Crock Pot Taco Soup
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Imagine walking into your home after a long day at work and being welcomed by the aroma of this comforting, healthy dinner. Print or save this Crock Pot Taco Soup recipe right now, because it’s about to become your best friend! Make it for a weeknight family meal or when hosting a crowd.
Or try our Instant Pot Taco Soup.
Why We Love This Soup
- Healthy: Like our Chicken Taco Soup, this wholesome soup is high in protein and fiber and filled with veggies. Unlike most versions on the internet, ours does NOT include a packet of store-bought Ranch seasoning, which is filled with MSG, additives, and excessive sodium.
- So Easy to Make: Perfect recipe for a beginner cook. Using simple ingredients, this soup only takes about 20 minutes of hands-on time. The crock pot does the rest! Check out more Easy Crock Pot Recipes.
- Delicious: One of our readers said it perfectly, “Absolutely loved this soup! Healthy and filling. Served with cheese nachos and it was delicious. Thank you girls!” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Kelly
- Customizable: Everyone in the fam can individualize their bowls with Tex-Mex toppings, too.
Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients you’ll need on hand…
Ingredient Notes:
- Lean ground beef – Sub: ground chicken or turkey (where to find meat you can trust).
- Use our homemade Taco seasoning.
- Petite diced tomatoes – Tip: Use fire-roasted tomatoes for more flavor.
- Shoepeg white corn – Sub: yellow corn.
- Black beans – Sub: pinto beans.
- Make your own Chicken broth.
- Mild salsa – Use medium if you like more spice!
- Optional Toppings: Shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, diced avocado, salsa, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, diced red onion, sliced green onions
Make Homemade Taco Seasoning
You probably have everything in your pantry needed to make your own taco seasoning for this soup. It’s healthier and cheaper! Use our Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe.
How to Make Taco Soup
Let’s walk through a bird’s eye view of how to make this soup in the crock pot.
Saute Ingredients
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmery. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper while they cook.
Add in ground beef and garlic and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat as it cooks, until the meat is cooked through (5-7 minutes.) Drain the grease from the meat.
Cook and Serve
Add the meat mixture, taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, green chilis, corn, beans, broth, and salsa to a 6 quart slow cooker and stir until combined. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (or HIGH for 3-4 hours).
Add in juice of 1 lime and stir. Serve warm with your favorite Tex Mex toppings.
What to Serve With Taco Soup
What do you eat with taco soup? Although the soup is a one-pot-wonder, you can serve it with other Mexican-inspired appetizers and side dishes like cornbread, guacamole and chips, or our Mexican Chopped Salad.
Can You Freeze Taco Soup?
Yes, taco soup freezes well either before or after cooking it. As freezer meal experts and cookbook authors, we’ve honed in on the very best methods to do this.
Freeze For Later:
Option 1 (Before Cooking): Follow Steps 1-2 in the recipe. To a gallon-sized freezer bag or container, add the taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, green chilis, corn, beans, broth, salsa, and the meat/onion mixture (once it has cooled down a bit). Seal tightly, squeezing out excess air, and freeze.
Option 2 (After Cooking): Follow all of the cooking instructions in the recipe. Let the soup cool and then freeze in airtight freezer containers.
Prepare From Frozen:
Option 1 (Before Cooking): Let the soup thaw completely using one of these safe methods. Follow Steps 3-4.
Option 2 (After Cooking): Let soup thaw completely. Then just warm up in the microwave, on the stove on low, or in the slow cooker on low, until warmed through.
Check out all of our delicious, easy, and healthy freezer meals recipes and our freezer meal cookbooks.
10+ Amazing Crock Pot Soups
If you like slow cooker soups, you will love this round up we have put together with our best of the best recipes.
Freezer Meal Quick Start Guide
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Can I Make This Soup in the Instant Pot?
Absolutely! Use our Instant Pot Taco Soup recipe to whip this up in the pressure cooker. It’s faster and uses less dishes than our crock pot version.
FAQs
Our version is healthy! We’ve created a taco soup recipe that’s filled with high-quality protein and packed with veggies. It’s relatively low in fat and carbs, too.
If you’re watching your salt intake, be sure to use low-sodium broth and “no salt” corn, black beans, and tomatoes.
Lastly, to kick up the nutritionally value, add in some healthy toppings such as diced avocado, plain Greek yogurt, a squeeze of fresh lime juice, diced green or red onion, and fresh cilantro.
You may be wondering, “how long is taco soup good for?” The USDA says that most leftovers, if refrigerated properly, are safe to eat within 3-4 days.
