This Quick and Easy Taco Soup contains all the bold flavors of a classic taco wrapped up in a warm, comforting soup. Laden with seasoned ground beef, beans, corn and tomatoes, this one-pot dish is a perfect weeknight stopgap and requires little prep time. Garnish as you’d like, then serve with crispy tortilla chips; it’s a crowd-pleaser.
Why You’re Going To Love This Taco Soup:
Easy and Fast: A couple minutes of prep, a one-pot meal — this taco soup is as easy as it gets. Viability, for when time is no joke, for busy weeknights.
Tons of Flavor: Between the taco seasoning and ranch mix and green chiles, this soup packs some amazing Southwest-inspired flavor and is just so satisfying.
Good for Leftovers: Taco soup is one of those things that’s better as it sits, so a great option for meal prep or lunches through the week. Try our Easy Hamburger Rice Casserole next.
Versatile: You can add ingredients, toppings or swaps for dietary requirements.
Key Ingredients:
Ground Beef: You want a lean ground beef (like 85% lean) to keep the soup hearty but not too greasy. If you want to lighten this up, you could use ground turkey or even make it vegetarian by omitting the meat.
Taco Seasoning: I love the convenience of pre-packaged taco seasoning, but homemade taco seasoning, if you have the time, adds a beautiful depth of flavor. Use a quick DIY mix (chili powder + cumin + garlic powder + onion powder + paprika).
Ranch Dressing Mix: This mix adds a slight creaminess and herbaceousness to the soup, which is an upgrade. It’s an unusual ingredient that gives the soup a surprise twist. If you don’t have it in your larder, a mix of dried parsley, dill, onion powder and garlic powder will do in a pinch.
Beans: This recipe uses chili and pinto beans, which add up to a nice hearty texture and offer tons of protein. Feel free to use black beans or kidney beans instead if you prefer. Be sure to drain and rinse the pinto beans so that the broth is not too starchy.
Diced tomatoes with green chiles: This adds a mild heat and tangy flavor. If you are sensitive to spice, use regular diced tomatoes instead. If you like this, you'll love our Walking Taco Casserole.
Chopped Green Chiles: Not totally necessary here, but recommended for an extra kick! If you’d like your soup a little spicier, you could replace these with diced jalapeños.
Full ingredient amounts and instructions are in the recipe card below
Directions
Prepare Your Equipment
Prepare Ingredients and Equipment: Lay out all your ingredients and equipment. Use a wide Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot to fit the chili.
Cook the Ground Beef
Heat It Up: Set the Dutch oven on the stove over medium heat.
Add and Brown Beef: Add 2 pounds ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks. When pink bits are no longer visible — 7 to 10 minutes.
Drain the Beef
Drain Off Excess Fat: Carefully remove excess fat so that the chili doesn’t get greasy. Tilt the pot and spoon or use a colander to remove fat.
Season the Beef
Season with Taco: Dust over beef an envelope of taco seasoning, stirring to coat evenly and season the meat.
Add the Ingredients
Ingredients in pot: Stir in the following:
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can no-drain mild chili beans
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1½ cups of water
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1 packet ranch salad dressing mix
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles (different seasonings, optional)
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Combine: Stir everything together, set a nice base with beans and tomatoes while ranch dressing mix makes flavor sink. For another easy option, see our Pioneer Woman Cheeseburger Pie.
Bring to a Boil
Increase Heat: Increase heat to medium-high, bringing mixture to a simmer to facilitate melding of flavors.
Simmer the Chili
Reduce and Simmer: Lower heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes, stirring from time to time so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. This will make the chili thicker, and the flavor deeper.
Serve and Enjoy
Ladle Into Bowls: After simmering, serve hot.
Optional Toppings: Crunchy tortilla chips on the side, shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped green onion; all delicious options!
Serving Suggestions:
It is nice and adaptable as you can pair this with so many toppings and sides. Here are a few ideas for making your meal even better:
Very top: Add shredded cheese, a spoonful of sour cream, chopped green onions, cubed avocado or fresh cilantro to each bowl; the combinations for flavor and texture are endless.
Tortilla Chips or Cornbread: Tortilla chips to serve with; cornbread, too, can be wonderful alongside a creamy, hearty recipe like this.
Lime Wedges: Squeezing fresh lime juice over the top brightens everything, cutting the richness and delivering a zippy finish.
