Our taco soup recipe is a classic: full of ground beef, beans, corn, and tomatoes. This recipe is great to serve to a crowd, and having customized toppings makes it a lot more fun to cater to different tastes.
If you enjoy cooking up delicious soups with the same taco flavors, we think you will love this copycat Panera black bean soup and this copycat Chick-fil-A chicken tortilla soup.
Ingredients
The ingredients for our taco soup are pantry staples that are easy to find at most large grocery stores. In the U.S., look for Mexican oregano in the Mexican aisle.
- Protein: We used ground beef, black beans and chili beans.
- Aromatics: We used yellow onion and freshly minced garlic.
- Vegetables: We used yellow corn, crushed and diced tomatoes.
- Liquid: We used filtered water to keep the sodium down. You can also use broth (chicken or vegetable).
- Seasonings and spices: We used salsa, brown sugar, chili powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion salt and salt.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Taco Soup
- Brown the ground beef over medium-high heat until it's no longer pink, then drain it to catch the fat. (image 1)
- Add one tablespoon of olive oil into the Dutch oven. Sauté the onion over medium-high heat until it is soft, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir with a wooden spoon. (image 2)
- Add the chili powder and the other spices (paprika, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, and onion salt) to the sautéed onion and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat for one minute, stirring constantly, to let the spices bloom. (image 3)
- Add the cooked ground beef back into the Dutch oven and stir well. Add the salsa, brown sugar, tomatoes, corn and beans. (image 4)
- Add the liquid; we used water. Stir until well combined. (image 5)
- Cover and bring the taco soup to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer for 30 minutes on medium low, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the amount of seasonings, adding more salt or cumin. Cover and let it simmer another 15 minutes. (image 6)
- Serve up our taco soup in individual bowls garnished with wonderful toppings like: tortilla chips, grated cheese, sliced jalapeños, green onion, sour cream, cilantro or sliced avocado. (image 7)
Recipe FAQs
Taco soup and your favorite toppings can stand on its own, but if you are having a dinner party or your family loves all the side dishes, here are some suggestions: cornbread, tortilla chips, rice with cilantro and lime, Mexican street corn, and a frozen virgin margarita.
Yes, our taco soup is freezer friendly, so make up a big batch and stash it away in the freezer for your busiest days. Just follow these tips. Cool to room temperature. Put it into a freezer-friendly airtight container. Freeze in family-size portions for 4 people or in individual servings. Label the container with the date. It will keep in the freezer for 3 months.
Did you accidentally add too much water or chicken broth to make your taco soup go further? If you need to thicken the soup, here are some tips: add a few tablespoons of tomato paste. Bulk it up by adding more cooked hamburger or kidney or black beans. Let it simmer with the lid off to evaporate some of the liquid.
Taco soup can be eaten without any toppings, but the flavor is enhanced with unique topping combinations. You'll enjoy sliced fresh jalapeños, grated cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, squeeze of fresh lime juice, cilantro, tortilla chips, diced or sliced avocado and chopped green or red onion.
Make Ahead: Make our taco soup recipe a day or two ahead of time. You can also brown the ground beef, onions, and garlic ahead of time. Then when you're ready to cook the soup, put it with the rest of the ingredients into the crockpot or finish cooking it on the stovetop in a large soup pot.
Leftovers: Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheat: Reheat larger batches of taco soup on the stovetop for 25 minutes on medium-low or in individual bowls in the microwave.
Freeze: Store a freezer friendly container for up to 3 months.
Serve
Our hearty taco soup can be served with all your favorite toppings and nothing else, but if you are having a dinner party, and you are looking for additional side dishes, here are some suggestions: cornbread, tortilla chips, cauliflower rice, Mexican corn in a cup, and a frozen virgin margarita.
If you're looking for other soup recipes, you'll want to try these recipes for stuffed pepper soup, pasta e fagioli soup, hamburger barley soup, sausage and gnocchi soup, zuppa tuscana, and lasagna soup.
Expert Tips
- Need to change up the beans? Try kidney beans, cannellini, or pinto.
- Rinse the chili or black beans before you add them to the pot to reduce the sodium content.
- Drain all the excess fat from the ground beef.
- Don't want to use water? Try using chicken or vegetable broth to make our taco soup.
- Customize the toppings on taco soup. Garnishes like sour cream, grated cheese, sliced avocado and green onion are tasty additions.
Other Mexican Recipes You'll Love
Recipe
Taco Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Meat and Aromatics
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ¼ pounds ground beef
- 2 cups yellow onion, chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoon garlic cloves, minced
Spices
- 2 ¼ teaspoons chili powder
- 2 ¼ teaspoons salt
- 2 ¼ teaspoons paprika
- 2 ¼ teaspoons Mexican oregano
- 2 ¼ teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 ¼ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Remaining Ingredients
- 24 ounce salsa, Great Value Black Bean and Corn
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes
- 30 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed (2 cans)
- 30 ounces chili beans, drained and rinsed (2 cans)
- 15 ounces whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed (optional)
- 3 cups filtered water, 709 ml
Optional Garnishes
- extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- green onion, sliced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, sliced
- Fresh cilantro
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef in a 1 tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven set over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Dump the ground beef into a colander set over a medium-sized bowl and let the fat drain.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat, then add the chopped onion and sauté for a few minutes until soft, stirring occasionally. Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute more, stirring constantly.
- Add the spices to the cooked onion mixture and cook for 30 seconds to one minute, stirring constantly. Deglaze the pot with some water and scrap off any brown bits with a wooden turner. Mix in the cooked ground beef.
- Pour in the salsa, canned tomatoes with their juices, and add the brown sugar. Stir until well combined.
- Drain and rinse the chili beans, black beans, and corn to help lower the sodium content. Stir them into the soup along with three cups of filtered water.
- Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium low and let it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt or cumin, if necessary, then cook for another 15 minutes.
- Serve our taco soup warm with a selection of Tex-Mex toppings.
Notes
- Need to change up the beans? Try kidney beans, cannellini, or pinto.
- Rinse the chili or black beans before you add them to the pot to reduce the sodium content.
- Drain all the excess fat from the ground beef.
- Don't want to use water? Try using chicken or vegetable broth to make taco soup.
- Customize the toppings on taco soup. Garnishes like sour cream, grated cheese, sliced avocado, a squeeze of lime and green onion are tasty additions.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Mom
Brooke,
What a comfort it would be to taste your delicious taco soup! I can eat most of the ingredients, except the corn.
Brooke
Thank you, Mom! You could substitute the corn with chopped green pepper. 🙂
Pam
Oh my goodness, this was so yummy, I could have it at least once per week!
Emma
Thank you, Miss Pam! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it!
Beth
Tacos 🌮 are my favorite Tex-Mex food, so I love ❤️ this delicious soup. The customizable toppings are great; I really enjoy it with tortilla chips and a heavy sprinkling of grated cheese 🧀 .
Emma
I love tacos too, so I was glad to eat this taco soup! Thanks for your review!
Alex
I love eating the chips with the soup! I like the soup with lots of cheese and sour cream.
Emma
I enjoy eating this soup with all the fun garnishes, too. Cheese and sour cream make it even more yummy!