Taco soup makes a quick Mexican meal! You don’t need to get takeout; you can make this soup faster than you can get in your car, go to the drive-through, and come back home. If you are looking for one of those easy soup recipes that is filling, this taco soup recipe is the one you want to try!
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Table of Contents
Original taco soup recipe
Soup is good food, and when a bowl of it tastes as great as this taco soup with ground beef, you’ll want to cook it often. Thankfully, this recipe is quick and easy and uses common ingredients you probably already have in the kitchen. If you know how to use a can opener and brown ground beef (and if you don’t know how to cook ground beef, see below), you can do this.
Enjoy this extremely hearty beef taco soup as a light meal, or pair it with a sandwich or salad when you are really hungry. It’s a snap to customize, simple to cook in bulk, and stores wonderfully. Give this simple taco soup a try.
What makes taco soup so good?
With this recipe, it feels as if you are taking a bite of a delicious loaded taco! The only difference is that it is in the form of a satisfying soup. The combination of browned ground beef, succulent sweet corn, creamy kidney beans, and flavorful stewed tomatoes blend together in harmony, making a highly palatable meal.
Why you should try this recipe
- Faster than takeout and just as satisfying
- It uses pantry staples you likely already have
- Perfect for meal prep and freezer meals
- Kid-friendly and easily customizable
- Better on day two, making leftovers a treat
Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need:
- Ground beef – Provides protein and rich flavor foundation; fat content helps create a satisfying mouthfeel
- Taco seasoning – Delivers authentic Mexican flavor profile; helps season the entire pot evenly. You may want to try our homemade taco seasoning
- Canned corn – Adds sweet crunch and texture; liquid contributes to broth
- Canned kidney beans – Provides protein, fiber, and hearty texture; helps thicken the soup
- Canned stewed tomatoes – Creates base flavor and adds chunks of tender tomatoes
- Tomato sauce – Thickens soup and provides smooth tomato flavor throughout
- Water – Creates proper soup consistency; helps blend all flavors
Optional Toppings
- Shredded cheddar cheese – Adds creamy richness and traditional taco flavor
- Sour cream – Provides cooling contrast and creamy texture
- Diced avocado – Adds healthy fats and creamy texture
- Tortilla strips – Brings crunch and authentic taco element
- Fresh cilantro – Adds fresh flavor and color
- Lime wedges – Brightens flavors and adds acidity
Equipment Needed
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Can opener
- Colander for draining beef
- Measuring spoons
- Ladle for serving
How to make taco soup
- Brown ground beef and drain off the excess grease.
- Dump all ingredients in a large pot or skillet.
- Simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
- Serve and enjoy!
How to make taco soup in a slow cooker
- Keeps well on warm setting
- Brown meat first
- Then add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker
- Cook on low 4-6 hours
- Perfect for busy days
3 tips for cooking ground beef for soup
Cooking ground beef is a frequent kitchen task that is a little more complicated than it may initially seem. Sure, you can plop a bunch of ground beef in the middle of a hot pan and stir it now, but that’s not going to give you the best results. If you want great taste and texture, try these tricks.
Start with room-temperature ground beef. Thaw ground beef slowly in the fridge overnight. Don’t use the microwave or frozen meat. This helps the meat reabsorb juices and taste better.
Cook the ground beef in a large sauté pan with a thick bottom. This distributes the heat better. No additional oil is needed for cooking ground beef unless it is very lean. Evenly crumble the meat and use low heat to prevent drying and shrinking.
Use a wooden spatula to turn the meat over every few minutes. Cook slowly until the ground beef is no longer pink. If you notice liquid collecting in the pan, drain it to keep your beef from simmering. When done, drain the meat in a colander. If you want to reduce the fat and calories drastically, you can briefly rinse the ground beef.
Dietary Modifications
Lower Fat Version
- Use lean ground turkey or chicken
- Drain and rinse beans
- Use reduced-fat cheese
- Skip sour cream
Vegetarian Option
- Replace meat with extra beans
- Use vegetable broth instead of water
- Add diced mushrooms for meaty texture
- Include extra vegetables
Tips for serving this quick and easy taco soup
- Make it a day before. This soup actually tastes better the second day after cooking, so plan ahead.
- This soup is made for topping. Be creative and add what you love. See some topping ideas below.
If you plan to use garnishes, make sure to wait until the last minute before serving to do so. Only top the soup you will eat to keep the crispy toppings from getting soggy.
Sometimes, I will heat fresh flour tortillas and dig into this soup instead of using tortilla strips; it is entirely up to you!
Troubleshooting Tips
Too Thick
- Add water or broth gradually
- Stir between additions
- Keep track of amount added
Too Thin
- Simmer uncovered longer
- Add tomato paste
- Let stand 5 minutes before serving
Too Mild
- Add extra taco seasoning
- Include diced green chilies
- Offer hot sauce on the side
Recipe Success Tips
- Start with room-temperature meat
- Don’t overcook the ground beef
- Taste before adding salt (taco seasoning contains salt)
- Add toppings just before serving
- Make ahead for better flavor
Scaling Tips
To Double
- Use larger pot
- Increase simmer time by 5-10 minutes
- Keep seasoning proportional
To Halve
- Use smaller pot
- Keep cooking time the same
- Store extra opened cans separately
How to store and reheat taco soup
This soup makes a lot of soup. To refrigerate your leftovers, store the leftover soup in an airtight container for up to five days. To freeze the soup, store it in a freezer-safe container or a vacuum-sealed bag.
