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Beef Taco Soup

Beef taco soup with a rich Tex-Mex broth made by simmering seasoned ground beef with beans, corn, and tomatoes until deeply flavored. It’s hearty and spoonable, finished with cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and cilantro.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup base
  • 1.5 lb ground beef 80/20 works best for flavor
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 4 garlic minced
  • 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn drained
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes use the whole can
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 4 cup beef broth
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper to taste
Toppings
  • 1 cup cheddar shredded
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 cup tortilla chips
  • 0.25 cup jalapeños sliced
  • 0.25 cup cilantro chopped

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown and build the soup
  1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef, breaking it up until cooked through. Drain the fat off after browning.
  2. In the same Dutch oven, sauté the onion and green bell pepper for 4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring to prevent scorching.
  3. Stir in the taco seasoning, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika and cook for 1 minute. Keep stirring until fragrant and well combined.
  4. Add the kidney beans, black beans, corn, Rotel tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and beef broth. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
Simmer and serve
  1. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broth tastes deeply flavored. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
  2. Serve the soup hot in bowls and top with cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and cilantro.

Notes

For the best texture, simmer until the broth is noticeably thicker and more cohesive, about the full 20 minutes. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (hold toppings and chips until serving). For a lighter swap, use 90/10 ground beef or drain excess fat after browning to reduce calories while keeping the same Tex-Mex flavor.