This Easy Taco Soup Recipe is one of those magical weeknight dinners that takes 5 minutes to throw together and feels like you spent way more effort on it! Just brown some ground turkey, open a few cans, simmer for 20 minutes, and you’ve got a hearty, flavor-packed pot of soup.
Ellen’s Notes
This easy taco soup recipe is one I bring to friends who just had a baby or are going through a rough patch. It travels well, freezes beautifully, and feels like a warm hug in a bowl.
I’ll often double the batch, drop off a quart with some shredded cheese and tortilla chips on the side, and put the rest in the freezer for us. Both of my daughters request this when they come over with the grandkids, especially when it’s chilly out. It’s just one of those recipes that everyone loves!
📌 Key Ingredient Notes
Ground Turkey: I use 93% lean ground turkey, which gives plenty of flavor without leaving a layer of grease in the soup. If you’d rather use ground beef, go for 85% lean and drain off any excess fat after browning. Ground chicken also works beautifully, and even leftover shredded rotisserie chicken can be stirred in at the end.
Pinto Beans & Black Beans: Always drain and rinse your canned beans! The liquid in the can is starchy and salty and will cloud up your broth.
Rotel Tomatoes: Rotel is the secret weapon here because it gives you diced tomatoes AND mild green chiles in one can. Use Original Rotel for mild heat, Mild for almost none, or Hot for a noticeable kick. If you can’t find Rotel, sub a regular can of diced tomatoes plus a small (4 oz) can of diced green chiles.
Taco Seasoning: A 1-ounce packet of store-bought taco seasoning is about 2 tablespoons, so you can use either. I always recommend using homemade taco seasoning!
How to Make Taco Soup
See the printable recipe card for full ingredient list and directions below.
- Cook the ground turkey in a large soup pot. You’ll want to break up the meat while you cook it so there aren’t big chunks.
- Add the canned goods (Rotel, corn, beans).
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Want to save this recipe?
Email this recipe to yourself for easy access later!
- Simmer the soup for 20 minutes.
- Serve and add your favorite toppings!
Ellen’s Recipe Tips
Scrape up the browned bits. When you add the broth, take a wooden spoon and scrape the bottom of the pot to release all those flavorful caramelized bits from browning the meat. That’s free flavor!
Don’t oversimmer. Twenty minutes is really all this soup needs. Cooking it longer can make the beans break down and the turkey dry out — shorter simmering keeps everything fresh and bright.
Use a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Thin-bottomed pots can scorch the meat and tomato sauce as it simmers. A heavy pot gives you even, gentle heat all around.
Add a squeeze of fresh lime at the end. This is my secret trick! A tiny bit of acid right before serving wakes up all the flavors and makes the soup taste really fresh.
FAQ – Recipe Help
Taco soup is brothier and seasoned with taco seasoning (cumin-forward, with milder chili notes), while chili is thicker and seasoned primarily with chili powder. Taco soup also typically has corn in it, which you rarely see in traditional chili.
Yes! Brown the ground turkey on the stovetop first, then add everything to a 4-6 quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.
Use Hot Rotel instead of Original, add a diced jalapeño when browning the meat, or stir in a teaspoon of chipotle powder or cayenne. A few dashes of hot sauce in each bowl is the easiest way to adjust to taste.
My favorites are shredded cheddar, sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt), diced avocado, fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, and crushed tortilla chips or Fritos. A squeeze of lime right before serving really brightens it all up.
Yes! Taco soup freezes really well because there are no noodles or rice to get mushy. Cool completely, transfer to freezer bags, lay flat to freeze, and it’ll keep for up to 3 months.
Easy Taco Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey, or beef or chicken
- 1 16 oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 16 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 10 oz can rotel
- 1 cup corn
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
Optional Garnishes:
- Cilantro
- Shredded cheese
- Avocado or guacamole
- Sour cream
- Chopped onions
Want to save this recipe?
Email this recipe to yourself for easy access later!
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, or dutch oven, spray with non-stick spray and brown the ground meat, break up any large clumps. I used ground turkey (85% lean ground turkey) so I did not drain the fat, if you use ground beef you may want to drain the grease after browning.
- Add pinto beans, black beans, diced tomatoes, corn, chicken broth and taco seasoning, stir until everything is well combined.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite toppings!
⭐️ Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating! It only takes a minute and helps support our family-run blog. ❤️
Notes
Nutrition
More Easy Soup Recipes
- Creamy chicken taco soup is ready in just 30 minutes!
- Crockpot chicken tortilla soup is an easy one-pot dinner recipe.
- Go meatless with our favorite carrot black bean soup.
- Crockpot vegetable beef soup is a bowl of pure comfort!
- Beef noodle soup features tender bites of beef in the best cozy, savory broth.
