One Pot Easy Taco Soup Recipe
Make this easy Taco Soup Recipe in one pot in under an hour! Loaded with protein, veggies, and beans, it’s a hearty comfort food soup that will fill your belly and satisfy your tastebuds.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Taco Soup Recipe
- Easy – All you have to do is combine the ingredients. Then, the stove top does all the hard work, simmering the flavors together. Plus, with just one pot, cleaning up is a breeze!
- Nutritious – Made with all the flavor of your favorite tacos, this recipe is a great way to take your taco Tuesday up a notch with high-protein, vitamins, nutrients, and fiber thanks to the meat, beans, and veggies.
- Customizable – Feel free to mix and match any ingredients you have on hand and like best, and don’t forget to include all the best toppings! I like to set out a taco bar so everyone can pick their favorites.
What’s the Difference Between Taco Soup and Chili?
While both taco soup and chili are made with similar ingredients, they aren’t quite the same things. The primary difference is in the consistency!
Taco soup has a slightly soupier consistency and is thinner than chili. Meanwhile, chili is chunkier and thicker.
In addition, taco soup typically has more Tex-Mex-inspired flavors while chili is typically a little spicier with warm spices like chili powder and cumin.
Ingredients
Below is an overview of the ingredients and instructions to make this recipe. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details including prep time, total, time, nutrition information, etc.
- Ground Meat – I prefer to use lean ground beef (80% or leaner), but you could also use ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Veggies – Yellow or white onion, bell pepper zucchini, corn, and diced tomatoes make this simple taco soup recipe full of nutrients and super filling.
- Beans – I use a tri-blend beans, but white beans, black beans, or kidney beans will all work.
- Water – Feel free to substitute bone broth if preferred. It adds a little more savory flavor!
- Seasonings – Taco seasoning, Ranch seasoning, salt, and pepper combine to make this the best taco soup recipe ever.
How to Make This Easy Taco Soup Recipe
- Brown the meat in a large pot, breaking it up into pieces as it cooks.
- Add the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine.
- Simmer until the flavors combine and the veggies are tender.
- Adjust the seasonings to suit your preferences. Then, add your favorite toppings, and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Taco Soup Recipe
- Adjust the seasonings – Wait until the end of cooking. Then, taste your soup right before serving, and adjust the ingredients as needed. Feel free to include an extra dash of chili powder, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce for extra heat!
- Drain and rinse the beans – If you’re using canned beans, be sure to drain and rinse them before adding them to your soup. Otherwise, it might be too salty.
- Stir the pot – Don’t forget to stir the ingredients occasionally as they cook. This prevents anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.
Topping Ideas
Feel free to serve your soup on its own, or dress it up with toppings like:
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
- Shredded Cheese
- Sliced Green Onion (Scallions)
- Red Onions
- Black Olives
- Fresh Cilantro
- Guacamole or Avocado
- Lime Wedges
- Tortilla Chips
How to Store and Reheat
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three to four days.
- Freeze the cooled soup for up to three months. For single-serving portions, pour it into freezer cubes first. Then, transfer the cubes to a freezer-safe bag! Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
- Reheat your soup in a pot on the stove over medium heat. Or, warm individual servings in 30 second increments in the microwave.
Common Questions About This Easy Taco Soup Recipe
Can I make taco soup in the slow cooker?
Absolutely! To do so, brown the meat in a skillet on the stove. Then, transfer all the ingredients to a crock pot or slow cooker, and cook on low for four to six hours or high for two to three hours.
Is taco soup low-carb?
As it’s written, this recipe is relatively low-carb. However, if you want to make it even lower, feel free to omit the beans and any carb-heavy toppings.
How do I thicken taco soup?
This soup will thicken the longer it sits on the stove. Or, you can add an extra can of beans!
One Pot Easy Taco Soup Recipe
Switch up your taco Tuesday tradition with this one pot easy taco soup recipe! Made in one pot with simple ingredients, it’s ready in less than an hour!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground meat (turkey, beef, venison)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 1 small zucchini, diced
- 2 cups frozen corn or 15 ounce can, drained
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 15 ounce can of beans, undrained (black, pinto, navy or kidney beans)
- 2 cups water or broth (beef or chicken stock or bone broth)
- 3 Tablespoons homemade taco seasoning (or 1 packet)
- 3 Tablespoons homemade ranch seasoning (or 1 packet)
- salt and pepper, if needed
Toppings
- shredded cheese, tortilla chips, avocado, cilantro, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
- In a large soup pot over medium heat, brown the meat until cooked through.1 lb ground meat
- Add in the remaining ingredients. Stir to combine and simmer for 30 minutes.1 onion, diced, 1 bell pepper, diced, 1 small zucchini, diced, 2 cups frozen corn, 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained, 15 ounce can of beans, undrained, 2 cups water or broth, 3 Tablespoons homemade taco seasoning, 3 Tablespoons homemade ranch seasoning
- When the soup is done cooking, taste test. Add more seasonings such as salt, black pepper, chili powder, or cayenne, if needed. We've been known to stir in a generous drip of Frank's Hot Sauce to kick it up a notch.salt and pepper, if needed
- When serving, top with plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, avocado, or lime wedges!shredded cheese, tortilla chips, avocado, cilantro, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
Ingredient Tips – To bump up the protein in this recipe, add 8-16 ounces additional ground meat and use bone broth instead of chicken stock or water.
