Taco Soup Recipe - Easy Slow Cooker, Stovetop or Pressure Cooker

This easy taco soup recipe is a slow cooker favourite made with beef mince, pinto and black beans, corn, tomatoes and taco seasoning. It takes just 10 minutes of active cooking before everything goes into the slow cooker to simmer away, but you can also make it on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot. A secret combination of seasoning gives this hearty soup a creamy, tangy kick. It's perfect for meal prep, feeding a crowd or an easy weeknight dinner.

About Taco Soup

Taco soup is a real crockpot special - as in it is best done in the crockpot over other methods and uses a whole range of vegetables from pinto and black beans, corn and tomatoes with sauteed beef mince. It's great for feeding a crowd or for meal prep or if you want to take lunch to work.

This taco soup recipe is so easy (it's a dump and leave recipe) and uses lots of pantry staples. It has about 10 minutes active cooking time and the rest is done in the slow cooker!

Video How To Make Taco Soup Recipe

Ingredients For Taco Soup Recipe

Beef mince - I made this with lean beef mince but use whichever one you have.

Onions - Brown, white or red onions, it's up to you!

Garlic cloves - You can also replace with 3 teaspoons garlic powder.

Beans - We use a combo of tinned pinto and black beans. You can also sub with red kidney beans, borlotti and cannellini beans.

Corn kernels - tinned corn kernels, can also use frozen or fresh.

Tomatoes - diced tinned tomatoes. If using whole tomatoes, chop up for even distribution in the soup.

Jalapeno - Optional but I love a bit of heat.

Broth - I use both chicken and beef broth because beef gives it colour while chicken gives it a more well rounded flavour. But use all chicken or all beef if you prefer!

Taco seasoning - I make my own taco seasoning mix using this recipe.

Tajin seasoning - The secret weapon for Mexican food. Tajin is a lime chilli salt seasoning mix. Available at the supermarket.

Cream cheese or sour cream - To give the soup a light creaminess and balance.

Ranch seasoning powder - Hidden Valley ranch seasoning powder. This is a dry blend of buttermilk, garlic, onion, herbs and spices. I wasn't going to add this as it can be hard to find outside the US (although you can find it at American import stores). It really adds a gorgeous tangy, creamy kick and besides there are lots of American readers here too!

For other similar hearty soups, try my Mexican Albondigas Meatball Soup or this tortilla soup using chicken. Or if you feel like taco salad, try this recipe!

Taco Soup Recipe

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Recipe Overview

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 3-8 hours

Serves: 6

Ingredients Needed

• 2 teaspoons oil
• 500g/1.1lb beef mince
• 2 onions, peeled and diced
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
• 400g/14oz tin pinto beans, drained
• 400g/14oz tin of corn kernels, drained
• 400g/14oz tin black beans, drained
• 800g/28oz diced tomatoes
• 1 jalapeno, chopped
• 1 cup each chicken and beef broth
• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1 teaspoon tajin seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 125g/4oz cream cheese or sour cream
• 4 tablespoons ranch seasoning powder (optional)

Serve with - Avocado - Halved lime - More sour cream - Corn Chips - Mexican cheese blend

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1 MINCE - Add oil (2 teaspoons oil) to a frying pan and add the mince (500g/1.1lb beef mince), breaking it up. Brown the mince until it releases juices and then add the onions (2 onions) and saute until the mince is completely cooked and the onions are soft. Add the garlic (3 garlic cloves) and cook for 1 minute.

Step 2 COOK - To a slow cooker, add the drained pinto beans (400g/14oz tin pinto beans), black beans (400g/14oz tin black beans), corn kernels (400g/14oz tin corn kernels), tomatoes (800g/28oz diced tomatoes), jalapeno (1 jalapeno), chicken and beef broth (1 cup each chicken and beef broth), cooked mince and onions, taco seasoning (2 tablespoons taco seasoning) and Tajin (1 teaspoon Tajin seasoning) and set your slow cooker to 6-8 hours low heat or 3-4 hours high heat. In the last 30 minutes add the cream cheese or sour cream (125g/4oz cream cheese or sour cream) and ranch seasoning powder (4 tablespoons ranch seasoning powder, optional) and stir through and then add salt (1 teaspoon salt) and black pepper (1/2 teaspoon black pepper). Ladle into bowls and serve with avocado, lime, sour cream, corn chips and Mexican cheese blend.

Personal Note

I was inspired to make this by my favourite TikTok account Raising Cades. She suggested the ranch seasoning mix and honestly she's completely right about how good it is. I couldn't wait to make this and normally when I cook, I like having Teddy and Milo out of the kitchen. They often get underfoot and it can be dangerous. Now they leave me alone when I am cooking and stay in Mr NQN's office. But for this taco soup, Teddy was uncharacteristically clingy. We have dog beds in every room and Teddy plonked himself on the kitchen doggy bed and sat there watching every single move.

I don't know if it's the taco soup that he loves so much but when I was prepping it he sat there watching intently and when it was finished and I was serving it up I noticed he was sitting there, peeking through the curtain watching me!

And since then every time I make taco soup, Teddy is there watching. Sadly he can't eat it as it has plenty of things that dogs shouldn't eat. But that doesn't stop his obsession!

So tell me Dear Reader, do your pets watch you while you cook? And do you use a slow cooker often?