Crock Pot Taco Soup Recipe (2024)

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by Mike Hultquist · · 1 Comment · Jump to Recipe

This Crockpot taco soup recipe is a hearty, comforting soup with all your favorite taco ingredients! Ground beef, chilies, tomatoes and taco seasonings are all simmered to flavorful perfection in your slow cooker. Don't forget to top it off with all of your favorite fixings!

Crock Pot Taco Soup Recipe (1)

Crockpot Taco Soup Recipe

Taco soup is a go-to recipe in our kitchen. This recipe specifically is loaded with seasoned ground beef, lots of chili peppers with tomatoes, garlic and more! It's all simmered low and slow until we're ready to go. And, all the toppings! We can never get enough.

We really love slow cooker recipes because you can just toss everything in and let it do all the work for you. It really doesn't get much easier than this when it comes to cooking, unless you order takeout, which isn't cooking!

Plus, if you've seen takeout prices lately on food delivery apps, you may be more inclined to keep cooking at home.

Crock Pot Taco Soup Recipe (2)

Slow Cooker Taco Soup Ingredients

  • Ground beef - You can also make this with ground turkey or ground chicken.
  • Olive oil
  • Onion
  • Peppers - I'm using bell peppers, jalapeños, and some habanero, but you can use your favorites to your own heat level preference.
  • Garlic
  • Taco seasoning - Try my homemade taco seasoning blend with LOTS of chili powder. It's a great seasoning mix.
  • Tomatoes - Canned whole tomatoes are great, or use fresh diced tomatoes.
  • Tomato sauce
  • Beans - Red beans are great, or kidney beans or pinto beans, all drained and rinsed. Try it with black beans, or a combination.
  • Chicken stock
  • Salt and pepper
  • Garnishes - Chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, jalapeño slices, lime wedges, tortilla chips, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado – anything you might put on a taco.
Crock Pot Taco Soup Recipe (3)

How to Make Crockpot Taco Soup - The Recipe Method

Cook the beef and veggies. Heat the oil in a large skillet or pan. Add the ground beef with the onions and peppers. I used a mixture of jalapeño, habanero and bell peppers, though feel free to vary that up to your preference. Add the garlic and taco seasonings and give it a quick simmer.

Slow cook it. Toss all of this into the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients. Let it cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.

Serve. Serve the taco soup in bowls and top with all of your favorite toppings!

Boom! Ready to eat! So easy to make, isn't it? And WOW is it delicious. Crockpot taco soup in the house!

Crock Pot Taco Soup Recipe (4)

Recipe Tips & Notes

  • GO NUTS with your fixings. I like to roast some jalapeno peppers, slice up an avocado, added shredded cheese, crema, cilantro and lime juice. Hot sauce is a must. Try tortilla strips for crunch. Go for whatever you'd like with your favorite taco toppings. Diced green onions or chopped green herbs are nice.
  • You can change up the meat. The choice is yours if you'd like to use ground beef or ground turkey. Ground beef has more flavor, but ground turkey absorbs all those other wonderful flavors, and you'll save yourself some calories, too. Other ground meats that work here are Mexican chorizo (favorite!), ground chicken, or ground pork.
  • Vary up the chili peppers. I've used jalapeño and habanero peppers here, which will give you a very good level of heat. To dial back on the heat, skip the habanero peppers and core out the jalapenos. Or, use milder peppers, such as poblano peppers, Anaheim peppers, or even mild bell peppers.
Crock Pot Taco Soup Recipe (5)

Can I make Crockpot taco soup creamy?

Yes! Toss in 8 ounces of cream cheese in the last 20 minutes of the recipe for a creamy, cheesy version of this dish. I love it! It really is SUPER creamy this way. You can also swirl in a cup or more of Mexican crema or sour cream to achieve a similar creaminess. So good!

Can I make taco soup on the stovetop?

If you do not have a slow cooker, you can absolutely make this slow cooker taco soup recipe on the stove top. Simply follow the instructions, but use a Dutch oven or large pot to cook down the vegetables and the meat.

