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This Easy Taco Soup Recipe has all the hearty flavor of classic beef tacos, made in one pot with ground beef, veggies, and pantry spices. It’s on the table in about 40 minutes, making it the perfect cozy, family-friendly weeknight dinner!
This simple taco soup is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, and it’s easy to make Paleo, Whole30, or lower-carb by skipping the beans. Load it up with all your favorite taco toppings and let everyone build their own bowl.
Why You’ll Love This Taco Soup
- One pot, minimal cleanup. Everything browns, simmers, and serves from a single Dutch oven.
- Hidden veggies. Zucchini and bell pepper cook down with the taco-seasoned beef, so picky eaters never notice.
- Pantry-friendly. Canned tomatoes, black beans, broth, and spices you likely already have.
- Great for meal prep. It reheats beautifully and freezes for up to 3 months.
- Customizable. Swap the protein, skip the beans, or adjust the heat for little ones.
The Best Easy Taco Soup Recipe
We celebrate Taco Tuesday pretty much every week with recipes like our oven-baked beef tacos, Instant Pot taco meat, and taco salad. But as soon as fall rolls in and the weather turns chilly, this taco soup takes over our dinner rotation!
It has all the savory, spiced goodness of classic beef tacos in a cozy bowl, and it comes together fast enough for a busy school night. It’s also a go-to for game days and a quick, filling dinner before trick-or-treating.
Make a big batch and go ahead and double it. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for easy lunches all week, and it’s one of my favorite freezer-friendly meals to stash for busy weeks.
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
*Scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and ingredient amounts!
- Olive Oil: Avocado oil works too.
- Lean Ground Beef: I use lean (85/15 or 90/10) grass-fed beef. Ground turkey or ground chicken are great substitutes.
- Veggies: Onion, green bell pepper, garlic, and zucchini add color, flavor, and nutrients. Red bell pepper works if that’s what you have.
- Seasonings: A mix of chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika, ground cumin, sea salt, and black pepper. Short on time? Use 2–3 tablespoons of my homemade taco seasoning or a clean store-bought blend.
- Diced Tomatoes: Regular or fire-roasted for a little smoky flavor.
- Black Beans: Optional. Pinto beans work too. Skip them for Paleo, Whole30, or lower-carb, or swap in frozen whole kernel corn.
- Beef Broth: Gives the soup a rich base. Chicken or vegetable broth also works. For Whole30, check the label for added sugar.
Where I Buy My Meat
- Wild-Caught Seafood
- 100% Grass-Fed, Grass-Finished Beef
- Free-Range Organic Chicken
- Humanely Raised Pork
Delivered to your door! The latest ButcherBox deal can be found right here.
How to Make Taco Soup on the Stovetop
- Brown the beef: Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the beef and cook until it’s no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks.
- Sauté the veggies: Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook until they begin to soften. Stir in the zucchini and all the spices and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Bring to a boil: Add the beans, tomatoes, and broth, and bring everything to a boil.
- Simmer: Reduce the heat and simmer at a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is tender, about 15 minutes.
- Season and serve: Taste, adjust the salt and spices, and serve warm with your favorite toppings!
Kitchen Tools I Use
Tips for the Best Taco Soup
- Dice the zucchini small. Smaller pieces cook faster and disappear into the soup for picky eaters.
- Bloom the spices. Cooking the spices with the beef and veggies for a minute before adding liquid deepens the flavor.
- Rinse the beans well. It cuts down on excess sodium and keeps the broth from getting cloudy.
- Salt at the end. Broth and canned tomatoes add salt, so start light and adjust once it has simmered.
- Make it kid-friendly. Cut the cayenne and use a little less chili powder, then let the grown-ups add jalapeños or hot sauce on top.
Easy Variations
- Turkey or chicken taco soup: Swap in lean ground turkey or chicken.
- Extra-hearty: Add both black beans and pinto beans, or a cup of frozen corn.
- Smoky: Use fire-roasted tomatoes and add a pinch of smoked paprika or a minced chipotle pepper.
- Whole30 / Paleo: Skip the beans and choose compliant broth, chili powder, and toppings like avocado and scallions.
