Crockpot Taco Soup features plenty of ground beef, black beans, corn, and more in a boldly flavored broth! This easy-to-make soup is concocted in the slow cooker with a medley of seasonings that make it seriously mouthwatering. Comfort food has never been easier or more flavor-packed!
What’s in this Recipe for Taco Soup?
The slow cooker does all the work, so you can sit back and relax while this taco soup cooks to perfection in about 4 hours. Paprika, chili powder, garlic powder and more make this soup deliciously flavor-packed.
- Olive Oil: Helps the beef brown without burning. You can use any neutral oil here, such as canola or vegetable.
- Ground Beef: I like to use 85%-lean ground beef here, as it has a good balance of fat. Make sure to drain off any excess grease to avoid an oily soup.
- Onion: Use whatever kind of onion you have on hand– white, yellow, or sweet all work.
- Beef Broth: Forms the base of this soup. You can use vegetable broth instead of beef broth, if you prefer.
- Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles: Add a rich tomatoey flavor and just a hint of spice.
- Tomato Sauce: Deepens the tomato flavor of this soup.
- Black Beans: Feel free to swap the black beans for kidney or pinto beans.
- Corn Kernels: You can use fresh or frozen corn in this recipe. You do not need to thaw the frozen corn.
- Spices: Chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt give this soup its complex flavor profile.
- Lime: Adds a hint of freshness!
Pro Tip: You can use store-bought or homemade taco seasoning in place of all of the spices in a pinch!
Variations on Slow Cooker Taco Soup
- You can use any ground meat you like, such as chicken or turkey, or use cooked shredded chicken or turkey instead.
- For a milder soup, replace one or both cans of diced tomatoes and green chiles with regular diced tomatoes. You can also reduce the amount of chili powder.
- For a spicier soup, increase the amount of chili powder, add a pinch of cayenne, or add some diced jalapeños!
Crockpot taco soup can be as mild or as spicy as you’d like. To make it milder, swap the diced tomatoes and green chiles for regular diced tomatoes, and reduce the amount of chili powder to ½ teaspoon (or omit it completely!). To make it spicier, add more chili powder to taste, or add fresh or pickled jalapeños on top!
I like to use ground beef that is lean, but not too lean. I used 80/20 ground beef in this recipe, but you could also use 85/15.
You sure can! Feel free to use ground chicken or turkey, or shredded cooked chicken or turkey!
To thicken this soup, make sure to drain the ground beef and all of the canned beans to avoid a thin soup. If you’d like to thicken this soup further, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste before serving.
You sure can! In fact, I have an easy stovetop taco soup recipe that you can follow!
How to Make Ahead and Store
This crockpot taco soup can be made up to 2 days in advance of when you plan to serve it. Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to reheat.
Store leftover crockpot taco soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
How to Freeze and Reheat
Freeze crockpot taco soup in individual portions in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating gently in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
Top off your slow cooker taco soup with chopped fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, tortilla chips or strips, sour cream, sliced green onion, fresh or pickled jalapeños, diced onion, hot sauce, sliced avocado, or guacamole.
Serve crockpot taco soup alongside Mexican stuffed peppers, chicken fajitas, carne asada fries, tamales, zucchini boats, or nachos supreme.
Crockpot Taco Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ onion chopped
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 20 ounces diced tomatoes with green chiles 2 cans
- 15 ounces tomato sauce 1 can
- 14.5 ounces canned black beans 1 can
- 2 cups corn kernels fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 lime juiced
For Serving (Optional)
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Shredded cheese
- Tortilla chips
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium heat.½ tablespoon olive oil
- Add in the ground beef and use a wooden spoon to break it up into pieces.1 pound ground beef
- Add in the onion. Cook the beef and onion for a few minutes until the meat is browned.½ onion
- Transfer the mixture the slow cooker.
- Add in the beef broth, diced tomatoes with green chiles, tomato sauce, black beans, corn, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.2 cups low-sodium beef broth, 20 ounces diced tomatoes with green chiles, 15 ounces tomato sauce, 14.5 ounces canned black beans, 2 cups corn kernels, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Cook on high for 2-4 hours or on low for 4-6 hours.
- When cooking is complete, give the soup a stir.
- Squeeze in the juice of one lime. Taste, and add more lime juice and/or salt if needed.1 lime
- Serve with chopped fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips.Chopped fresh cilantro, Shredded cheese, Tortilla chips
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- You can use any neutral oil to cook the meat, such as canola or vegetable.
- Use 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef for the best flavor.
- You can use any ground meat you like, such as chicken or turkey, or use cooked shredded chicken or turkey instead.
- Use whatever kind of onion you have on hand– white, yellow, or sweet all work.
- You can use vegetable broth instead of beef broth, if you prefer.
- For a milder soup, replace one or both cans of diced tomatoes and green chiles with regular diced tomatoes.
- Feel free to swap the black beans for kidney or pinto beans.
- You can use fresh or frozen corn in this recipe. You do not need to thaw the frozen corn.
- For a milder soup, reduce the amount of chili powder; for a spicier soup, increase it.
- Drain the fat from the meat after cooking to prevent your soup from becoming thin and oily.
- If you’d like to control the sodium content, drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the soup to remove excess salt.
- To further thicken the soup, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste before serving.
- The flavors in this soup get stronger the more it sits – I always like to make it the day before!
- Nutritional information does not include optional ingredients.
Nutrition Information
So easy and so delicious. I diced a jalapeno in with onion. I also served with sour cream. So good! Thank you.
I’m so happy to hear you loved this recipe, Ed!