Our family favorite taco soup! It can be made on the stove top or in the crock pot. This taco soup recipe is as easy as it gets and feeds a bunch of people!
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I've been making this taco soup recipe for over 10 years now. Not only do we enjoy this Mexican soup year round, but we always have it on Halloween while hosting friends. I'll fix it in the crock pot so it stays nice and warm while we're out trick or treating!
It's past Halloween now, but you can warm up with this taco soup all winter long! Some people might call this "chili" and I actually plan on making it for our chili cook-off at church in a couple of weeks. But, the flavors are of taco seasoning and best served with Fritos and taco fixins like sliced or diced avocados, shredded cheese, and sour cream.
Crock Pot Recipe
You can prepare this recipe on the crock pot or on the stove. Use the crock pot for party guests and fix and forget, or you can make it on the stove over low heat. I love using my favorite Dutch oven when cooking it on the stove.
If you use the crock pot to make this, first brown the meat before adding to the slow cooker bowl. Then, dump in the rest of the ingredients, give it a quick stir and let it cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Freezer Instructions
You can freeze taco soup. If you are not making it for a crowd, then plan to freeze the leftovers. The soup freezes in a zipper bag very well and heats up beautifully on the stove when you're ready to enjoy it later! Make sure you let the soup cool to room temperature before transferring to a freezer bag.
This will store in the fridge for up to a week, but it will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months! I like to consume any of my freezer meals within 3 months, though, for best taste.
What to serve with taco soup?
This soup is great on its own, but it definitely is stepped up a bit when you top it with our favorite taco fixins. Serve it with sliced or diced avocados, a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, and chopped green onions.
Corn bread or baked potatoes go well with taco soup, too, but turns it more into a chili type dish. I would opt for either the cornbread/potato or the taco fixins, not both.
This recipe was originally published on October 21, 2008 and updated with new photos on November 18, 2019.
Taco Soup
Ingredients
- 2 lb lean ground beef
- 2 cups diced onions
- 2 15.5 oz. cans pinto beans
- 1 can (15 ½ oz.) pink kidney beans
- 1 can (15 ¼ oz.) whole kernel corn , drained
- 1 can (14 ½ oz.) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes
- 1 can (14 ½ oz.) diced tomatoes
- 1 can (10 oz.) can tomatoes with chiles
- 2 (4 ½ oz.) cans diced green chiles
- 1 package (1 ¼ oz.) taco seasoning mix
- 1 oz. package ranch salad dressing mix
Optional Toppings:
- Corn chips (like Fritos)
- Sour cream
- Shredded cheese
- Diced avocado
- Chopped green onions
Instructions
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet over medium heat; drain the excess fat. Transfer to a 6 qt. slow cooker.
- Add the rest of the soup ingredients (not the toppings) and cook in the slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours.
Stove-top Instructions
- Brown the ground beef and onions in a large Dutch oven or stockpot; drain the excess fat.
- Add the rest of the soup ingredients (not the toppings) and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour.
Serving Instructions
- To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Allow everyone to choose their optional toppings.
