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Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Slow Cooker Taco Soup is a Tex-Mex main dish with deeply flavored slow-cooked broth made with browned ground beef, beans, corn, and tomatoes. Let it simmer on Low until the flavors meld, then top each bowl with cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and green onions.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

ground beef
  • 1 lb ground beef browned and drained
beans, corn, and tomatoes
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn drained
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
seasonings and liquids
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 1 packet (1 oz) ranch dressing mix
  • 3 cup beef broth
  • 0.5 onion diced
  • 3 garlic minced
toppings
  • 0.33 cup shredded cheddar
  • 0.33 cup sour cream
  • 0.5 cup tortilla chips
  • 0.5 jalapeños
  • 2 green onions

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Brown the ground beef in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, then drain and discard excess grease. Add the browned beef to the slow cooker.
Build the soup
  1. Add black beans, kidney beans, whole kernel corn, Rotel tomatoes, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, ranch dressing mix, beef broth, diced onion, and minced garlic to the slow cooker, then stir to combine. Scrape down the sides so the seasoning disperses evenly.
Slow cook
  1. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours, keeping the slow cooker covered during cooking. The soup is ready when it looks thickened and the flavors are well blended.
Finish and serve
  1. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning as needed, adding more beef broth if it thickens too much. Stir well and heat through for 10 minutes if you add extra broth.
  2. Serve the taco soup loaded with shredded cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and green onions. Add toppings after cooking so the chips stay crisp.

Notes

Pro tip: For a thicker soup, keep the lid on during the full cook time; if it ends up too thick for your liking, stir in a splash of beef broth right before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot. Freezing is yes—cool completely, freeze in sealed containers up to 3 months, and thaw in the fridge; add toppings fresh. For a lighter option, use 93% lean ground beef and swap sour cream for plain Greek yogurt.