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Creamy Cheesy Ground Beef Taco Soup

Creamy cheesy ground beef taco soup with a thick orange-cheese broth, beans, and corn—built on a quick simmer and melty Velveeta/cream cheese. Perfect for cozy bowls topped with tortilla chips, jalapeños, and cilantro.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ground beef
  • 1.5 lb ground beef
Soup base
  • 1 onion diced
  • 3 garlic minced
  • 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
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 1 packet (1 oz) ranch dressing mix
  • 4 cup beef broth
Cheese & cream
  • 8 oz cream cheese cubed
  • 8 oz Velveeta or American cheese cubed
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
Toppings
  • 1 tortilla chips for topping
  • 1 jalapeños for topping
  • 1 cilantro for topping

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Brown ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat, then drain any excess fat. Cook until the beef is no longer pink and crumbles evenly.
Sauté aromatics
  1. Sauté diced onion for 3 minutes until softened and lightly translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
Build the soup
  1. Add black beans, corn, Rotel tomatoes, diced tomatoes, taco seasoning, ranch dressing mix, and beef broth, then bring the mixture to a boil. Scrape the bottom of the pot so the seasoning dissolves.
Simmer
  1. Simmer for 10 minutes and reduce the heat to low. You want a gentle bubbling around the edges.
Melt the cheeses
  1. Add cubed cream cheese and cubed Velveeta/American cheese in pieces, then stir until completely melted. The soup should turn smooth and glossy.
Thicken
  1. Stir in heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes until thick and cheesy. Keep the heat low so the cream blends without separating.
Serve
  1. Serve the taco soup hot with tortilla chips, jalapeños, and cilantro on top. Aim for a crunchy chip layer and fresh herbal finish.

Notes

Pro tip: cubing and adding the cream cheese/Velveeta in pieces helps it melt smoothly—stir constantly on low heat once you add the cheeses. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days in an airtight container; reheat gently on the stove or microwave. Freezing is not ideal because the dairy can separate after thawing. Dietary swap: use reduced-fat cream cheese and a lighter cheese blend to cut calories while keeping the creamy texture.