Side Salad: A salad of leafy greens with a zesty vinaigrette to cut through the soup’s pungency and richness.
Another one-skillet dinner is Chili Casserole, which serves 4.
When you want tacos beyond soup, Taco Stuffed Shells pairs creamy taco beef with salsa and Colby Jack.
Storage and Meal Prep Tips:
This taco soup is great for leftovers and meal prep making it a great option for busy weeks.
Storage: Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavors deepen over time, so it tastes even better the next day!
Freezing: Taco soup freezes beautifully. Allow the soup to cool completely, then pour into freezer-safe containers or bags. In the freezer it will last for 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight; reheat.
Reheat: To reheat, just heat up the soup in a pot on the stove over medium heat, stirring from time to time. You could also microwave individual portions, using a stir halfway through to heat evenly. You might also like our Easy Cowboy Casserole.
Meal Prep: Divide the soup into individual containers for easy grab-and-go lunches. Pack a small container of toppings (such as shredded cheese or diced avocado) to sprinkle on just before eating.
Taco Soup or Taco Chili?
This recipe has the same build as taco chili: browned ground beef with taco seasoning and ranch mix, beans, corn, and canned tomatoes with green chiles, all simmered in one pot. Brown the beef until it reaches 160°F before the cans go in.
For a slow cooker taco chili, brown 2 pounds of ground beef for 8 to 10 minutes and move it to a 5-quart slow cooker. Add rinsed and drained black, kidney and pinto beans and hominy, a can of diced tomatoes and green chiles, an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce, a chopped small onion, an envelope each of ranch dressing mix and taco seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Blend a 4-ounce can of chopped green chiles with 2 cans of diced tomatoes until smooth, stir it in, and cook covered on low for 6 to 8 hours. Top with corn chips, sour cream and shredded cheddar.
Recipe Variations:
Vegetarian Taco Soup: Leave out the ground beef and include an extra can of beans (black beans complement the soup nicely) and a few diced bell peppers for texture and taste.
Spicy Taco Soup: If you like it a little extra spicy, add a diced jalapeño or a sprinkle of cayenne pepper to the soup when cooking.And add spicy salsa or hot sauce to take it up a notch.
Chicken Taco Soup: Use shredded rotisserie chicken or cooked chicken breast in place of the ground beef. Try adding the chicken after simmering to prevent it from overcooking.
Creamy Taco Soup: For a richer, creamier take, stir in 4 ounces of cream cheese or a generous splash of heavy cream right before serving. This version is especially nice with shredded cheese and avocado.
Taco Soup With Rice: For an even heartier variation, stir in cooked rice just before the last 5 minutes of cooking. Feel free to use white or brown rice, or you can make this dish even more healthy by subbing quinoa for protein.
Conclusion:
This taco soup, easy taco soup, quick taco soup, is a staple in the weeknight arsenal, because not only is it delicious, but it is also incredibly easy to make. Made in one pot with minimal prep, it’s a great candidate for cozy family dinners and meal prep or crowd-feeding. The beans, tomatoes, well-seasoned beef and sharp spices add up to a hearty, filling dish that is the right application of a colder day or, really, whenever you want a hot bowl of soup. Try our Creamy Potato & Hamburger Soup Made In the Crockpot next.
Give this taco soup a try — you won’t be sorry! If you like this, you'll love our Cheesy Hamburger Potato Casserole: A Comforting, Hearty Meal.
Quick and Easy Taco Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 can whole kernel corn 15.25 ounces, drained
- 1 can mild chili beans 16 ounces, undrained
- 1 can pinto beans 15 ounces, rinsed and drained
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 envelope taco seasoning mix
- 1 can stewed tomatoes 14.5 ounces
- 1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles 10 ounces
- 1 can chopped green chiles 4 ounces, optional
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients and use a large Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed pot.
- Place Dutch oven on medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, about 7-10 minutes, breaking up as it cooks.
- Drain excess fat to prevent the soup from being greasy.
- Add taco seasoning to the beef and stir to coat evenly.
- Add corn, chili beans, pinto beans, water, stewed tomatoes, ranch mix, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and green chiles (optional). Stir thoroughly.
- Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Serve hot with optional toppings like tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, or green onions.
Notes
Nutrition
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Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