Add all of the ingredients, bring to a quick boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the whole pot for at least 30 minutes. An hour would be better, though, to really let all of those wonderful flavors mingle and develop.

See my Taco Soup Recipe for more detailed instructions.

Storage and Reheating

Once your taco soup cools to room temperature, you can transfer it to an airtight container and keep it stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Feel free to reheat in the microwave or right back in the Crockpot. You can also use your stovetop if you'd like.

You can also freeze it! I like to make an extra large batch of this soup and freeze it in batches for super quick and easy lunches or dinners. Just transfer it to sealable freezer containers. Keeps easily for 6 month. Let it slow thaw in the fridge for about 8 hours before reheating.

Try Some of My Other Popular Soup Recipes

  • Loaded Stuffed Pepper Soup
  • Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Zesty Chicken Tortellini Soup
  • Cheesy Guajillo-Potato Soup
Crock Pot Taco Soup Recipe (6)

If you make this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations. Please share this recipe with your friends! Thanks! -- Mike H.

Crock Pot Taco Soup Recipe (7)

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Crock Pot Taco Soup Recipe

This crock pot taco soup recipe is a hearty, comforting soup with all your favorite taco ingredients simmered in your slow cooker. So easy to make!

Save Recipe

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crock pot, recipe, spicy, tacos

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 8 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Calories: 465kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings: 6

Tap or hover to scale

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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • Olive oil as needed
  • 2 onions chopped
  • 1 bell pepper chopped (use red or orange for a nice color)
  • 2-3 jalapeno peppers chopped (core them out for milder taco soup)
  • 1 habanero pepper chopped (optional, for SPICY taco soup)
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 4 tablespoons taco seasoning (or more to preference - I usually use about 6 tbsps)
  • 2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes Or use equivalent fresh tomatoes – GO GARDEN!!!
  • 16 ounces tomato sauce
  • 2 12-ounce can red beans
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Lime wedges

FOR SERVING/OPTIONAL/IDEAS

  • Chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, Jalapeno slices, Lime wedges, Tortilla chips, Shredded cheddar cheese, Sour cream, avocado, hot sauce – anything you might put on a taco

Instructions

  • Heat a large pot to medium heat and add a couple tablespoons olive oil. Add ground beef along with onion and peppers. Cook about 8-10 minutes to brown the meat and soften the onion and peppers.

  • Add garlic and stir. Cook another minute or so.

  • Add taco seasoning and stir to incorporate.

  • Add everything to a crock pot/slow cooker and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.

  • Serve into bowls and squeeze a bit of lime juice over the top, then swirl it in. Just a bit, about ¼ to ½ a lime.

  • Top with your desired ingredients. We used some cilantro, green onions, jalapeno slices, tortilla chips, cheddar cheese and lime wedges. So good!

Notes

Makes a HUGE batch!!! Now you have lunch, dinner, and lunch again!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 465kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 29gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 885mgPotassium: 879mgFiber: 3gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1395IUVitamin C: 51.5mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 4.3mg

Crock Pot Taco Soup Recipe (8)

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply

  1. Janki says

    Hi I am a vegetarian...can u post some vegetarian options...thanks

    REPLY: Janki, you can easily omit the meat for this recipe and double or triple up on the beans. -- Mike from Chili Pepper Madness.

    Reply

Crock Pot Taco Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How many servings of soup in a crock pot? ›

Recommended Slow Cooker Sizes
Number of PortionsRecommended Slow Cooker Size
Three PortionsUse a 4-6 quart slow cooker. 5 quarts is the optimal size.
Four PortionsUse a 5-7 quart slow cooker. 6 quarts is the optimal size.
Five PortionsUse a 6-8 quart slow cooker. 7 quarts is the optimal size.
2 more rows

How do I thicken up my taco soup? ›

One option is to add crushed tortilla chips or tortilla strips to the soup. The chips will dissolve and create a thicker consistency. Another alternative is to use instant mashed potatoes. Simply sprinkle some into the soup and stir well, allowing it to thicken before serving.