Topping Ideas
This easy taco soup is plenty flavorful on its own, but you can never go wrong with toppings! Some of our favorites:
- Shredded cheese
- Scallions or green onions
- Tortilla chips (we love Siete) or tortilla strips
- Diced tomatoes
- Shredded lettuce
- Sliced jalapeños
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Sliced avocado
- Hot sauce
- Cilantro
What to Serve with Taco Soup
I love serving this taco soup with tortilla chips for dipping. It’s also great with jalapeño cheddar cornbread muffins, Mexican street corn salad, or a simple side salad.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–5 days.
Freeze cooled soup in freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 3 months. Leave the toppings off and add them fresh when serving.
Thaw frozen taco soup in the fridge overnight. Reheat single servings in the microwave in 30-second increments, or warm a larger batch in a pot over medium heat. Add a splash of broth if it has thickened.
FAQs
Mash some of the black beans against the side of the pot and stir them back in. You can also stir in a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water, or use arrowroot powder to keep it Paleo and Whole30-friendly.
Yes! This recipe is naturally gluten-free. If you use store-bought taco seasoning or broth, double-check the labels, since some contain gluten-based fillers.
We haven’t tested it yet, but it should work well. Brown the beef and sauté the veggies in a skillet first, then add everything to the slow cooker. As a general guide, cook on low for 4–6 hours or high for 2–3 hours, until the zucchini is tender.
They’re close cousins! Taco soup is brothier and seasoned like taco meat, with more cumin and less simmering time. Chili is usually thicker and simmers longer.
Absolutely. The flavors get even better the next day, so it’s perfect for meal prep or making the night before a busy day.
More Easy Soup Recipes
Easy Taco Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced or grated
- 1 medium zucchini diced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon fine Himalayan sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed well (optional)
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups beef broth
Optional Garnishes
- Shredded Cheese
- Scallions
- Tortilla Chips
- Diced Tomatoes
- Shredded Lettuce
- Sliced Jalapeno
- Sour Cream or Greek yogurt
- Sliced Avocado
- Hot Sauce
Instructions
- Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add beef and cook until no pink remains, about 7 minutes. Add onion, pepper and garlic and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add in zucchini and all spices and stir together and cook until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef, 1 onion, 1 green bell pepper, 2 garlic cloves, 1 medium zucchini, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 2 teaspoon fine Himalayan sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Add in beans, tomatoes and beef broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes or until the zucchini is tender.1 15 ounce can black beans, 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, 2 cups beef broth
- Taste and adjust spices as desired. Top with optional garnishes!Shredded Cheese, Scallions, Tortilla Chips, Diced Tomatoes, Shredded Lettuce, Sliced Jalapeno
Notes
- This recipe was originally published in 2015, updated with new photos in 2019, and refreshed in 2026 with new photos too.
This soup was so good! And filling! I served with sour cream, shredded cheddar and crunched up tortilla chips. Delicious!
I so look forward to trying this reciept. My son loves taco soup and I have never found a good receipt that I like.
Thanks for this recipe. I look forward to giving it a try! We use grass-fed ground beef typically because it’s a leaner meat. And of course we love Williams taco seasonings.
Great receipt, a friend made it for a birthday party and it was delicious so I made it for me. Great flavor. For all you who are in Texas and have an HEB close by, I used their bulk taco season made it even easier and tasted great.
Love! love! Love! I just made this tonight and it’s fabulous. I couldn’t find stewed tomatoes so I used a can of crushed tomatoes and ground turkey instead of beef and it is so hearty – great meal for a winter night!
Absolutely delicious! My 9 year old daughter and I made this together and it was absolutely delicious. I did a little less of the cayenne pepper and chili powder so it wouldn’t be too spicy for her. My husband and I enjoyed the soup, and for my 9 year old I served it with taco shells- so she ate 3 tacos because she loved it so much. Great, quick meal that we’ll certainly make again
How would you adjust for slow cooker?
Easy to make and tasted great! Def will play around with toppings 🙂
This was so easy and so good! I switched it up and used 1/2 lb of ground turkey + can of black beans to stretch it and replaced stewed tomatoes with fire-roasted tomatoes (plus a little water). Will definitely make again!