Prep Tips – This soup is quite thick, feel free to add more water or broth to “stretch” the meal further.
Alternate Method – Crock-pot Variation: Place all ingredients including the browned meat in a slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
Storage Tips – This soup can be frozen in an airtight container or Ziploc bag for up to 3 months.
Nutrition data is calculated using ground beef.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 311kcalCarbohydrates: 34.4gProtein: 21.6gFat: 10.4gSaturated Fat: 3.5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.3gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.2gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 466.8mgPotassium: 106.6mgFiber: 6.9gSugar: 9.5gVitamin A: 0IUVitamin C: 4.6mgCalcium: 2.7mgIron: 0.5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Our toddler’s favorite soup!
Approximately how big is each serving? I made a huge batch awhile back but now need 1 serving for specific calories and have no idea how to figure it out
Hi Mikayla! I think (not 100% sure) a serving is about 2 cups. 🙂
This recipe was so great! I’ve made taco soup many times but usually use ground meat and the prepared taco and ranch seasonings. This time I used ground turkey and used the recipes for seasoning you provided and it honestly came out better than it usually does! This will definitely be on our rotation. Thank you!
Lindsey, you just made my day! THANK YOU SO MUCH for making this delicious recipe and then telling me about your experience. So glad you enjoyed it. Happy Eating!
This looks a awesome recipe
Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it!
Tastes so good! I used turkey meat!!!!
Awesome!! So glad you enjoyed it, Rachael. Thanks for the sweet comment. Blessings to you!
I just made this and I am very excited! I didn’t have zucchini but replaced it with green chilies. I made the taco seasoning and ranch and my husband and I was so obsessed smelling it. It smells heavenly in my home and I can’t wait to try it. I have a friend that just had a heart attack a few months ago and need to cook some healthy meals. This is great right now in windy Colorado. Thank you so much
Hi Jennifer! It is windy here in SD too and guess what? I’m making this soup tonight too! It is the perfect soup for this weather and for your friend that has suffered a heart attack. I wish him(her) the best! Thanks for sharing your recipe experience with me. Happy eating!
Do you happen to know the calorie count for this meal per serving?
Hi Courtney, I have 270 calories/serving which is about 2 cups of soup. However, calorie calculators greatly differ so who really knows. Ha! I hope this helps a little bit though ????
I forgot to drain the hamburger meat! but it smells delicious????
Oooops! I am sure it still tasted amazing. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Happy eating!
I mean wow! I have tried several recipes..and this is the bomb! That taco seasoning is perfect..the ranch mix goes amazingly well with it. I wish I could post the way it smells when simmering .LOL..thank you and your friend for sharing. He is really gonna enjoy this!!
Yaaaaayyyy for taco soup and sweet individuals like you that share your recipe experience with us! I am just finishing up some leftovers of this right now. I will be honest, I will be a little sad when it’s my last bite. 😉 Blessings to you, Cherlon!
Can you make this without the ranch seasoning? I can’t stand ranch dressing and it really turns me off from anything related.
Hi Brittany,
Yes, you can make this soup without the ranch seasoning. You may want to add some flavors that you do like such as garlic, parsley, and onion powder in place of the ranch seasoning and leave out the dill if that is flavor you do not prefer. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the soup!
You cannot taste any ranch like flavor when added in to the soup. I’m sure it adds subtle background flavors, but go ahead and try it without.
Thank you for sharing, Kathy! Happy eating and many blessings to you!
Made this tonight- my first time making taco soup. I’ve had friends tell me about it, but I always get stuck at the ranch packet. When I typed, “all natural taco soup” up yours came. Oh my gosh, so delish! My entire family, kids too, love it! Thanks so much for sharing ; ))
Woot woot!! Cindy, we just LOVE this soup too and I TOTALLY know what you mean about ranch packets. Thanks for giving this recipe a try. 🙂 We are a soup sort of family so you may enjoy these other recipes too! Blessings to you and happy eating! https://happihomemade.com/10-best-clean-eating-soups-chili-stews/
Just barely made this. Absolutely delicious! The small modifications I made was I used less onion and used canned tomatoes that also included diced jalapeños for an extra kick, and added Siracha as well toward the end (I’m a spicy gal ????) seriously, this is becoming a staple this winter!
Gianna, yay for new recipes that become a part of our meal rotation. Thank you SO much for sharing your recipe experience and how you have made it your own. Blessings to you!!
I made a big pot of this for 3 people, just to get us through our busy work days when we can’t cook as much. This was so yummy, I made it twice in one week because it was gone in a day and a half! I love that I can get my comfort food feeling without feeling guilty! Thanks for this!
2x in 1 week?! Woot woot for Taco Soup!! So glad you all enjoyed it so much. It certainly is a delicious recipe for one or many. 😉 Thanks for your kind comment, Megan!
Thank you so much for publishing this! I have spent the past 10 min (once I got it in my head I wanted to make Taco Soup) to find a recipe that did not include 1000+ mg of sodium! A packet of taco seasoning and a packet of ranch seasoning? While you’re at it, might as well buy your favorite diuretic! Lol : ) So, thank you for taking the time to share your own seasoning blend!
You are too kind, Jamie! It is my pleasure to share our family’s favorite healthy recipes. I hope you enjoyed this soup!! PS…We just made it last weekend! YUM!