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Beef Taco Soup

Beef taco soup with a deep Tex-Mex broth made by browning ground beef, sautéing aromatics, then simmering canned beans, corn, and tomatoes until intensely flavored. Finished as a loaded bowl with shredded cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and cilantro.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef and aromatics
  • 1.5 lb ground beef 80/20 for best flavor; drain fat after browning.
  • 1 onion Diced.
  • 1 green bell pepper Diced.
  • 4 garlic Minced.
Beans, tomatoes, and broth
  • 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans Drained.
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans Drained.
  • 1 can (15 oz) corn Drained.
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 4 cup beef broth
Spices
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
Toppings
  • 1 cheddar Shredded.
  • 1 sour cream
  • 1 tortilla chips
  • 1 jalapeños
  • 1 cilantro Chopped.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Brown the ground beef in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then drain the fat.
  2. Continue heating just until the beef is browned through, with no pink left in the crumbles.
Sauté aromatics and toast spices
  1. Sauté the onion and green bell pepper in the same pot for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened.
  2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
  3. Add taco seasoning, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika, then stir for 1 minute to toast the spices.
Simmer the soup
  1. Add the kidney beans, black beans, corn, Rotel tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and beef broth to the pot, then bring everything to a boil.
  2. Simmer for 20 minutes until the broth is deeply flavored, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve
  1. Serve the soup loaded with cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and cilantro.

Notes

Pro tip: use 80/20 ground beef and drain the fat right after browning to keep the broth rich but not greasy. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat on the stovetop until hot. Freezing is yes—freeze in portions up to 3 months, then thaw and reheat; add toppings fresh. For a lower-carb option, reduce tortilla chips and keep toppings like cheddar, sour cream, jalapeños, and cilantro.