The world’s best taco soup recipe that’s fast and easy to make in one pot with staple ingredients! This taco soup is by far the most requested meal at my house.
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Family Favorite Meal
My husband LOVES this easy taco soup and could probably eat it everyday. It’s definitely one of our all time favorite and EASY soup recipes to make. We usually have all the ingredients on hand and it’s something that I usually make without a recipe.
Everyone I’ve made this taco soup for always asks for the recipe. It’s a great meal to take to a family in need. I make this recipe at least once a month and always eat the leftovers. It freezes and reheats really well!
I promise it’s super easy to make. You can even make this in your slow cooker or make Instant Pot taco soup for a quicker alternative. It’s so versatile and easy to customize!
Why We Love This Recipe
- A one pot meal. Only one pan and hardly any dishes required to make this easy taco soup recipe! This will become one of your favorite one pot meals.
- Nutrition packed. High in protein and fiber from the beef, beans and veggies. This soup is full to the brim with good-for-you ingredients.
- Customizable. It’s super easy to adapt this recipe based on what you have in your fridge and pantry. Check out a few easy swaps and additions you can make below.
Ingredients
This recipe has all of my favorite flavors combined into one bowl! It’s hearty, comforting and has a yummy Mexican taste. For more dishes with similar flavors, check out my one pot burrito bowls, slow cooker taco lasagna, taco casserole and Najavo tacos.
Find the full printable recipe with measurements below.
- Meat: Ground hamburger or turkey will both work
- Veggies: Chopped onions, bell peppers and corn
- Beans: Black beans, kidney beans and pinto or white beans
- Tomatoes: Tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Rotel and salsa
- Spices: Taco seasoning – more or less to taste
- Optional toppings: Cheese, sour cream, cilantro, tortilla chips or tortilla strips, sliced avocado, cornbread croutons
Variations
Taco soup is so easy to customize! Below are a few easy ideas:
- Use cooked rotisserie chicken or shredded chicken instead of beef or turkey to make a chicken taco soup instead.
- Skip the meat and keep this a veggie-filled vegan or vegetarian soup recipe. You can always add in extra veggies like chopped zucchini or diced sweet potatoes.
How to Make Taco Soup
- Brown the meat. Brown hamburger in a large pan over medium-heat. Add in the onions, bell peppers and saute for a few minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients . Stir in the beans, tomatoes, salsa, corn and seasonings.
- Simmer. Continue to simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve. Top with cilantro, sour cream and cheese. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!
5 star review
“Absolutely love this quick and easy soup. Made it for my husband and it’s now one of his favorite dinners!”
-Bee
Expert Tips
- Easy shortcut. Make this taco soup recipe even easier by using frozen cooked taco meat from the freezer. It also works great with leftover Instant Pot Mexican chicken.
- Consistency. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add in a little water, chicken broth or vegetable broth until your desired consistency is reached.
- Let simmer. The longer the soup simmers, the more flavor it will have. If you have the time to let it simmer longer – you won’t regret it!
Recipe FAQs
If you don’t have time to cook this on the stove, it can easily be made in the crockpot! Simply brown the hamburger, onions and bell peppers in a skillet first. Then add all ingredients to the crockpot and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours. So easy!
There are several ways to make this soup a little bit spicier. Try adding 1 can green chiles, a finely chopped jalapeno, or a few dashes hot sauce.
Such a fun idea, especially for colder weather. I would set up a station with favorite taco toppings, including homemade tortilla strips, so everyone can tailor their soup as they please. I would have Mexican cornbread on the side and tres leches cake for dessert.
How to Freeze Taco Soup
This taco soup makes a GREAT freezer meal. It holds up really well and reheats perfectly. Check out my easy freezing tips below.
- Allow the soup to cool down.
- Place into a zip top bag or freezer container (leaving room for it to expand) and add a freezer label.
- Place in the freezer. It will stay good for up to six months in the freezer.
- When ready to reheat, place in the refrigerator or microwave to thaw. Then simmer in a pot over low heat.
- If I want to make it go further, sometimes I’ll add in an extra can of beans and tomatoes with a little more taco seasoning.
More Easy and Delicious Soups
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Best Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef , or ground turkey
- 1-2 Tablespoons taco seasoning , to taste
- 1 medium sweet onion , finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper , chopped
- 1 red bell pepper , chopped
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto or white beans , drained and rinsed (optional)
- 1 (15-ounce) can corn
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1/4-1/2 cup fresh salsa
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- Salt , to taste
- Pepper , to taste
Optional toppings: Sour cream, Shredded cheese, Tortilla strips
Instructions
- In a large pot, add the beef and cook over medium-heat until browned. Drain, if needed Stir in taco seasoning. Add onions and bell peppers and sauté 3 minutes, or until softened.
- Stir in black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, if using, corn, tomato sauce, Rotel, diced tomatoes, and salsa until combined. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 to 40 minutes, or longer if time allows. Add 1/2 to 1 cup warm water if starts to thicken. Stir in cilantro. Salt and pepper, to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings. Serve with tortilla chips. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Loved it! I added a full packet of taco seasoning, and some minced garlic!
Looks like you were going for the full flavor version. Glad to hear you loved it! Thanks for sharing, Teela.
This soup is so good. My family loved it.
I made this for dinner last night and we loved it. I only wish I doubled the recipe! SO good!
So glad you enjoyed it! We always double the recipe and freeze half for later :)
this is perfect for cold taco tuesday nights when all I want is some soup, thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
You’re so welcome! It’s definitely the perfect comfort soup :)
This taco soup recipe is very flavorful and really easy to follow! Loved how it turned out! Thanks a bunch for sharing this amazing recipe, highly recommended!
You are so welcome, Allyssa! Glad to hear you enjoyed it so much :)
This wonderful recipe turned out to be so hearty and yummy. I love to make them again. YUM!
I use shredded chicken instead of the beef. Also, I find that the Taco Bell seasoning is much better than other brands. This soup is delicious and easy.
Thanks for sharing! So glad to hear you enjoyed the soup :)
yes I made this and it was quick and delicious 5 star!
So glad you enjoyed it :)
This is my go to recipe with a few minor changes. I add a lot more garlic, usually 6-8 cloves, lime, and an entire package of taco seasoning. What I like best about this is you can use (cooked) dry beans instead of canned and cut corn right off the cob as well as other additions to make this your own. It freezes beautifully and has saved me on more than one occasion when I’ve forgotten to defrost something. I freeze them in individual containers for single servings after cooling and covering with cling wrap.
And…even though it technically becomes something else, I can use ground pork, moose meat or create a veggie option and it tastes wonderful with the meat (or meatless) variations.
Thanks for posting. It’s simmering as I type!! Perfect supper for a frigid night.
Yay, I am so happy to hear you love it so much Emma :) Thanks for sharing your substitutions/modifications!