This Taco Soup recipe is easy to make with ground beef and your favorite taco ingredients. It can be made on the stove top or in the Crock Pot and also makes the best freezer meal for easy lunches and dinners.
Be sure to try my recipe for Taco Stuffed Shells next!
Taco Soup
I think that every recipe should have a Taco version of it. (As is evident by my Taco Casserole, Taco Salad, Taco Lasagna, Taco Pasta, and Taco Stuffed Peppers.)
I will warn you though, it’s really hard to stop eating this soup. It starts with one little bite, and before you know it, your bowl is completely empty. You’ve been warned.
Feel free to add in some frozen or canned corn, use diced peppers instead of jalapeno, different kinds of beans, etc. Make it your own! (And be sure to check out all of my soup recipes!)
How to Make It
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions. See notes section of recipe card for Crock Pot instructions
Cook and crumble the ground beef and onions in a large soup pot until cooked through. Add the jalapeno and garlic, and cook until softened. Add the butter, taco seasoning, hot sauce, oregano, mustard powder, and cayenne.
Add the diced tomatoes and use liquid to “clean” the bottom and sides of the pot. This will give the soup more flavor. Add the enchilada sauce and black beans.
Add the beef and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to low. Add the sour cream and cream cheese to a small bowl and mix warm broth into it until combined, then add it to the soup. Remove from heat.
Slowly sprinkle in the cheese, stirring continuously. Serve!
Pro Tips
- An 8 oz. can of tomato sauce may be used as an alternative to enchilada sauce but I prefer the depth of flavor that enchilada sauce adds. My homemade enchilada sauce makes 14 oz. and tastes great in this soup, feel free to add the whole batch.
- Don’t use reduced fat sour cream as the lower fat content is likely to cause it to curdle when added to the warm soup.
- Make sure the base of the soup isn’t too hot when the cheese is added, or the dairy can separate and create a grainy consistency.
- Corn (canned or frozen) makes a nice addition to this soup as well and can be added when the black beans are added.
- Consider using reduced sodium broth, taco seasoning, and unsalted butter if preferred!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This soup freezes well.
Try These Next
- Easy Chili Recipe
- Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Taco Spaghetti
- Taco Pasta
- Shrimp Pasta
- Cajun Chicken
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Tried This Recipe?
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Taco Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- ½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ lbs. ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 oz. packet Taco Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more if desired
- 10 oz. red enchilada sauce
- 10 oz. diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
- 15.5 oz. black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups chicken broth
Equipment
Instructions
- Shred the cheese and set it aside along with the sour cream and cream cheese. They should not be cold when added to the soup.
- Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat and cook and crumble the ground beef for 5 minutes. Add the diced onions and cook for 3 more minutes, or until the ground beef is cooked through. Drain grease.
- Add the peppers and soften for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the butter and let it melt. Stir in the taco seasoning, hot sauce, oregano, mustard powder, and cayenne.
- Add the undrained tomatoes and use the liquid to "clean" the bottom and sides of the pot with a silicone spatula. This will give the soup more flavor.
- Add the enchilada sauce and drained/rinsed black beans. Stir to combine. Add the beef and chicken broth.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low. Place the sour cream and cream cheese in a small bowl and spoon in about 1/4 cup of broth. Stir until well-combined, then add it to the soup and stir to combine.
- Remove from heat. Sprinkle in the cheese and stir to combine. Serve!
Notes
- An 8 oz. can of tomato sauce may be used as an alternative to enchilada sauce but I prefer the depth of flavor that enchilada sauce adds. My homemade enchilada sauce makes 14 oz. and tastes great in this soup, feel free to add the whole batch.
- Don’t use reduced fat sour cream as the lower fat content is likely to cause it to curdle when added to the warm soup.
- Make sure the base of the soup isn't too hot when the cheese is added, or the dairy can separate and create a grainy consistency.
- Corn (canned or frozen) makes a nice addition to this soup as well and can be added when the black beans are added.
- Consider using reduced sodium broth, taco seasoning, and unsalted butter if preferred!
Crock Pot Method
- Follow steps 2-5 as outlined in the recipe card above.
- Transfer it to the slow cooker and add the enchilada sauce, black beans, chicken broth, and beef broth.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4.
- Switch heat to warm.
- Place the sour cream and cream cheese in a small bowl and spoon in about 1/4 cup of broth. Stir until well-combined, then add it to the soup and stir to combine.
- Turn heat off and sprinkle in the cheese, stirring as you do so. Serve!
- Nutritional information per cup, there are approximately 12 cups in this recipe.
Stephanie, this is my absolute favorite recipe! I’m addicted! The only changes I make are to add a can of corn and a can of chili beans. Thanks so much for sharing such an amazing recipe!
That makes me so happy! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!😃
The way that you are able to get layers and layers of flavor is always astounding. This will be on a new rotation for us during soup season. We tried it out this week and my pickiest eater loved it!! She never wants anything with her taco meat, she eats it plain by the spoonful but she couldn’t get enough of this soup. We added avocado and tortilla strips to it. Absolutely perfect!
Thanks so much for the great comments Kelsy! I’m so happy the pickiest eater loved it so much!💖
I absolutely love this recipe. I always add a can of corn like you suggested. The whole family never gets tired of it.
I was wondering, if I freeze it, how long should I reheat a single serving?
Hi Leashy! I’m so happy that you love this recipes! Are you going to be reheating a single serving in the microwave? I just reheat it from frozen for 3-4 minutes or so, and then I’ll stir and gauge from there, reheating for 45 seconds more at a time or so until your desired temp is obtained 🙂
Made this last night and it was delicious! Question tho can you freeze the leftovers?
Hi Ashley! Yes, leftovers freeze well!!
What a fantastic flavor in this soup recipe! I only added 1 jalapeño & no hot sauce for my picky eater but had it on the side with tortilla chips, extra cheese, sour cream, chopped avocado, and chopped cilantro. I got rave reviews from everyone so you know this is a solid soup recipe! My picky eater asked me to make it again and that’s saying something! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I’m so happy even the picky eater enjoyed it Kathy, nice work! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and review!💕
Delicious! Had green chilies instead of jalapeños, pintos instead of black beans, worked great. My base was a little too hot when I added the creams, but once the cheese was in it all blended nicely. Very tasty with a nice kick
Thanks so much for the great review Luma, I’m so happy you liked it!💖
I tried this last night and it was a treat. Only differences were that I made my own taco seasoning powder from a recipe that I got from allrecipes.com, I added a chopped red bell pepper for color, and chopped a New Mexic0 Green Pepper and a chopped Jalapeno for a bit of extra spice.
Yum!
I’m so happy you enjoyed the Tacos Soup Dennis! Thanks so much for the great comments and review!😀
I love this soup! Easy to make and so delicious.
I’m so happy to hear that Katie, thanks so much for the great review!