The Best Taco Soup Recipe (Stove-top, Slow Cooker or Instant Pot)

This is The Best Taco Soup recipe – it can be made totally from scratch or easily from canned goods! You can also make it on the stovetop, in your slow cooker, or in your Instant Pot. It’s delicious, filling, cheap (for a big family), and always a crowd-pleaser.

Originally posted October 2013, updated April 2026

Best Taco Soup

This easy taco soup recipe is one of my family’s favorite meals. It’s hearty, full of flavor, and made with simple pantry staples like ground beef, canned beans and corn, and common seasonings.  It’s everything you love about tacos, just in cozy soup form.

This delicious taco soup is also one of my favorite easy weeknight meals because it comes together quickly on the stovetop. Or you can just as easily toss everything into a crockpot or an Instant Pot for a hands-off version. However you make it, this taco soup is delicious and your whole family will love it.

Why You’ll Love This Taco Soup

• Made with pantry staples
• A great way to use lean ground beef, ground turkey, or even ground chicken
• Easy to customize with your favorite beans and toppings
• Perfect for busy nights or meal prep
• One of the best easy soup recipes for feeding a crowd

Ingredients

There is nothing special about these Taco Soup ingredients, but when put together, they really do make the best taco soup!

Note: there’s no need to drain any of the canned ingredients for this recipe!

• Ground beef
• Onion, chopped
• Whole kernel corn (or frozen corn or fresh corn cut off the cob)
• Rotel tomatoes (or diced tomatoes with green chiles)
• Kidney beans
• Great northern beans
• Black beans
• Dry taco seasoning mix (or homemade taco seasoning)
• Dry ranch dressing mix
• Water
• Optional toppings:
  • Corn chips
  • Tortilla chips
  • Cornbread (or Sweet Cornbread)
  • Shredded cheese (any variety)
  • Sour cream
  • Avocado or guacamole
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Fresh diced green onions
  • Hot sauce

Find the complete recipe with ingredient measurements in the recipe card below.

Substituions

One thing I love most about this recipe is how versatile it is. Here are some of the easy changes you can make, depending on what you like and what you have on hand:

• Ground beef – you can use any ground meat. Ground turkey, ground chicken or even ground deer meat (common for us with all the hunters in my family). Or you can skip the meat altogether for a vegetarian soup.
• Canned corn, frozen corn, or fresh corn all work just as well in this recipe. 
• Rotel tomatoes – you can use diced tomatoes plus a small can of green chiles
• Beans – canned beans are obviously the easiest, but you can also cook dry beans for this recipe. I often make big batches of dry beans in my Instant Pot, freeze them in batches, and use them in this soup. Also, you can change up the types of beans. Other than what’s listed, you can use navy beans, white beans, pinto beans, etc.
• Taco Seasoning Mix: store-bought packets work great, or you can use this DIY Taco Seasoning.

How to Make Taco Soup

This is a super easy recipe – cook the beef, crack open a few cans and a couple of seasoning packets, and you’re good to go! 

1. Place a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the ground beef and chopped onion. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the beef is fully browned and the onion is soft. Drain any excess grease.

2. Add all of the canned ingredients (do not drain them), along with the seasonings and 1 to 2 cups of water. If you’re using frozen ingredients instead of canned, you may need to add an extra cup or two of water.

3. If you’re using frozen ingredients instead of canned, you may need to add an extra cup or two of water.
4. Stir everything together until well combined and bring the soup to a gentle simmer.

1. Reduce the heat to low and let the soup cook for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add more water if needed to reach your desired consistency.
2. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then serve hot with your favorite toppings.

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

This Crockpot Taco Soup is one of the easiest ways to make a cozy soup with very little effort.

1. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground meat and onion until browned. Drain any excess grease.
2. Transfer the meat to your crock pot.
3. Add all of the canned ingredients (do not drain them), along with the seasonings and 1 to 2 cups of water. Stir well.
4. Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.
5. Stir before serving and adjust seasoning if needed.
6. Serve with corn chips or tortilla chips, a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, and a squeeze of lime for the best flavor.

Instant Pot Taco Soup

Making this easy taco soup in the Instant Pot is quick and perfect for busy nights and only requires 10 minutes of cooking.

1. Turn the Instant Pot to sauté mode with a drizzle of olive oil in the bottom.
2. Add the diced onions plus lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken and cook until browned, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon.
3. Add all of the canned ingredients (do not drain them), along with the seasonings and 1 to 2 cups of water. Stir well.
4. Secure the lid and set to high pressure for 10 minutes.
5. Allow a natural release for 10 minutes, then carefully do a quick release.
6. Stir and serve hot with your favorite toppings like cheddar cheese, green onions, and tortilla chips.

What to Serve with Taco Soup

The best taco soup recipe with ranch dressing is loading it with your favorite taco toppings:

• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Green onions
• Tortilla chips or corn chips
• Dollop of sour cream
• Squeeze of lime
• Dashes of hot sauce
• Cornbread

You can also crush tortilla chips right into the bowl for extra texture.

Tips for the Best Taco Soup

• Use a mix of beans like black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, or great northern beans for the best flavor
• Add a spoonful of tomato paste if you want a thicker soup
• Swap the water for beef broth, chicken broth or chicken stock for added flavor
• Adjust the spice level with cayenne pepper or hot sauce
• Let it simmer longer for deeper flavor

Variations

• Use ground turkey or ground chicken for a lighter version
• Add corn or extra vegetables like bell pepper
• Stir in shredded chicken breasts instead of ground meat for Chicken Taco Soup
• Make it vegetarian by skipping the meat and adding more beans

Storage

• Store leftover taco soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• To freeze, let the soup cool to room temperature, then transfer to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
• Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave until warmed through.

FAQ

This really is the best taco soup when you need something easy, filling, and full of flavor. It’s one of those recipes you’ll come back to again and again because it’s simple, flexible, and always a hit.

Serve it with corn chips or tortilla chips, pile on your favorite toppings, and you’ve got a dinner everyone will love.

Love tacos? Check out this Low Carb Chicken Taco Casserole.