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Taco Soup

Updated June 10, 2024 / By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

Taco night, but make it soup! Our taco soup recipe features all of the standard taco fixings, including ground beef flavored with our homemade taco seasoning. Don’t forget the toppings!

a bowl of homemade taco soup made with ground beef and black beans topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream and fresh cilantro

More soups with ground beef

Our Original Taco Soup

There’s many reasons to love this simple taco soup recipe. Taco soup means you only need one pot, which means fast clean-up. This pantry clean out recipe gives your pantry and freezer a real workout. Taco soup packs all of the flavor but a fraction of the dishes of taco night. We recommend baking a batch of cornbread to serve alongside. Once you’ve made homemade taco soup, check out our Tortilla Soup and our many soup recipes.

ground beef, black beans, bell peppers, onion, green chiles, stock, diced tomatoes, corn and taco seasoning in prep bowls

The Best Taco Soup Recipe Begins With The Best Ingredients

  • Ground beef

  • Onion

  • Stock

  • Cans! Diced tomatoes, green chilis, black beans

  • Homemade taco seasoning

  • Frozen corn

  • Bell peppers: We like to use one red bell pepper and one green for a cheery pop of color. But, the main reason the peppers are here is to add a crunchy zing of freshness to an otherwise-pantry dependent soup, so any bell pepper will do.

ground beef and onions being cooked in a in a large soup pot
ground beef, onion, green chilies, stock, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, black beans, corn and bell peppers in a soup pot

How To Make This Easy Taco Soup

  1. Brown the beef and onions in a large soup pot.

  2. Open all your cans! We recommend this can opener for the heavy lifting.

  3. Empty the contents of the cans into the pot, along with the corn, spices, veggies and stock.

  4. Simmer! Let all of those flavors meld.

  5. Garnish! Ladle yourself a big, spicy, beefy bowl of taco soup, and doctor it up however you'd like to! We love a big dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of cheese, and some avocado.

a pot of homemade taco soup made with ground beef, black beans, corn and bell pepper being scooped with a ladle

How to Store Leftover Soup + Tips

  • While you’re making taco seasoning for this soup, our homemade taco seasoning makes an excellent gift for your favorite home chef.

  • If you have extra ground beef, we’ve got plenty of ground beef recipes in our archive. And if it's just tacos you’re looking for, there’s plenty of taco recipes too!

  • Let leftovers cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

a pot of homemade taco soup made with ground beef, black beans, corn and bell pepper being scooped with a ladle
a bowl of homemade taco soup made with ground beef and black beans topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream and fresh cilantro

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Taco Soup Recipe

  • Serves:  6
  • Prep Time:  10 min
  • Cook Time:  40 min
  • Calories:  355

Description

Taco night, but make it soup! Our taco soup recipe features all of the standard taco fixings, including ground beef flavored with our homemade taco seasoning. Don’t forget the toppings!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 (4-ounce) can green chilies
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes diced
  • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning, store-bought or homemade
  • 2 (14-ounce) cans black beans, drained
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced

For Serving (optional)

  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Sour cream
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Sliced green onions
  • Diced avocado

Method

1. Place the beef and onion in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is browned, about 8 minutes.

2. Add the green chilies, chicken stock, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, black beans, corn, and bell peppers. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

3. Serve the soup in bowls topped with any toppings of your choice, as desired.

Nutrition Info

  • Per Serving
  • Amount
  • Calories 355
  • Protein 28 g
  • Carbohydrates 43 g
  • Total Fat 9 g
  • Dietary Fiber 9 g
  • Cholesterol 47 mg
  • Sodium 250 mg
  • Total Sugars 10 g

Taco Soup

Questions & Reviews

Rated 5 stars by 27 readers

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  • Sharon

    Can I freeze some of this recipe??

    Absolutely!

  • Crystal

    What heat should this simmer at? Medium, medium/low?

    Medium Low. Make sure it's not boiling. Hope you enjoy Crystal!

  • Marie

    How many cups of soup does this make?

    We do not have yield for this right now.

  • Lynn

    Is this gluten free

    Yes!

  • Brandy

    Is one serving 670 calories or is that divided into 6 servings, also what is a serving??

    Thank you

    One serving.

  • Brooks

    What is the serving size? How many ounces?

    I'm not sure exactly. We are working on adding a yield to our recipes. Sorry I can't be of more help.

  • Zoey

    How long would this recipe freeze for?

    I normally freeze my soups for no longer than 2-3 months.

  • sharon

    how can I reduce the amount of sodium in this recipe?

    There are quite a few ways to bring the sodium down here! Use dried beans that you cook yourself (instead of canned), use low-sodium chicken stock, and you could even reduce the salt in the homemade taco seasoning—yet another wonderful thing about making it yourself!

  • Jacqueline

    Can beef broth is used instead of chicken

    Totally. Any stock would work great in this recipe.

  • Meg

    Do you need to drain the fat from the beef after you brown it, or do you leave that in to simmer with the rest of the ingredients?

    Your preference. I tend to use 90/10 beef and I just leave it in the pan, because there isn't very much.

  • Autumn

    whoa! this was so easy and extremely delicious! only changes i did was added salt and extra heat with a spoonful of sambel oleak at the end. i served with sour cream and jalapeño. so excited for leftovers!

    Thanks Autumn, so glad you loved it!

  • Jennifer

    Very good recipe! 10/10
    I did spice it up a bit with some dried oregano, smoked paprika, and ancho chili powder.

    Thanks Jennifer, we are so happy you loved it!

  • KG

    Excellent and easy recipe. I used 1 1/2 tbsp of taco seasoning because I know the one I have is on the spicy side but it was perfect. Would be great for a crowd or for a potluck. Will make it again.

    Thanks KG, so happy you loved it!

  • Renee

    Awesome! My 13 yr old said it tastes like Chipotle.

    Thanks Renee, glad you loved it!

  • Michelle

    Loved the recipe! So simple and versatile. Tonight I used one can of roasted tomatoes, one regular diced. I had two bone-in chicken breasts so I poached them in the soup (instead of using ground beef) and shredded them after they had cooked through. At the very end I added cilantro, parsley and the juice of half a lemon. Absolutely delicious!

    Thanks Michelle, happy you loved it!

  • Nikolia

    Really tasty, quick to make, just what you need!

    Thanks Nikolia!

  • Andi

    This is so easy, delicious, and filling. Great recipe!

    Thanks Andi, so glad you loved it!

  • Andi

    This is so easy, delicious, and filling. Great recipe!

    Thanks Andi, we are so glad you love it!

  • Karolina

    I make this at least once a month. We absolutely love it.

    That's so great to hear Karolina! Glad you enjoy it!

  • Kerri

    I really love how simple it is to make this. The flavors work wonderfully together. The only adjustment I made was I didn't have any of the seasonings on hand that the recipe calls for so I added a taco seasoning packet. Hubby loved it! We dipped Frito Scoops in a bowl of this and it was a home run, hubby asked me to make it at least twice a month from now on and I would have to say I agree. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.

    That is such great new, thank you Kerri! We are so glad you both loved it so much!