This easy taco soup recipe is perfect for busy weeknights and feeding a crowd! Taco soup is a flavor packed Mexican style soup prepared in just minutes! It’s perfect topped with your favorite taco toppings. We love serving our soup with a side of warm quesadillas too!
Easy Taco Soup Recipe
This taco soup has been a classic recipe on Picky Palate since 2008! So simple to whip up if you are in need of a quick fix dinner. I also love serving taco soup when I’m feeding a crowd. it goes a long way with your favorite toppings added to each bowl. Hope you enjoy!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This taco soup recipe takes just minutes to prepare.
- It’s perfect for feeding a large group!
- There are many topping ideas so there’s something for everyone!
- It’s great for back to school, Fall and Sunday dinners!
Try my Weeknight Chicken Enchiladas too! Follow Picky Palate on Instagram for daily recipe inspiration.
What You’ll Need
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this easy taco soup recipe at home. See the recipe card located at the bottom of the post for full instructions.
- extra virgin olive oil– The olive oil is used to saute the vegetables.
- onion– Finely chop the onion before sauteeing.
- garlic– Mince your own fresh garlic or use the minced garlic in the jar that’s available in the produce section of the grocery store.
- lean ground beef- 80% lean or higher works best. Less fat to drain.
- kosher salt– Kosher salt is a coarse salt commonly used in cooking and baking.
- black pepper– For best tasting results use freshly cracked black pepper.
- chicken broth– Look for reduced sodium chicken broth for the soup.
- black beans– Wash and drain the black beans before adding to the soup.
- kidney beans– Wash and drain the kidney beans before adding to soup.
- white beans or garbanzo beans– Drain and wash the white beans before adding to soup.
- Rotel mild diced tomatoes– Rotel comes in mild and original which is pretty spicy. I prefer the mild tomatoes.
- corn– Drain can of corn before adding to soup.
- Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix– Find the Ranch Dressing Seasoning mix in the salad dressing section of the grocery store.
- ground cumin– Ground cumin adds a nice smoky flavor to the soup.
- Toppings– Sour cream shredded cheese, tortilla chips and cilantro leaves to name some.
How To Make Taco Soup
Add Olive Oil To Large Pot. Place oil into a large 5 qt dutch oven over medium heat.
Cook Onions and Garlic. Saute onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until onions are softened.
Brown Ground Beef. Add ground beef, salt and pepper; cook until brown and crumbled.
Add Taco Soup Ingredients. Stir in chicken broth, cumin, Ranch Dressing mix, diced tomatoes, corn, black beans, kidney beans and white beans, stirring to combine. Simmer on low until ready to serve.
Season. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Garnish. Top each bowl with sour cream, tortilla chips, cheese and cilantro leaves if desired.
Can I Make This a Crockpot Taco Soup?
Yes, saute the onion and garlic on the stovetop and brown the beef. Transfer the cooked beef mixture to crockpot and add remaining ingredients (minus toppings). Close crockpot lid and let cook on low for 3-6 hours until ready to serve.
Recipe Tips For Success
- Use a lean ground beef for the soup. I rarely have to drain my lean ground beef.
- You can substitute the meat in the recipe or even omit it for a vegetarian version.
- If you have other vegetables in the refrigerator that need using, add them to the soup too. We love adding diced zucchini and other peppers too.
- Simmer the soup a good hour before serving to really incorporate the flavors.
How To Serve Easy Taco Soup
I like to set up an area with bowls of toppings for my guests. I’ll have a big bowl of tortilla chips for crushing into bowls, shredded cheese, sour cream and cilantro leaves to name a few. Other topping ideas could be chopped green onion, salsa, crumbled bacon too.
How To Store Leftovers
Refrigerate. Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Reheating Instructions. Reheat soup in a heat proof bowl, covered in the microwave for 60 seconds, or until hot.
Can I Freeze Taco Soup?
Yes, place soup into an airtight container and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw soup before re-heating.
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Quick Fix Taco Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Stove
- Dutch Oven or large pot
- chef knife
- cutting board
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- mixing spoon
- strainer for beans and corn if needed
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons mined garlic
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 32 ounces reduced sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 ounce pkg dry Ranch Dressing Mix
- 2 10 ounce cans rotel mild tomatoes
- 15 ounce can corn drained
- 15 ounce can black beans drained
- 15 ounce can red kidney beans drained
- 15 ounce can white beans drained
Toppings
Sour Cream
Tortilla Chips
Shredded Cheese
Cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Place oil into a large 5 qt dutch oven over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, until onions are softened. Add ground beef, salt and pepper; cook until brown and crumbled. Add chicken broth, cumin, Ranch Dressing mix, diced tomatoes, corn, black beans, kidney beans and white beans, stirring to combine. Simmer on low until ready to serve. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Top each bowl with sour cream, tortilla chips, cheese and cilantro leaves if desired.
Nutrition
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Welcome to my online kitchen! Picky Palate is where you’ll find family friendly recipes along with the best Disney eats, tips and copycat recipes! 
Jenny, I have prepared this easy-to-make soup three times in recent weeks, including for a casual dinner with friends as guests. We love it and our friends commented that it was excellent and wanted the recipe, which I easily shared from my Paprika app recipe manager. (You are credited as the source!) One additional topping I love to add (personal preference) is chopped avocado! I have prepared the soup both in a Dutch oven on the stovetop, as well as in a slow cooker (after sautéing the onion and garlic and browning the ground beef, of course). This recipe, just like a number of other of your recipes I’ve tried, is a keeper! Thank you for it!
Wonderful, thanks for the feedback! Much appreciated!
I made this soup and my whole house ate it up! I liked the chips on top, it added a nice crunch to it. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!
I found you on Pinterest and the recipe was for the hershey’s kisses and pie crust, Kiss Pies. I went on to your site and it was fabulous!!!! You are fabulous and a beautiful girl. Thank you for all you recipes, you wonderful website and all your creativitity. Merry Christmas and keep up the good work. I have some very picky palates and you saved me. Sylvia Clark
recipes looks soo yummo!!
I love, love, love this soup. I made it tonight for the second time and it was a hit. My 3 1/2 yr old ate his whole bowl with out having to be told, eat your food, eat your food, eat your food.
I love your site. I have used several recipes and they all turned out good. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Jenny! I am putting this on my to-make list for next week’s dinner. Love your blog!!!
I made your taco soup for dinner last night, and it was indeed quick and delicious! I left out the green bell pepper (because I hate it!) and used regular diced tomatoes instead of ro-tel. Other than that, I followed your recipe exactly. We’re adding it to our weekly rotation! Thanks!
hope this isn’t too odd, but i have searched EVERYWHERE for a great pair of boots, and love yours! can i ask where you got them?
I actually had all of these ingredients in my kitchen, so I whipped it up last night for dinner and LOVED it. My husband is not a soup-lover and he went back for more. Thanks for a great recipe.
ok I am a daily blog stalker…I LOVE your recipes. I was just looking at your christmas party pictures and saw Bup& Bridget in your pictures! I love them! I grew up with Bups family and now am related through marraige. Small world!
What a great party! Everybody look very happy and enjoying the party.
Soup sounds very delicious as well, especially it only takes 15 minutes to make it.
Good luck with the move to CA, hope you’ll like our state!
Cheers,
Elra
thanks for another awesome recipe. i can’t wait to try this one out. Love the pics of your family get together, looks like so much fun.
That is so funny about the boots! My husband doens’t like my new boots. Love the soup – sounds like you are busy, but happy!