This easy Taco Soup has all the flavors of your favorite beef tacos in a bowl. It’s made in one pot in under 30 minutes, then garnished with all your favorite taco toppings! It’s a weeknight winning dinner in our house, since minimal effort but tastes like it’s been simmered for hours.
There is nothing like a good bowl of soup to warm you up on chilly days. Our Easy Taco Soup recipe is loaded with wonderful flavors and textures that make it one of our family’s favorite soups during the cooler months of the year.
It’s become a fun twist for Taco Tuesday with my kids since they love adding their customized toppings to their bowl. Plus, I can have it ready in less than 30 minutes with minimal fuss, which is a huge help on the busiest school evening packed with homework and activities.
I have made plenty of taco soup recipes in the past, from fully made-from-scratch versions to the 7-can version, where you basically just dump a bunch of canned stuff into a pot along with a packet of taco seasoning and heat it all up. But none of them compare in flavor to my taco soup recipe that I’ve been perfecting for years (and with not much more effort too)!
If you love a soup, some of our other favorite recipes are my Potato Corn Chowder, this Homemade Chicken Noodle & Dumplings, and Zuppa Toscana.
Reader Review: “My whole family loved this yummy soup, even my pickiest kid! I made it for the January Soup Season Showdown and it is absolutely delicious!” – Emily
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- All the flavors from regular tacos in a hearty soup. Make this recipe your own with your favorite taco flavors! It’s also easy to customize too.
- Made in one pot. Forget the hassle of cleaning a ton of dishes, this taco soup is easy to assemble and clean in a matter of minutes.
- Tastes like it simmered for hours, when it’s actually ready in just 30 minutes. No matter if it’s a busy weeknight or a chilly weekend evening, this soup has bold flavor with minimal work. Plus, it’s easy to make in advance for meal prepping and gets better with time.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Beef – Use lean ground beef for this delicious soup.
- Veggies – Use a medium onion, a red bell pepper, and freshly minced garlic cloves for a deep savory flavor.
- Seasoning – Chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, dried oregano, smoked paprika, and freshly ground black pepper make this a flavorful soup.
- Flour – All-Purpose Flour will work well to thicken the soup and help bind the seasoning with the beef.
- Beans – A combination of kidney beans and black beans will add nutrients and protein to this dish.
- Chilis – Use a can of mild diced green chilies for a fresh, spicy flavor. You can prepare them fresh if you prefer.
- Salsa – Use your favorite kind of tomato salsa for this soup.
- Enchilada Sauce – Use my red enchilada sauce or your favorite kind of red enchilada sauce in this recipe. I typically use whatever brand of enchilada sauce I find at the store, and sometimes I can only find the large cans, in which case I use half of it and refrigerate or freeze the other half for future use.
- Broth – Use a low-sodium chicken broth or beef broth to add a depth of flavor and allow you to better control the saltiness of this dish.
- Cream Cheese – I used reduced-fat cream cheese. You can use full fat if you prefer, or even plain Greek yogurt or heavy cream, to make this a super creamy soup!
- Cheese – I used freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese and Pepper Jack cheese for this soup for a strong, spicy, cheesy flavor!
- Garnish – Use your favorite toppings for this chili soup. Some great options are sliced or diced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, or chopped red onion, lime wedges, sour cream, Mexican crema, diced tomatoes, tortilla chips, and, of course, more shredded cheese!
How to make Taco Soup
- Brown ground beef. In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, brown the ground beef with chopped onion until fully cooked.
- Add seasonings. Next, add all of the spices and seasonings, chopped bell pepper, and garlic, and stir to combine.
- Add flour. Sprinkle the flour over the ground beef. Stir mixture to combine, then continue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes.
- Add ingredients and cook. Stir in the kidney beans, black beans, green chilies, salsa, enchilada sauce, chicken broth, and 1 cup of water (additional water may be added later to thin the soup to desired consistency). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Mix in cream cheese. Over low heat, stir in the cubed, softened cream cheese until completely melted.
- Stir in cheeses. Remove the soup from the heat, then stir in the cheddar and Pepper Jack cheeses until melted. Add additional water to thin the soup, if desired.
- Serve. The final step of this delicious dish is to choose your favorite garnishes and toppings and serve hot! I almost never skip the diced tomatoes, onions, and cilantro, which add a great texture and flavor to the soup.
Expert Tips
- Thicken the soup. If you find that your taco soup is too thin while you’re making it, you can add a simple cornstarch slurry to it to thicken it up quickly. Use one tablespoon of cornstarch with ½ tablespoon of cold water or broth and add it to the warm soup. Stir as the soup is over heat until it thickens. If you put less water into the slurry, the soup will thicken more quickly.
- Homemade enchilada sauce isn’t hard to make, and it will taste superior to anything store-bought, but sometimes I don’t want to mess around making an ingredient to go into another recipe. Using store-bought enchilada sauce speeds up the process and lets me get this cheesy taco soup on the table in under 30 minutes, which I love.
- If your beef is higher in fat, you will want to drain off the excess fat before adding the spices and remaining ingredients so the soup isn’t too greasy.
- Use freshly grated cheese, rather than the pre-grated stuff that you can buy at the store. Pre-grated cheese is coated with a powder to prevent it from clumping and sticking, and it doesn’t melt into the soup nearly as well as when you grate the cheese off the block.
Make Taco Soup in the Slow Cooker
You could also make this in the slow cooker by first browning the meat and onions, then adding them to the slow cooker with all the remaining ingredients except for the cream cheese and the Pepper Jack and cheddar cheeses. Cook on high heat for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours, then stir in the cream cheese and other cheeses until melted as described in the recipe above before serving.
