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Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Slow cooker taco soup with a deeply flavored broth made from browned ground beef, beans, corn, and tomatoes. Cook it on Low until thick and hearty, then serve loaded with cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and green onions.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ground beef base
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 0.5 onion diced
  • 3 garlic minced
Beans, corn, and tomatoes
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans drained
  • 1 can (15 oz) whole kernel corn drained
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
Seasoning and liquid
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 1 packet (1 oz) ranch dressing mix
  • 3 cup beef broth
Toppings
  • 0.5 cup shredded cheddar
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 tortilla chips
  • 0.5 jalapeños
  • 0.25 green onions

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink, then drain excess fat. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker.
Build the soup
  1. Add the onion, garlic, black beans, kidney beans, corn, Rotel tomatoes, and diced tomatoes to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
  2. Sprinkle in the taco seasoning and ranch dressing mix, then pour in the beef broth. Stir until the seasoning is evenly distributed.
Slow cook
  1. Cook on Low for 6–8 hours, or on High for 3–4 hours, until hot and thickened. Do not lift the lid during cooking so the heat stays trapped.
Finish and serve
  1. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning as needed. If it thickens too much, stir in a little more beef broth to loosen it.
  2. Serve the taco soup loaded with shredded cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and green onions.

Notes

Pro tip: drain the beef well after browning so the broth stays rich instead of greasy. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat in a pot or microwave until steaming. Freezing is yes—freeze up to 3 months, but add toppings fresh after reheating. For a lighter option, use lean ground beef and swap the ranch dressing mix for a low-sodium version if you want to cut sodium without changing the method.