This easy, cheesy Taco Soup is made in 30 minutes! This kid friendly soup is packed with all your favorite taco flavors, plus my secret ingredient!
Trevor and I LOVE Mexican inspired food. I’m always whipping up tacos, enchiladas, nachos, or even carnitas for an easy dinner. However, sometimes I’m craving Mexican flavors but really just want to cozy up with a big bowl of soup. Enter: taco soup.
Guys, this is so good. All your favorite taco fix-ins packed into a hearty stew loaded with flavor and texture and . . . deliciousness. You have to try this. I have a feeling it will quickly become a favorite!
Ingredients
The great thing about taco soup, and soup in general, is that it’s easily customizable. Add in YOUR favorite taco ingredients. Not a fan of beans? Leave them out and add more meat/veggies. Want to lighten this up? Try ground turkey instead!
- Olive Oil – adds moisture and flavor to the beef and veggies, while also preventing them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Ground Beef – I use lean ground beef for the classic taco flavor, but you can also use ground turkey or chicken.
- Yellow Onion, Green Bell Pepper, and Red Bell Pepper – the classic veggie blend for all my Mexican inspired recipes.
- Dry Ranch Seasoning Mix – my secret ingredient! This is what sets my taco soup a part from the rest! The ranch seasoning mix adds a wonderful tangy, sweet and creaminess to the soup.
- Taco Seasoning – I use store-bought seasoning packets for ease, but feel free to make your own taco seasoning. Use 3 tablespoons homemade for every packet!
- Chicken Broth – I use chicken broth, because this is what I always have on hand. Feel free to use beef broth, but it tends to be saltier so you may need to adjust the seasonings.
- Diced Tomatoes and Rotel Tomatoes with Green Chiles – add texture and sweet and spicy flavor.
- Pinto Beans and Black Beans – provide delicious, but perfectly different textures and flavors.
- Fiesta Corn – adds a zesty kick, sweet flavor, and “pop” of texture.
- Cheddar Cheese – melts into the soup to make it extra creamy and provides a rich, sharp flavor.
- Fritos, Tortilla Chips, Sour Cream, Feta Cheese, Cilantro, Extra Cheese – for topping!
How to make
This taco soup recipe is unbelievably easy to make. Just dump everything into a pan, heat it up, and devour!
- In a large stockpot, cook beef, veggies, and seasonings.
- Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, beans, corn, and cheese.
- Let simmer then serve and enjoy!
How to thicken taco soup
This soup is perfectly thick as is, but if you’d like to thicken up your taco soup even more, add in extra veggies, meat, beans, and corn. You could also use less broth next time.
Still not thick enough? Whisk together 1/4 cup cornmeal (yes cornmeal, not cornstarch – I like the flavor here) with 1/2 cup water and stir into the soup. Simmer until the desired consistency is reached.
Tips
- Drain the canned ingredients. The tomatoes, beans, and corn all have excess liquid, so make sure you drain them first to ensure you don’t have a watery soup.
- If using beef broth, adjust your seasonings. I use chicken broth in this recipe because beef broth tends to be saltier. If you decide to go the beef broth route, you may have to adjust the seasonings accordingly.
- Use lean ground beef. Lean ground beef has less grease and tastes just as good as fattier beef in this recipe.
- Drain excess fat. Whether you’re using lean beef or a fattier variety, drain the grease off the meat after it’s cooked to avoid a greasy soup.
- Shred your own cheese. Shredded cheese is mixed with an anti-caking agent, so it tends to not melt as well. Use whatever you have on hand, though!
- Make this in advance. Need easy lunches or dinner for the week? Whip this up on Sunday and dinners done! This soup just gets better as it sits.
- Make this last minute. Have an “oh shoot, I need dinner” moment? Whip this up in 30 minutes and you’ve got yourself a flavor packed dinner that everyone will love.
- Don’t go easy on the toppings. Have fun! I love fritos for crunch, cilantro for freshness, and sour cream for a creamy tang!
Variations
One of the best parts of soup is you can make it just how you like it! Here are some of my suggestions for customization:
- Spice it up. Give your soup a spicy kick with some sliced jalapeños, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or your favorite hot sauce.
- Use a different cheese. Cheddar not your favorite? Pepper-jack, monterey-jack, or your favorite Mexican cheese blend would be delicious!
- Make it vegetarian/vegan. Leave out the meat and use a meatless ground beef substitute or double up on the beans and veggies. To make it vegan, do the same and omit the sour cream and cheese or use a vegan variety.
- Make it creamier. Make the soup extra creamy by stirring a cup of sour cream directly into the pot.
- Use a different meat. Ground turkey or chicken will also work.
What to serve with taco soup
I love to top my soup with Fritos or tortilla chips, sour cream, avocado slices, more cheese, and fresh cilantro.
Here are some yummy sides that would also be delicious served with it!
- Chips and Salsa
- Mexican Street Corn Spoon Bread
- Leafy green salad with feta, corn, beans, tortilla chips, and a chili lime vinaigrette
- Easy Mexican Quinoa Salad
How to store
This soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months.
Can taco soup be frozen?
Taco soup will keep in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
To reheat, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight then heat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
– Jennifer
Taco Soup
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef ground turkey or chicken would also work
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1-2 (1 oz) package dry ranch seasoning mix I like 2
- 1-2 (1 oz) package taco seasoning I like 2
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes drained
- 1 (14 oz) can rotel tomatoes with green chiles drained
- 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans drained
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans drained
- 1 (15 oz) can fiesta corn drained
- 1 (8 oz) block cheddar cheese shredded
- fritos, tortilla chips, sour cream, feta cheese, cilantro, and extra cheese for topping
Recipe Video
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
- Once hot, add in beef, onion, peppers, ranch seasoning, and taco seasoning.
- Cook, breaking up the meat as you go, until the beef is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
- If necessary, drain grease.
- Stir in the chicken broth, scraping up any brown bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in tomatoes, beans, corn, and cheese.
- Bring to a simmer and simmer until the cheese has melted and the soup is hot.
- Serve with optional toppings and enjoy!
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Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
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