What to serve with Easy Taco Soup
To serve this homemade taco soup, put the pot on the dinner table, surrounded by small bowls of all of your family’s favorite taco toppings. Let people choose their own garnishes and toppings to make a delicious taco soup bar dinner! Here are some of our other favorites:
- Cilantro
- Freshly grated cheddar or pepper Jack cheese
- Hot sauce
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Avocado
- Tortilla chips
- Tomatoes
- Scallions or chopped red onion
- Homemade Cornbread or Corn Muffins
Substitutions and Variations
- Change the seasoning. Use a taco seasoning mix instead of the spice combination in this recipe if you want. Check the measurement to get the right amount of spices.
- Swap the protein. You can use ground turkey or ground pork for this recipe for a slightly different flavor.
- Make it spicy. Add diced jalapenos, cayenne pepper, hot chili powder, or hot sauce for some added heat!
- Use Greek yogurt or half and half instead of cream cheese. Just remove the soup from the heat and add a little bit at the end right before serving.
Storage Instructions
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gradually on the stovetop or in the microwave.
This is a great recipe for making in big batches and freezing. Store in freezer-safe containers or in Ziploc bags in portions so you can reheat individual bowls of soup. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, and reheat until piping hot.
It’s the best recipe to make in advance. I’ve cooked it the day before a busy weeknight or party and the flavors only get better and better.
FAQs
If you’re taco soup is too spicy, you can add something sweet to reduce the spiciness. Adding sugar or honey will help. Also, adding more cream to your soup will help neutralize the heat. You can add more cream cheese or sour cream to help with the heat.
You may have added too much broth or you didn’t drain the beans well enough. You can thicken it by mixing 2-3 tablespoons of flour or cornstarch to ¼ cup of the soup broth and adding it back into the soup. Stir well and boil the soup for a minute to help thicken it even more.
No one knows exactly where taco soup came from. Some say the recipe started gaining popularity in the 1950’s in southwestern US. Some get mixed up with tortilla soup, which has similar Southwest or Tex-Mex flavors.
More Hearty Soup Recipes
- Turkey Wild Rice Soup
- Crock Pot Tuscan White Bean Soup
- Creamy Irish Leek and Potato Soup
- Smoked Salmon Chowder
- Cioppino Seafood Stew
- Chicken Avocado Lime Soup
Best Taco Soup Recipe (one pot)
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 red bell pepper , diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (4-ounce) can mild diced green chilies
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 (10-ounce) can mild enchilada sauce
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1-2 cups water
- 4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed and softened
- 1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup freshly grated Pepper Jack cheese
Garnishes (optional)
- Avocado, sliced or diced
- Cilantro, chopped
- Green or red onions, chopped
- Lime, cut into wedges
- Sour cream or Mexican crema
- Tomatoes, diced
- Tortilla chips
- Additional shredded cheese
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, brown the meat with the onions until fully cooked.1 pound lean ground beef, 1 medium onion,
- Add all of the spices and seasonings, chopped bell pepper, and garlic, and stir well to combine.1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1 red bell pepper ,, 4 cloves garlic,
- Sprinkle the flour over the ground beef mixture and stir to combine, then continue to cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes.¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Stir in the kidney beans, black beans, green chilies, salsa, enchilada sauce, chicken broth, and 1 cup of water (additional water may be added later to thin soup to desired consistency). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans,, 1 (15-ounce) can black beans,, 1 (4-ounce) can mild diced green chilies, 1 cup salsa, 1 (10-ounce) can mild enchilada sauce, 6 cups chicken broth, 1-2 cups water
- Over low heat, stir in the cubed, softened cream cheese until completely melted.4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese,
- Remove the soup from the heat, then stir in the cheddar and Pepper Jack cheeses until melted. Add additional water to thin the soup, if desired.1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, 1 cup freshly grated Pepper Jack cheese
- Serve with any or all additional garnishes, although I almost never skip the diced tomatoes, onions, and cilantro, which add a great texture and flavor to the soup.Avocado,, Cilantro,, Green or red onions,, Lime,, Sour cream or Mexican crema, Tomatoes,, Tortilla chips, Additional shredded cheese
Notes
- Slow Cooker: You could also make this in the slow cooker by first browning the meat and onions, then adding them to the slow cooker with all the remaining ingredients except for the cream cheese and the Pepper Jack and cheddar cheeses. Cook on high heat for 3-4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours, then stir in the cream cheese and other cheeses until melted as described in the recipe above before serving.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gradually on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Freeze: Store in freezer-safe containers or in Ziploc bags in portions so you can reheat individual bowls of soup. Keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, and reheat until piping hot.
Nutrition
Adapted from Carlsbad Cravings.
Whoah, this is my kind of soup! Love cheese, tacos, and soup, so perfect for me! 🙂
Yum! This looks really delicious and flavorful. I love how easy it is too!
I am all about soups right now and this cheesy taco needs to be added to my list! It sounds incredibly tasty! Pinning to make next week, thanks!
My type of comfort food! Perfect for Taco Tuesdays. Thanks for Sharing!
wow this sounds like an incredibly filling soup. It would be a full meal for me and keep me full for hours. Looks great!
This looks so-o-o good. I think I would try to lower the sodium by leaving out the salt and by using low sodium canned beans. With all that cheese, I doubt that the flavor would suffer. Also, did you get the times for slow cooking backwards. Maybe 6-8 hours on low and 3-4 on high.
Oops! Nice catch on the slow cooker times being accidentally flipped! I fixed that in the instructions – thank you! I think your ideas for lowering the sodium sound like really good ones, especially if you plan to use salty tortilla chips in the soup as well as one of your fixings.
I am loving the crap out of this soup! It needs to hurry up and get chilly where I am!
I love taco soups and can’t wait to try yours!
My whole family loved this yummy soup, even my pickiest kid! I made it for the January Soup Season Showdown and it is absolutely delicious!