You can also freeze the soup and it will be safe indefinitely, although it will taste best if eaten within about 3 months.
Yes, taco soup is gluten-free as long as you use gluten-free taco seasoning. To be sure, either buy gluten-free taco packets at the store or make your own Homemade Taco Seasoning.
If you want a vegetarian taco soup recipe, try our delicious and super easy Crock Pot Tortilla Soup instead.
More Cozy Soups to Try
Be sure to Pin or bookmark these other popular soups on our site:
- Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup – A crowd-pleaser.
- Tomato Bisque – My family refuses any other.
- Cheeseburger Soup – Comfort in a bowl.
- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup – Might be my favorite recipe on the site.
- Potato Corn Chowder – AKA “Autumn Chowder”.
- Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup – A delightful twist on traditional chicken noodle soup.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Crock Pot Taco Soup
This hearty, comforting, and healthy Taco Soup recipe is about to become your best friend! Make it for a weeknight family meal or when hosting a crowd. Everyone can customize their bowl with their favorite Mexican toppings, too.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound lean ground beef (sub: ground chicken or turkey) (where to find meat you can trust)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3–4 tablespoons taco seasoning (or 1 store-bought packet)*
- 1 (15 oz) can petite diced tomatoes, juices and all (Tip: Use fire-roasted tomatoes for more flavor.)
- 1 (4 oz) can diced green chilis, juices and all
- 1 (11 oz) can shoepeg white corn, drained (sub: yellow corn)
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed (sub: pinto beans)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup mild or medium salsa* (recommend: Medium Mateo’s Salsa)
- Juice of 1 lime, plus more lime wedges for serving if desired
- Optional Toppings: Shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, diced avocado, salsa, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, diced red onion, sliced green onions, hot sauce
*The spice level of this soup is determined by the type of taco seasoning and salsa you choose.
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
Make It Now:
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmery. Add the onions and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper while they cook.
- Add in ground beef and garlic and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat as it cooks, until the meat is cooked through (5-7 minutes.) Drain the grease from the meat.
- Add the meat mixture, taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, green chilis, corn, beans, broth, and salsa to a crock pot and stir until combined. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (or HIGH for 3-4 hours).
- Add in juice of 1 lime and stir. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, as desired. Serve warm with your favorite Tex Mex toppings.
Freeze For Later:
Option 1 (Before Cooking): Follow Steps 1-2. To a gallon-sized freezer bag or container, add the taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, green chilis, corn, beans, broth, salsa, and the meat/onion mixture (once it has cooled down a bit). Seal tightly, squeezing out excess air, and freeze.
Option 2 (After Cooking): Follow all of the cooking instructions in the recipe. Let the soup cool and then freeze in airtight freezer containers.
Prepare From Frozen:
Option 1 (Before Cooking): Let the soup thaw completely using one of these safe methods. Follow Steps 3-4.
Option 2 (After Cooking): Let soup thaw completely. Then just warm up in the microwave, on the stove on low, or in the slow cooker on low, until warmed through.
Notes/Tips
Instant Pot Version: Try our Instant Pot Taco Soup recipe.
Stovetop Version: Try our similar big-batch Mexican Soup recipe.
Double the Batch: This recipe is very easy to make a double batch of, especially if you have a 6 quart crock pot. Then, freeze the leftovers for another meal.
Where We Get Our Ground Beef: We get our beef from ButcherBox. The beef is grass-fed and curated from trusted farms. We highly recommend this service to source healthy meat–like uncured bacon, chicken, and wild salmon–and have used it for years ourselves. Read my honest ButcherBox review.
Easy to put together but doesn’t blow my mind. Simple ingredients but not a lot of flavor. Of course, changing up brands of taco seasoning and salsa might kick it up a bit.
Hi Jenika, thank you for taking the time to give your input. From personal experience, I would say the types of seasoning and salsa used can make a big difference. Just eating salsa and chips, some have so much more flavor than others. One great thing about soups is the ability to customize for your family… add more heat, etc.
Absolutely loved this soup! Healthy and filling. Served with cheese nachos and it was delicious. Thank you girls
You are so welcome Kelly! Glad you found a keeper! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
I made this for the first time yesterday. It’s delicious! My husband and I were discussing options for different types of meat to try the next time I make it. Shredded beef, rotisserie chicken, pork carnitas… Also, this would be great for a get together. Thank you for the wonderful recipes!
You are so welcome Joan. I love all the ideas you have listed. Having a versatile recipe and one that works great for groups is such a blessing! Thanks for leaving a review.
This soup is SO good.