Taco soup is a delicious and easy family favorite, and you can make it in the Instant Pot, slow cooker or on the stove top.
I have made taco soup in the slow cooker and on the stovetop for years. I just recently made it in my Instant Pot (Amazon affiliate), and it was a hit!
If you haven’t jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon yet, see my full Instant Pot review here. There are pros and cons, but overall I have loved mine!💞
But back to this taco soup!
It is super easy to make, and it is one of our go-to family dinners – especially perfect for football-watching food. 🏈🙌🏻
Also, I am alllllll about some great toppings on soup. And the options are endless here. I showed mine here with a side of tortilla chips, plus some chopped green onions and a sprinkle of cheese.
Other fun options: sour cream, diced avocado, cilantro, guacamole, jalapenos…the possibilities are endless! Another easy side item to make with this is my southern skillet corn bread. 👌🏻😋
The last thing I’ll say is that this makes a fairly big batch. It should easily feed 6 people, and possibly up to 8. And if you are feeding fewer than that, the leftovers are delicious too, of course. This is easily freeze-able too.
Tools Used to Make Taco Soup
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- Instant Pot, slow cooker or large pot like this enameled cast iron dutch oven.
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Can opener
Taco Soup Recipe (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker OR Stovetop)
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Taco Soup (Instant Pot, slow cooker or stovetop)
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1.25 pounds ground beef (anywhere from 1 lb-1.5 lbs will work)
- 1 onion, diced (I used yellow onion)
- 2 cup corn kernels (I used frozen, but fresh is fine too)
- 1 10-ounce can Ro'tele tomatoes with green chilis, undrained
- 1 16-ounce jar of mild salsa
- 1 14-ounce can pinto beans, undrained
- 1 14-ounce can black beans, undrained
- 1.5 cups water
Seasoning (you can substitute a packet of taco seasoning)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (or more to taste)
Instructions
Instant Pot
Spray the inner pot with some cooking spray.
Using the sauté mode (medium), brown the ground beef and onions until fully cooked, about 7 to 8 minutes.
Drain the fat off beef, if desired, and return to pot. (I have skipped this step if I have used leaner meat or grass-fed beef).
Add the remaining ingredients, and place the lid on, lock it.
Cook on manual high pressure for 12 minutes. (Note: it will take a while to get up to pressure)
Allow the pot to depressurize naturally, indicated by the pressure indicator pin drop. (not using the quick presser release lever - mine took about 25 minutes to fully release).
Stovetop
Spray a large pot or dutch over with some cooking spray.
Brown the beef and onions over medium high heat until fully cooked, about 7 to 8 minutes.
Drain excess fat, if desired, and return to pot. (I have skipped this step if I have used leaner meat or grass-fed beef).
Add seasoning and water to the meat and stir to combine.
Add remaining ingredients, and stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours partially covered, stirring ocassionally to prevent scorching. (Note: you may see more evaporation of liquids with the stovetop method. Keep and eye on it, and feel free to add a little extra water (1/2 cup to 1 cup), if needed.
Slow Cooker
Using a stovetop pot or pan sprayed with cooking spray, and brown the ground beef and onions on the stovetop over medium high heat.
Drain excess fat, if desired. (I have skipped this step if I have used leaner meat or grass-fed beef).
Add to slow cooker, along with all other ingredients, stirring to combine.
Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 8 hours. (This may vary slightly if your slow cooker temperature differs from mine).
This was perfect in the Instant Pot, Marjorie! I would note that the 2 cups of corn kernels = 1 12 oz. pkg. of frozen corn. Also, since you wrote that a packet of taco seasoning could be substituted for all of the spices, I added 6 tablespoons of Ortega 40% less sodium Taco Seasoning Mix. Oh, wow…this is as good as any taco soup we’ve ever had in a restaurant…and we live in Texas! Thank you, thank you!!
Yaaaay!👏🏻🙌🏻👊🏻 I am so happy that it turned out delicious for you. And it means an extra lot coming from a Texan. 😉🤗 Hugs and high fives to you.
I have been making taco junk in my slow cooker for years. This recipe is very similar to that. I added a packet of dry ranch dressing to this one since I love that in the taco junk. My beans must not have contained enough liquid since I got a burn notice on my instant pot while coming to pressure. I hit cancel and scraped the bottom of the pot. Then added a half cup of warm water and continued with the recipe and it came out perfect. Yummy on a cold winter night. We ate with some toppings, Mexican Cheese blend, sour cream, diced tomatoes, green onions and tortilla chips.