This hearty Taco Soup recipe bursts with crave-worthy Mexican flavors. In just 30 minutes, you’ll serve up a warm bowl of this protein-packed soup loaded with ground beef, tomatoes, corn, beans, and taco seasoning. Serve with your favorite taco toppings for the ultimate Tex-Mex weeknight dinner.
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Helpful Reader Review
“Delicious!! We have made this recipe several times and it’s always a hit! I love adding some fresh lime juice for a little something extra!” – Kate ★★★★★
Taco Soup Video
See how to make this easy 1-pot, 30-minute meal any night of the week (less clean up-yay). Taco soup is filling and great for meal prep since it keeps well in the fridge and freezer.
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 recipe is the best of both!
Easy Taco Soup Recipe
We love Mexican food around here. Whether it’s Chicken Fajitas, Fish Tacos, or even Ceviche, Mexican-inspired recipes are always on our regular rotation. This recipe is a great substitute for Taco Tuesday when you want tacos but want to cozy up to a bowl of something hot and cozy.
Everything you need to make this taco soup is probably already in your pantry, and it’s easy to swap ingredients to use what you have on hand, or to fit dietary needs, so this is sure to be a go-to meal!
Taco Soup Ingredients
The ingredients for taco soup are so simple – these are staples that I like to keep on hand in my fridge and pantry to whip up this easy weeknight dinner:
- Ground Beef – I used lean ground beef 85-90%. For higher fat content, skim off excess fat. You can substitute ground turkey, ground chicken, or even shredded chicken like my Chicken Tortilla Soup.
- Aromatics – onion and garlic add great flavor to the broth.
- Tomatoes – tomato paste and original Rotel (canned diced tomatoes and green chilis). You can use spicy Rotel for more heat.
- Seasonings – Taco Seasoning, cumin, and paprika. For added heat, chop jalapeños to add with the garlic, or after cooking, add Sriracha or hot sauce
- Stock – low-sodium Beef stock or Chicken stock, you can also substitute bouillon cubes in water and adjust the seasonings.
- Beans – I prefer drained black beans or pinto beans, but you can use kidney beans or garbanzo beans.
- Corn – canned, fresh, or frozen will work
How to Make Taco Soup
You’ll love how easy this taco soup is to make, and it’s ready to serve in about 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Brown the ground beef with the onion in a dutch oven or soup pot until no pink meat remains.
- Spoon out any excess fat, if desired.
- Season – Add tomato paste, garlic, and seasonings, and then stir for another minute.
- Add stock, Rotel (with juices), drained beans, and drained corn, and then bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low and cover the pot while it simmers for 15 minutes.
- Serve – Season with salt, pepper, and taco seasoning, if desired, and then serve hot with your desired toppings.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
After sautéing the meat and onions in step 1, transfer the cooked meat with the rest of the ingredients to a slow cooker, and then cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours for a delicious crockpot taco soup.
What’s the difference between chili and taco soup?
Taco soup and chili have similar ingredients, but soup is thinner than chili, calls for less beans than chili, and calls for Taco Seasoning for a traditional Mexican flavor. It also doesn’t require lengthy simmering.
Toppings for Taco Soup
Just like serving regular tacos, I love serving a variety of toppings with taco soup:
- 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
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Warm Homemade Tortillas
This taco soup recipe brings together two amazing recipes in one: Beef Tacos and hearty soup, a perfect combination. The dish is hearty and warming, and so easy to make – perfect for busy weeknights.
P.S. Don’t Forget Dessert! Finish your taco soup dinner with a Mexican-inspired dessert like Churros, Flan, or Tres Leches Cake.
Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp taco seasoning, or more to taste
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 3 cups beef stock, or chicken stock
- 2 cans Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilis with their juice, original or spicy
- 15 oz can beans, pinto or black beans, rinsed and drained
- 15 oz can of corn, drained, or 1 cup frozen corn
Instructions
- Brown – Set a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat and add oil. Add ground beef and onion and sauté, breaking it up with a spatula for 6-7 minutes or until beef is browned.
- Spoon out excess fat if desired, leaving about 1-2 Tbsp.
- Season – Add tomato paste, garlic, taco seasoning, cumin, and paprika, and then saute another minute until garlic is fragrant and spices have bloomed.
- Add stock, Rotel diced tomatoes with their juice, drained beans, and drained corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, partially cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Serve – Season with salt, pepper, and more taco seasoning to taste if needed, and serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- To Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
- Freezing: 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. Eat within 3 months.
- To Reheat: Thaw in the fridge overnight, and then reheat in the microwave or on the stove to 165°F. You can also reheat from frozen in a saucepan, stirring occasionally for even heating.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More 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
- Hamburger Soup Recipe
- Split Pea Soup
- Cabbage Soup
- Roasted Tomato Soup
Tasted phenomenal and this was my first time making it! Will be something we keep around and cook again for sure!
