Best Taco Soup Recipe (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Megan Porta · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Warm up with this spicy, comforting, delicious soup. This is the best taco soup recipe and it comes together in 30 minutes! Cater the spice to your liking and enjoy this as a party food or weeknight meal.

Best Taco Soup Recipe (1)

Why This Recipe Works

There is nothing in the world like letting the smells of a comforting soup fill your home on a chilly fall or winter day. This soup smells fantastic as it simmers on the stove top and it tastes even better, warm in your belly.

There is room to increase the spice in this recipe and it is also very possible to prepare it mild. Cater it to your family’s tastes! Enjoy this comfort food. This is a tried and true family favorite that gets made a lot in our home.

Check out our web stories to see Pip and Ebby “recipes in action!”

How To Make Taco Soup

STEP 1

Heat olive oil in an extra-large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, bell pepper, green onions, jalapeño peppers, taco seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook until soft and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add parsley and cilantro and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Best Taco Soup Recipe (2)

STEP 2

Add the chicken stock or broth, diced tomatoes, corn, black beans and green chiles to the skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Five minutes before the soup is finished, add the chicken.

Best Taco Soup Recipe (3)

Ladle into serving bowls and top with desired toppings such as cheese, sour cream and crushed tortilla chips.

Web Story For Taco Soup

Check out this taco soup recipe in action!

Recipe Notes

  • For a spicier soup recipe, add extra jalapenos and/or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
  • For a milder soup, decrease or omit the jalapeno peppers, as well as the green chiles.
  • Change up the meat in the recipe, if desired. Replace the chicken with a pound of cooked ground beef or even pork.
  • Homemade taco seasoning tastes amazing in this recipe. Consider going homemade!
  • Replace one can of diced tomatoes with a can of tomato sauce for a bolder flavor.
  • If black beans aren’t your thing, kidney beans or pinto beans are great replacements.
Best Taco Soup Recipe (4)

How To Make Taco Soup in a Slow Cooker

I’m glad you asked because it is definitely an option to prepare this soup in your slow cooker. After cooking the garlic, peppers, onions and spices on the stove top, add it to a slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients (minus chicken).

Cook on low heat for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Add chicken, cook for 30 additional minutes and serve.

Favorite Cinco de Mayo Recipes

Here are a few of my favorite recipes to make for your next Cinco de Mayo gathering!

  • Easy Baked Churros
  • Fresh Spicy Salsa
  • Margaritas
  • 7-Layer Taco Dip
Best Taco Soup Recipe (5)

Uses For Taco Seasoning

If you grow tired of taco meat, we need to have a chat. Kidding, but here are a few other ideas for ways to use taco seasoning.

  • Stir it into any creamy dip (yum).
  • Really, you could add it to just about any meat-based meal to transform it into a tasty, spicy food. I’m thinking meatballs, burgers or even chicken.
  • Use it as a rub on your next Rotisserie chicken or batch of ribs!
  • Add it to salad dressing for an extra zing.
  • Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos
  • The BEST 7 Layer Taco Dip
  • Taco Pasta Salad
  • Homemade Ground Beef Taco Meat
  • Taco Sauce

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Best Taco Soup Recipe (6)

Best Taco Soup Recipe

Warm up with this spicy, comforting, delicious soup. This is the best taco soup recipe and it comes together in only 30 minutes!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Mexican

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 375.46kcal

Author: Megan Porta

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 red or green bell pepper chopped
  • 1 bunch green onions thinly sliced
  • 2 jalapeno peppers finely chopped
  • 1 oz taco seasoning or 2 Tbsphomemade
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup Italian parsley finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped
  • 32 oz chicken stock or broth
  • 56 oz diced tomatoes
  • 15 oz corn drained
  • 15 oz black beans drained
  • 4 oz diced green chiles
  • 2 cups cooked chicken shredded (pull meat from a Rotisserie chicken)
  • 1/2 cup toppings shredded cheese, sour cream, etc

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in an extra-large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, bell pepper, green onions, jalapeño peppers, taco seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook until soft and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add parsley and cilantro and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

  • Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, corn and beans to the skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Five minutes before the soup is finished, add the chicken.

  • Ladle into serving bowls and top with cheese, sour cream and tortilla strips.

Notes

TO MAKE THIS SOUP IN A SLOW COOKER: After cooking the garlic, peppers, onions and spices on the stove top, add it to a slow cooker along with the remaining ingredients (minus chicken). Cook on low heat for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Add chicken, cook for 30 additional minutes and serve.

For a spicier soup recipe, add extra jalapenos and/or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
For a milder soup, decrease or omit the jalapeno peppers, as well as the green chiles.
Change up the meat in the recipe, if desired. Replace the chicken with a pound of cooked ground beef or even pork.
Homemade taco seasoning tastes amazing in this recipe!
Replace one can of diced tomatoes with a can of tomato sauce for a bolder flavor.
If black beans aren’t your thing, kidney beans or pinto beans are great replacements.

Nutrition

Calories: 375.46kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.94g | Protein: 26.22g | Fat: 14.7g | Saturated Fat: 3.64g | Cholesterol: 57.77mg | Sodium: 1107.28mg | Fiber: 9.85g | Sugar: 11.83g

Did you make this recipe?If you loved this recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Best Taco Soup Recipe (7)TRACEY DELEON

    Made this last yesterday, my family and boyfriend LOVED it. Definitely making this again, doesn't cost much to make, does take a little time to chop up items, but totally worth it!

