recipes. Thank you!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Sheri!
I made this last night and it was delicious! I didn’t have any pinto or kidney beans so I used black beans instead, all else per the recipe. Thank you!!!
I’m so glad it was still a hit! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Tonight making a double batch of this delicious soup, so we can freeze some for future meals, absolutely delicious, love recipes from Natashas Kitchen ♥️♥️
I hope you love it, Gwen! I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying my recipes!
Sounds delish but looks like a chili recipe. What’s the difference?
Hi Juanita, it is similar but this one is a soup which is perfect also for the cold weather.
This recipe looks delicious. I want to make this recipe using my crockpot do you have any suggestions I should do differently?
Hi Karina, I haven’t tested that to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Brown the ground beef on the stovetop; add to slow cooker, add the seasonings; then proceed as directed in the recipe.
I make this in crockpot all the time and just brown my beef first.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us!
Looks so good. What do you use for the corn? Fresh, frozen, canned? Thanks.
Hi Kathy, anything that you have would work. I sometimes use canned corn as it’s faster.
Can i use package taco seasoning? We dont have all those spices
I think that would work too. If you try that, please share with us how it goes.
Are the diced tomatoes fresh or canned?
Hi Ellen, fresh diced but you can substitute the fresh tomatoes for canned diced tomatoes with or without chili, depending on how spicy you want the soup to be.
What is the measurement for one serving?
Hi Emily, The serving size can be found at the beginning of the print-friendly recipe card (located at the bottom of the recipe post). The nutrition label shows counts “per serving.” You can adjust that by clicking on the serving size and using the slider. I hope that helps!
Wondering if the diced tomatoes can be substituted for tomato sauce? I’m not a fan of chunky tomatoes. Thanks so much !!
Hi Kayla, I haven’t tested that substitution, but tomato sauce would give this a thicker and more saucy consistency and would also change the flavor.
Kayla, my kids don’t like tomato chunks either. I tend to use crushed canned tomatoes. You don’t get additional flavourings like with sauce. I freeze any leftover crushed tomatoes for future recipes. I hope that helps. Great recipe Natasha! My family loves your borscht, too.