This was delicious. I did t have fresh tomatoes do I used Del Monte Mexican Stewed Tomatoes and frozen corn. Excellent recipe and fast to make!
Super Duper EASY! I have made this recipe about 6 tomes now, we love it with some shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla strips! I add three kinds of beans and some more broth to make it more like soup. 10\10.. this is my first review on a recipe but I had to share. I share it with family as well
This is the best soup ever and easy to make. Delicious!
First I have to say, you are my go to site for recipes and inspiration. I love this recipe, Easy Taco Soup”. I have been making it for years. But, I noticed that you put the “taco seasoning” section into another recipe lately instead of just adding like you use too.
Could you please put it back? Also love your books. Haven’t picked up the latest but,
I am working on it!
Hello Maggie! Thank you for always referring to my website for recipes. Thanks for your feedback, but we have the taco seasoning linked in thgis recipe just easily click on it to open it. It saves space and since it has a separate recipe in our website, we usually just add the link.
Soup was enjoyed by all of our family. It was quick, tasty, and easy to customize. Win-win! Having our freezer corn and tomatoes made it more appreciated. Another recipe that will be made again. Thank you 😊
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Cathy!
Another one of your recipes that is a top notch. I loved it, and so did my husband. The other day, I also made your pieroges’ recipe!!! Another one to die for! Thank you so much for sharing these amazing recipes with us. I love your work!
You’re so very welcome!
My son’s favorite dish, so we have it once per month. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I use 2 beef bouillon cubes in 2 cups of water to save a little money. I use one bell pepper instead of a half red and half green. I use green and red in alternating batches. It’s less colorful but I can’t taste a difference.
I now use one 12 ounce bag of frozen corn (one full bag for convenience,) which is over twice as much as the suggested 1 cup of corn. But it tastes great and it doesn’t seem like too much corn.
I use 3 cans of diced tomatoes. Usually one of them has chilis, so it adds a bit of flavor. But not really spicy.
Also, it says “….simmer for for 15 minutes.”
Add extra seasoning. I ended up using almost the whole packet. But it was delicious definitely a great choice without a bunch of work, ingredients or time. Loved it!
Can I use hominy in this recipe in place of the corn that you have recommended?
Hi Charlie. If you prefer to use that, I don’t see why not. I hope you love the recipe.
Used leftover ground turkey. It was amazing. Thank you❣️
You’re very welcome, Carolyn!
Can chick peas be used instead of black beans or kidney beans?
Hi Judy! I haven’t tested this with chickpeas but feel free to experiment with different beans. I don’t see why not.
Hey Natasha
So I was just wondering why you don’t make youtube video’s for all your recipes I wish you had one for this one I rely on your video’s a lot to help me.
Hello Sally, thanks for your suggestion. I wish I can but we really want to post good quality videos for everyone but hopefully we can do more this year!
We made this tonight. I had to improvise a lot because I just wanted to use what I had on hand. But it turned out so delicious! I topped mine with avocado and diced onions. Yummy!
This is just delicious! I am so grateful for the taco-seasoning recipe, as there is just too much junk in the store-bought kind! Plus, the flavor of yours is much better. I look forward to coming home to this soup after a long day at work, getting a treat of a longtime favorite « taco » but knowing this is so much healthier. I love garbanzo beans, so put those instead of the kidney beans; top off with a few corn chips, and I’m in heaven!
Awesome! Thanks a lot for your excellent comments and feedback. I’m glad to hear that you loved it!
I add rice n black olives n salsa SOO Delicious!!❤💚💜💙💛
At the end A dollop of sour cream right before you eat it.. Makes it that much better along with a lil sprinkle of cheese…
I made this last night and it was delicious! I was out of diced tomatoes so substituted salsa, but everything else was your recipe. This will be a staple go to meal at our house
I’m so glad to hear you loved the recipe, Janice!
Made this for dinner and it was delicious. To each bowl I added shredded cheese, generous amount of fresh cilantro and a dollop of sour cream. Corn tortillas on the side and it was a hit!
Sounds amazing! Thank you for trying the recipe! I’m glad you loved it.
So very good. I used one 15 oz can of petite diced tomatoes and one can of Rotel..a little extra spice but not too much. Black beans for the beans because I had them on hand…but any beans would be great. And your taco mix recipe…probably the best secret/not secret ingredient. This is such a great, easy and really delicious recipe
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Cathy!
Only had a small can of corn but it was sufficient. I did three cups of beef broth I wanted a little bit more broth. The only change I made was to add a big handful of roughly chopped fresh cilantro which really gave it an authenticity. Will definitely make again it was delicious
I’m so glad you loved it, Susan!