Easy Taco Soup

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Taco Soup is the dinner I make when I want taco night without standing at the stove assembling anything. Ground beef browns first, then everything else, beans, corn, tomatoes, and broth, goes into the same pot and simmers until it’s thick enough to eat with a spoon instead of a fork.

The flavor comes from a combination that sounds unusual until you taste it: a packet of taco seasoning stirred in alongside a packet of ranch seasoning. The ranch mix rounds out the taco spice with a little herby tang, and together they do more work than either one would on its own.

Leaving the liquid in the canned beans, corn, and tomatoes instead of draining them is what builds the broth. Skip the draining step and that starchy, seasoned canning liquid becomes part of the soup itself, so you need less added broth and get more flavor out of what’s already in the pot.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One pot, dump and simmer. Brown the beef, add everything else, and let it simmer while you do something else.
• A double dose of seasoning. Taco seasoning and ranch seasoning together give it more depth than either one alone.
• Freezer-friendly. This soup freezes and reheats well, so it’s a solid one to double for later.
• Endlessly toppable. Cheese, sour cream, tortilla strips, whatever’s in the fridge works on top.

Taco Soup Ingredients

Don’t drain the beans, corn, or tomatoes before adding them. That liquid is doing double duty as broth, so pouring it out means starting the soup with less flavor already built in.

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 (1 oz) packet taco seasoning
• 1 (1 oz) packet ranch seasoning mix
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, undrained
• 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, undrained
• 1 (15 oz) can corn, undrained
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups beef broth
• Shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla strips, for serving

Recipe Variations

• Use hot Rotel or add a diced jalapeño with the onion for more heat.
• Swap the ground beef for ground turkey, just cook it to 165°F instead of 160°F.
• Stir in a can of drained fire-roasted diced tomatoes in place of one of the regular cans for a smokier flavor.

How to Make Taco Soup

1. Brown the beef: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the ground beef and onion until the beef is browned, about 6-8 minutes. Drain excess grease.
2. Season: Stir in the taco seasoning and ranch seasoning mix and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.
3. Add everything else: Add the black beans, pinto beans, corn, diced tomatoes with green chilies, diced tomatoes, and beef broth, including the liquid from the cans.
4. Simmer: Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
5. Serve: Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla strips.

Recipe FAQs

Do I Really Not Drain the Beans and Tomatoes?

Right, leave them undrained. That liquid thickens and seasons the soup as it simmers, so draining it means a thinner, blander pot.

Can I Use Ground Turkey Instead of Beef?

Yes. Cook it the same way and make sure it reaches 165°F instead of the 160°F beef needs.

How Do I Make It Spicier or Milder?

For more heat, use hot Rotel or add a diced jalapeño with the onion. For milder, use plain diced tomatoes in place of the diced tomatoes with green chilies.

Can I Freeze Taco Soup?

Yes. It freezes well in an airtight container for up to 3 months, since there’s no dairy in the base to separate when it thaws.

Can I Make This in a Slow Cooker, and Does It Double Well?

Yes to both. Brown the beef on the stove first, then add everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours. It doubles easily in a large pot or a 6-quart or bigger slow cooker.

Cooking Tips

• Brown the beef well before adding the seasoning packets. A deeper brown on the meat means more flavor built into the base before the liquid goes in.
• Let it simmer the full 20-25 minutes even though everything is technically already cooked. That time is what thickens the soup and melds the flavors together.
• Taste before adding salt. Taco seasoning, ranch seasoning, and canned beans all bring their own salt, so the soup rarely needs much extra.

Storage and Freezing

To store: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

To reheat: Warm on the stovetop over medium-low heat, or in the microwave, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of broth if it’s thickened up too much in the fridge.

How to Serve Taco Soup

Cornbread or tortilla chips on the side make it a full meal, and a bowl of taco soup keeps well as leftovers for lunch the next day. This is one of the recipes in our 30 Easy Ground Beef Dinners collection, and more quick, budget-friendly ground beef dinners for busy weeknights are on the way.

Loved This Recipe?

Taco Soup gets all the flavor of taco night into one pot, with barely any of the assembly.

Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.