I recommend reheating the soup by placing the portion you want in a pot and reheating it over medium heat until the soup has been heated through.
If you want to reheat frozen soup, pull it out of the freezer the night before and thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating it on the stovetop.
More soup and chili recipes
- Southwest Chicken Soup
- Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup Recipe
- Wendy’s Chili
- White Bean Chicken Chili
- Navy Bean Soup Recipe
- Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe
- Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- She Crab Soup Recipe
- Potato Soup with Milk
- Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Favorite taco recipes
Be sure to check out more of my hearty soup recipes and the best Mexican food recipes here on CopyKat.com!
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Easy Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 ounce taco seasoning
- 15 ounces corn 1 can, do not drain
- 15 ounces kidney beans 1 can, do not drain
- 29 ounces stewed tomatoes
- 15 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Brown ground beef and drain.
- Dump all ingredients in a large pot and simmer approximately 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
I am cooking this tonight for the Fam So wish me luck.I will be substituting some things but most definitely cooking just like the recipe
I think she’s referring to your sentence in the post, where you must’ve typed “refrigerator” when you meant to type “pantry.’ Some people have too much time on their hands 🙂 And most all know you don’t keep cans in the refrigerator…..
Two pounds ground beef or round, 1 onion, 1 pkg taco seasoning, 1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch mix, 2 cans Ranch Style beans, 1 can rotel, 1 can corn. Heat (after cooking ground beef and onion)
Thank you for your recipe.
I do this one a little different after MANY batches of trying to make it better. (It is better though if left to simmer, or as left overs!) First I use real onion, and then brown the beef with it. I also add a little pork 1/3 to 2/3rds beef. Next I put in rotel tomatoes instead of taco mix. (Cuts the sodium and adds more flavor) And the last time I made it, I put in this corn almost corn salsa instead of plain corn. Was another level of “yummy” It is easy to make fast, but as I said so much better if left to simmer a few hours, and even better as leftovers. I love to use “scoops” instead of chips!! It’s a great winner for potlucks too!
Lots of great suggestions thank you for sharing!
I use a 2/3 pound beef, 1/3 pork, I don’t do the taco mix, (too full of chemicals, salt, ect) I use Rotel instead. (Lime and Cilantro is the best) but you can pick out “mild” to hot this way too. And I use fresh onion, just tastes better. The last time I made this I used a Corn/salsa instead of plain corn, was SUPER good. it’s fun to play with this and make it your own… more spicy, ect ect.
The best! I used a 14.5 oz can chopped tom and the rest rotel and instead of corn I used hominy! Very good!
It sounds like that would be closer to pesole then.
Also subbed rotel for the tomato sauce. Also added orange and yellow peppers, onion and dry ranch packet. Yummy!!!
I am sure it was great.
This soup is kinda of like chili.
I think it is.
I make this all the time, but I add 1 can of pinto beans, and a package of ranch salad dressing mix and it is amazing! I also top with sour cream along with the cheese and tortilla strips.
Oh yeah, and I use 1 can of original Rotel instead of tomato sauce.
This soup is great. We also add a package of ranch salad dressing mix (the powdered kind)to the ground beef.
HAS ANYONE EVER PUT POTATOES IN THIS SOUP? THIS RECIPE SOUNDS WONDERFUL. DO I DOUBLE EVERYTHING IF I WANT MORE?
This recipe doubles very well. I have not added potatoes, but if you do I would add some additional water, this soup is fairly thick.
I make a similar version and always add cut up red potatoes. I also use beef broth instead of water. I could eat this every night!
Besides cheese & chips…garnish with sour cream, cilantro & a drizzle of hot pepper sauce for a colorful,beautiful restaurant quality meal in a bowl,
I have tweeked this soup some more. I have added a can of black beans plus a can of Bush’s Grillin Beans – Black bean fiesta, plus some red and green peppers while I am browning the meat. Don’t drain the beans !!
Those sound like some really nice tweeks you have made. I was wondering how those Bush’s Grillin beans tasted, but I can see you gave them your seal of approval. I’ll often throw in other random veggies that are in my refrigerator.
What size cans of corn, beans, and tomato sauce?
For the cans with the exception of the tomato sauce, use the 14.5 – 15 ounce cans. Different manufactors put their food in different size of cans. You know this recipe is highly flexible. I normally use this use to help me clean out my pantry.
I’VE BEEN MAKING THIS SOUP FOR YEARS. IT’S WONDERFUL!.. BEEF OR CHICKEN BROTH SUBSTITUTED FOR WATER ADDS MUCH FLAVOR. ANY BEAN WORKS JUST FINE! WELL, NOT GREEN ONES, OF COURSE!
I like this it is quick and easy! replaced black beans for kidney or you could substitue pinto..
Yummy
I made this soup and it was great. I made one adjustment and that was adding a chopped onion when I was browning the ground beef. I also drained the ground beef before adding the rest of the ingredients. It is a keeper soup for us.
I’m beginning to think that the people that post "Mexican" recipes that use kidney beans are from up North. Substitute kidney’s with Ranch Style or Pinto.
We really like to spice this one up by substituting ranch style beans for the kidney beans and adding 2-3 ancho chilis in adobo. Yum! The corn really cuts the heat as does the cheese…can be left out without missing it!