Taco Soup with Ground Beef (25 minute recipe)
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A hearty taco soup with ground beef, bell peppers, beans, corn, and a savory tomato broth seasoned with homemade taco seasoning. Top it with avocado, cheddar, and tortilla chips for an easy Tex-Mex dinner ready in about 25 minutes.
Taco soup is one of those cozy, big-flavored dinners I reach for when I want maximum Tex-Mex payoff for almost no effort. It starts with ground beef, onions, garlic, and bell peppers cooked down together and seasoned with my homemade taco seasoning, then simmered in a tomato-based broth with beans and corn until every spoonful tastes deep and savory.
Here’s a small thing that makes a big difference: reach for lean ground beef. A taco soup really lives or dies by its broth, and fattier beef leaves a slick of grease across the top that mutes all those bright taco flavors. Lean beef keeps the broth clean and savory, so the seasoning, tomatoes, and sweet pops of corn come through clearly. The frozen corn is my favorite part, those little bursts of sweetness against the savory broth. If lean isn’t what you have on hand, no problem, just spoon off some of the fat after browning before the rest of the ingredients go in.
This one is a spin on my popular chicken taco soup, and it’s every bit as easy. Dinner is on the table in about 25 minutes with hardly any effort, and it’s endlessly flexible, so add more or less of whatever you like. I top my bowl with diced avocado, a little cheddar, and, when I’m feeling bold, some spicy tortilla chips.
What to serve with taco soup
Taco soup is easily a meal in itself, rich and hearty enough to fill you up on its own. That said, I sometimes like to round it out with a side or two, especially something that brings a little more veggie freshness to the table. A creamy Mexican corn dip with tortilla chips is always a hit, and so is a big bowl of easy guacamole for scooping. When I want something crisp and cooling alongside all that warm, savory soup, a Mexican cucumber salad is just the thing.
Store, reheat, freeze
Store: Once the soup has cooled, transfer it to a covered container. It will keep for 3-4 days in your fridge. Leftovers taste even better the next day!
Reheat: I prefer to reheat soup in a pot over medium heat, but a microwave also works.
Freeze: This soup freezes very well. I’ve found that the best way to store soup is in these reusable Stasher freezer bags.
Taco Soup with Ground Beef (25 minute recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion (minced)
- 1 medium bell pepper (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- Optional: 1 minced jalapeño (if you want it spicy)
- 6 tablespoons taco seasoning (I love using my homemade taco seasoning)
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 15 ounce can black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 15 ounce can pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
- 2 cups frozen corn
- Sea salt and pepper (to taste)
- Optional: 4-ounces cream cheese
- Optional toppings: grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro, tortilla chips, lime juice, diced avocado
Instructions
- Add the ground beef to a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook the beef until most of the pink is gone, about 7 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and (if using) the jalapeño and cook until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes.1 lb lean ground beef, 1 medium onion, 1 medium bell pepper, 3 cloves garlic, Optional: 1 minced jalapeño
- Add the taco seasoning to the pot and stir. Then add the chicken stock, diced tomatoes, and beans and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.6 tablespoons taco seasoning, 4 cups chicken stock, 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, 15 ounce can black beans, 15 ounce can pinto beans
- Add the corn to the pot and let it warm for a few minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.2 cups frozen corn, Sea salt and pepper
- If using the cream cheese, cut it into small pieces and add it to the soup then stir until it dissolves into the soup.Optional: 4-ounces cream cheese
- Serve with any or all of the optional toppings.Optional toppings: grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro, tortilla chips, lime juice, diced avocado
Video
Nutrition
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This recipe was very easy to assemble. It was good consistency & very tasteful.
So happy to hear it was a hit, Edith!
Just made this and really had to amp it up. I added all of the homemade taco seasoning. I really think the seasoning needs to be added to the hamburger meat so it can bloom… Maybe a little oil?
I did use a whole jalapeño… It wasn’t very spicy. Oh, I did use fire roasted tomatoes. I then added Tabasco sauce. I probably would make it again.
From reading the recipe, sounds like it’s easy to make.. Thanks for the great recipe.😊
You’re welcome!
This taco soup was a quick, easy to make, and delicious meal. The temps have been dropping a little this week, and Florida, so it was perfect!!!
Gimme a bowl of this over tacos any day. Cozy and delicious!
This is great soup on a cold winters day!
This taco soup was really amazing! Super rich, I will make it again!