Taco Soup Slow Cooker Recipe

This Crockpot Taco Soup recipe has layers of flavor, and isn’t just one-note like many other slow cooker recipes. Includes variations for large batch, small batch, freezing and stovetop.

There used to be a restaurant chain here in the Midwest called Max & Erma’s that had delicious chicken tortilla soup. It was creamy, lightly spicy and so comforting on a cold day.

Sadly, I think the chain mostly went out of business a few years ago, and the only one still around is at the airport, I think.

This Crockpot Taco Soup is inspired by, but quite a bit different than that restaurant soup. My version is a little lighter (less creamy) and uses ground beef instead of chicken.

Unlike many other crock pot soup recipes out there, this one doesn’t just have a dull, one-note flavor. Deeply browned ground beef, tomatoes, two types of beans, green chiles and lots of seasoning give this soup layers of comforting flavor.

Taco Soup Recipe Crock Pot Ingredients

• ground beef – this is the meaty element of the soup, adding protein and texture. You could also use ground chicken or ground turkey.
• onion – chopped yellow onion serves as an aromatic base for this soup.
• canned diced tomatoes (and their liquid) – these add vibrant, tangy tomato flavor to the soup liquid.
• black beans (and their liquid) – adds fiber and protein and makes the soup more filling.
• pinto beans (and their liquid) – similar to black beans, but they bring their own distinct flavor and texture to this soup.
• beef broth – this provides most of the liquid base for the soup. I like to use a less-sodium kind since there is quite a bit of sodium in taco seasoning.
• tomato sauce – this concentrated tomato product helps thicken the soup.
• green chiles (and their liquid) – this bring a mild heat to this dish.
• corn -either frozen or canned corn will work here to add a touch of sweetness and vibrant color.
• taco seasoning mix – this is a convenient blend of various spices such as chili powder, cumin and cayenne for seasoning the soup with classic taco flavor. Store bought is great, or you can make homemade taco seasoning.

How to make Taco Soup in Slow Cooker

1. BROWN. If you have a slow cooker with a stovetop-safe insert, you can use it to brown the beef for this recipe. If not, just use a large skillet. Cook the beef and onion on the stove until the beef is browned.
2. ADD. Add the diced tomatoes, black beans, pinto beans, broth, tomato sauce, green chiles, corn, water and taco seasoning mix to the bowl of your slow cooker. Then, drain the excess fat from the beef and stir in the beef.
3. COOK. Cover the slow cooker and cook.
4. SERVE. Serve the soup topped with onion, cilantro, lime wedges, cheese, sour cream and/or tortilla chips.

How long to cook Taco Soup in Crock Pot

Cook taco soup in the crock pot for either 8 hours on low heat, or 4 hours on high heat.

Making this Taco Soup Crock Pot Recipe on the Stove

If you’d like to make this soup on the stove instead of a slow cooker, you can! Simply brown the beef and onion in a 5 quart or larger pot. Drain the excess fat from the meat, then stir in the remaining soup ingredients.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 30 minutes to let all of the flavors come together.

Taco Soup Slow Cooker Small Batch Option

If 12 cups of taco soup crock pot is way too much for you, I get it. I’m not a fan of having a half a can of beans left over, so I would adapt the recipe to use black beans OR pinto beans, not both.

I would also use all broth and omit the water, in order to use the entire can of broth.

To make 6 cups of soup (4 servings), please use the following ingredient amounts:

• 1/4 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with liquid
• 1 can (15.5 ounces) black beans OR pinto beans, with liquid
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) less sodium beef broth
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 to 1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped green chiles with liquid
• 1/2 cup frozen or canned corn
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix

What to serve with Crockpot Taco Soup

No side dishes are really needed – this is a meal in a bowl! However, the toppings might be my favorite part of this soup.

I like to top my taco soup with sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, chopped red onion, fresh cilantro and lime wedges for squeezing over.

Other ideas would be shredded lettuce, chopped fresh tomatoes and diced avocado.

How to store Crockpot Taco Soup Recipe

Can Taco Soup be frozen?

So, not gonna lie – the taco soup crock pot recipe below makes a LARGE batch of soup. It makes 12 cups (3 quarts!). I wasn’t originally planning to make this much, but once I dumped all of the cans in, that’s how much it ended up making.

Now, I don’t like to make recipes using half of a can of black beans (seriously, what am I going to do with the other half a can?), so personally, I would make the entire batch of this soup and then freeze at least half of it for future meals.

Wait for the soup to cool and then transfer to gallon freezer bags or other freezer-safe containers. Transfer to freezer and freeze up to 3 months.

How long is Taco Soup good for?

When stored properly in an airtight container, taco soup will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or, freeze it for up to 3 months.

‌How long to reheat Taco Soup?

If necessary, thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Reheat on the stove over medium heat, stirring frequently. Depending on the amount you are reheating, this should take about 8 to 10 minutes.

Or, reheat in the microwave on high power for about 3 to 5 minutes until hot, stirring every minute.

Taco Soup Slow Cooker FAQs