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Beef Taco Soup

Beef taco soup with a deeply spiced, hearty broth made from browned ground beef and simmered beans, corn, and tomatoes. Loaded with cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and cilantro for a Tex-Mex finish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef taco soup
  • 1.5 lb ground beef 80/20
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 4 garlic minced
  • 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
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 4 cup beef broth
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • cheddar toppings, shredded
  • sour cream toppings
  • tortilla chips toppings
  • jalapeños toppings
  • cilantro toppings

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef and build the base
  1. Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat until cooked through, then drain the fat (about 6–8 minutes) and keep the beef in the pot.
  2. Sauté the onion and green bell pepper in the same pot for 4 minutes, stirring often, until the onion softens.
  3. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant (about 1 minute).
  4. Stir in the taco seasoning, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika and cook for 1 minute to bloom the spices (about 1 minute).
Simmer and serve
  1. Add the kidney beans, black beans, corn, Rotel tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and beef broth, then bring everything to a boil.
  2. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the broth is deeply flavored, stirring occasionally; season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Serve hot, topped with cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and cilantro.

Notes

For best flavor, let the soup rest off the heat for 5–10 minutes before topping and serving—this thickens the broth slightly. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; freeze in portions for up to 3 months (add toppings after reheating). To make it lighter, use 93% lean ground beef and reduce cheese/sour cream or swap for Greek yogurt.