    Reply

  2. Best Taco Soup Recipe (8)Tami W

    Wow! I made this tonight for my New Year's Eve dinner and it was fabulous! I did change a couple of things but it was still so darn good! I used ground beef instead of chicken and added a little taco seasoning mix and used cream cheese to garnish instead of grated cheese. It is so delicious! I will no doubt make this again and again.

    Thanks again for another delicious recipe!

    Tami

    Reply

  3. Best Taco Soup Recipe (9)crystal

    This looks amazing. I am going to try a veggie version of this.

    Reply

  4. Best Taco Soup Recipe (10)Katrina @ WVS

    This soup looks soooo delicious! Lovely!

    Reply

  5. Best Taco Soup Recipe (11)Susan

    I love that this soup isn't ALL canned products. I've had the other version, it's good, but I avoid it because its all processed!
    I'll be making this version before the New Year!!
    Thanks for posting!

    Reply

  6. Best Taco Soup Recipe (12)Tracy | Pale Yellow

    What a warm and lovely soup! Perfect for a winter dinner. Your family has a wonderful Christmas tradition, Merry Christmas!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Best Taco Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is taco soup made of? ›

Ingredients
  • 3 pounds ground beef.
  • 2 onions, chopped.
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans pinto beans.
  • 2 (16 ounce) packages frozen corn kernels.
  • 3 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chile peppers.
  • 6 serrano peppers, crushed.
  • 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix.
  • 1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix.

What can I use to thicken taco soup? ›

How do you thicken taco soup? You shouldn't need to thicken this taco soup, since the meat and vegetables make it pretty chunky. However, if you like extra thick, rib-sticking soup, try adding refried beans, other mashed beans or rice to thicken it up.

What is taco soup called in Spanish? ›

Tortilla soup (Spanish: sopa de tortilla) is a traditional Mexican soup containing fried corn tortilla.

What to eat with taco soup? ›

The best sides and toppings for a cozy pot of Taco Soup! Mexican rice, cornbread, homemade tortilla chips, crisp salads, and cool, sweet fruit pairings. Plus guac and salsas, too. Even dessert!

Why is my taco soup so watery? ›

Simmer for Longer

If you have the time, simmering your taco soup for a longer period can help to thicken it naturally. As the soup cooks, the liquid will reduce and evaporate, resulting in a thicker consistency.

What is a substitute for beef broth in tacos? ›

Depending on what you are using the beef broth for you can substitute a well made vegetable broth or chicken broth. Of course, it will change the flavor profile a bit but it is a much better solution to using cubes or powders which are sodium bombs.

How to thicken taco soup without cornstarch? ›

Possibilities include cream, coconut milk, yogurt, or even pureed avocado. If you choose coconut milk, be aware that it will impart a sweet, coconut flavor, which might not be right for every soup. Yogurt will add tanginess.

Can you add milk to soup to make it creamy? ›

Whole milk or half-and-half also thicken up the soup. I've even made it with half the amount (1/2 cup or 120ml) heavy cream in a pinch. (Add more chicken broth if you use heavy cream; see recipe Note.) Nice and thick, without being too heavy.

What is Mexican soup with blood in it? ›

It is probable that the source of the name fritada for the Guam dish came from a dish of the same name in Monterrey, Mexico where it refers to a stew made with the innards and blood of a young lamb. The origin of this Mexican dish is chanfaina from Extremadura, Spain.

Who invented taco soup? ›

The exact origin of tortilla soup is unknown, but it is also known as sopa Azteca (Soup of the Aztecs) which leads many to believe this dish originated in central or southern Mexico, where the Aztecs originally settled.

What is Mexican taco meat called? ›

Carne Asada is the most common taco meat. Photo by Travis Yewell on Unsplash. Carne Asada is certainly the most popular meat for tacos, and it's plain to see why.

What side dish goes with tortilla soup? ›

Mexican slaw, a zesty mix of shredded cabbage, carrots, cilantro, and lime dressing, adds a tangy and crunchy kick that perfectly balances the bold flavors of chicken tortilla soup. Cucumber Salad: Cucumber Salad is a fresh salad that will make a cool refreshing side to accompany your flavorful soup!

What are 3 specialty soups? ›

In addition, a specialty soup doesn't require any meat on it; it can be made with fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Some examples are peanut soup, coconut soup, turtle soup, and curry soup.

Where is taco soup from? ›

Taco soup
Taco soup topped with cheese, tortilla chips and sliced avocado
TypeSoup
Place of origin1950s Southwestern United States
Main ingredientsGround beef, tomatoes, green chilis, onions, corn, beans, taco seasoning

What is a spicy Mexican soup made from? ›

This spicy chicken tortilla soup features sautéed onions, spicy peppers, corn, tomatoes, and black beans, all simmered in a delicious broth. The result is an ultra-flavorful soup your family will love!

What is Birria taco soup made of? ›

Birria is a mainstay of Mexican cuisine, a stew that originated in the state of Jalisco traditionally made from goat, beef, or lamb. For this birria tacos recipe, the meat marinates in adobo sauce, then cooks slowly in adobo broth until it's fork-tender.

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