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Slow Cooker Taco Soup

Slow cooker taco soup with deeply flavored ground beef, beans, corn, and tomatoes simmered until savory and spoonable. Load it with cheddar, sour cream, crunchy tortilla chips, jalapeños, and green onions for big Tex-Mex flavor in one pot.
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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
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ground beef base
  • 1 lb ground beef Brown and drain before adding to the slow cooker.
  • 0.5 onion Diced.
  • 3 cloves 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 Undrained or as included in the can.
  • 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes Use canned diced tomatoes.
Seasoning and soup liquid
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning 1 packet.
  • 1 packet (1 oz) ranch dressing mix 1 packet.
  • 3 cup beef broth Add to the slow cooker; use more if it thickens too much.
Toppings
  • shredded cheddar Serve on top.
  • sour cream Serve on top.
  • tortilla chips Serve on top.
  • jalapeños Serve on top.
  • green onions Serve on top.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown beef
  1. Brown the ground beef in the Dutch oven until browned, then drain off excess grease and add the drained beef to the slow cooker.
  2. Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the slow cooker with the beef, then stir to distribute.
Build the soup
  1. Add the black beans, kidney beans, whole kernel corn, Rotel tomatoes, and diced tomatoes to the slow cooker.
  2. Sprinkle in the taco seasoning and ranch dressing mix, then pour in the beef broth and stir to combine evenly.
Slow cook
  1. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours until flavors meld and the soup is hot throughout, or cook on High for 3-4 hours.
  2. Taste the soup near the end and adjust seasoning by adding more beef broth if it thickens too much.
Serve
  1. Serve the taco soup loaded with shredded cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and green onions.

Notes

For best texture, drain all canned beans and corn well so the soup isn’t watery before slow cooking. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (toppings not recommended for freezing). For a lighter option, swap the beef broth with low-sodium and use light sour cream to reduce sodium and fat.