How to thicken crockpot soup? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

How do you keep taco meat from drying out in a crock pot? ›

The slow cooker is a great way to reliably cook a large amount of ground meat all at once. Will taco meat dry out in the crockpot? Taco meat can dry out if you don't add extra water to the slow cooker. I suggest adding water before turning on the heat.

How much soup is enough for 1 person? ›

Using this guide
Serving Size per Person
Soup1/2 cup 1 1/2 cups
Stuffing1/3 cup
Potatoes1 1/2 cup 1/2 cup
Potato Toppings2 tsp 1/4 cup 1 tbsp 1 tbsp
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How many cups of soup do I need for 8 people? ›

The average soup serving as a side dish is between 3/4 and 1 cup. When the soup is served as the main course, plan on about 1 1/2 cups per person.

What is a substitute for beef broth in taco soup? ›

What can I use as a beef broth substitute in soups and stews? In soups and stews, you can use a combination of water and soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce to mimic the savory flavor of beef broth.

How do you reduce the spice in taco soup? ›

Add Some Starches

The easiest way to tone down a spicy dish is to serve a smaller portion with plenty of rice, bread, potatoes, pasta, or plain starch to counter the heat. For soups and stews, raw and starchy vegetables like potatoes or carrots work well.

What cream to add to soup? ›

Whole milk or half-and-half also thicken up the soup. I've even made it with half the amount (1/2 cup or 120ml) heavy cream in a pinch. (Add more chicken broth if you use heavy cream; see recipe Note.) Nice and thick, without being too heavy.

How to stop a slow cooker from being watery? ›

okay, secondly, you can put a tea towel under the lid. that will capture some of the moisture, it stops it circulating in the slow cooker. and then thirdly, you can use a corn flour slurry, so into a bowl, a little bit of corn flour, cold water, mix it with your finger, pour it in, stir it. you're done.

Can you leave the lid off a slow cooker to thicken? ›

Best times to remove the lid from your slow cooker

Waiting until the last 30 to 40 minutes of cooking to remove your lid will allow the liquid to thicken and be ready to serve. If you thicken your liquid too early, you could risk it returning to its more watery state. Not every dish will require you to remove your lid.

How do you thicken soup in a slow cooker without flour? ›

As a rule of thumb, dissolve 2 parts cold water and 1 part cornstarch. Add the slurry to your sauce as it simmers in the slow cooker.

How long can you leave taco meat in a crock pot? ›

Transfer to a slow cooker / crockpot. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours / high for 4 to 5 hours. (After cooking time is finished, the taco meat can hold on the warming function for up to 2 hours.)

What can I use to thicken taco meat? ›

Cornstarch: This is a gluten-free thickening agent found in many store-bought packets. It's optional here, so add it if you want to.

What is a slow cooked taco meat called? ›

Barbacoa is typically made out of tougher cuts of meat that require long, slow cooking times. When done traditionally, barbacoa is made with large cuts of meat or whole animals. In the United States, barbacoa is usually associated with beef. However, in Mexico, barbacoa is made from beef, goat, lamb or mutton.

How many servings does a pot of soup make? ›

A: Two quarts equals 8 cups. So, if your soup serving size is one cup, you'd get 8 servings. If you ladle about 1-1/3 cups of soup, you'd get about 6 servings.

How many people does a 6 quart crockpot of soup feed? ›

Once cook time is complete, the temperature automatically switches to the warm setting to prevent overcooking, and to keep your food at serving temperature. The 6-quart capacity feeds 7+ people, making it perfect for family meals.

How much soup does a crock pot hold? ›

A standard slow cooker size is 6 to 7-quarts and most slow cooker recipes are geared towards this common pot size. But sizes range from the smallest slow cooker, a 20-ounce mini crock pot, to the largest slow cooker on the market, a 10-quart extra large pot.

How many people does a 4 quart crock pot feed? ›

Choose from 3 heat settings—high, low, and warm—for cooking flexibility and control with whatever you're making. The 4-quart capacity feeds 4+ people and is perfect for making family meals. Use the manual warm setting to keep food warm while you are serving, or for heating up leftovers.

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