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Beef Taco Soup

Beef taco soup with a deep Tex-Mex broth, made by browning 80/20 ground beef, then simmering canned beans, corn, and tomatoes until richly flavored. Topped with cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and cilantro for an easy loaded bowl.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ground beef
  • 1.5 lb ground beef 80/20
Vegetables and aromatics
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
Beans, corn, and tomatoes
  • 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
Seasoning and liquids
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 4 cup beef broth
  • 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

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Brown the ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat, breaking it up as it cooks, then drain the fat.
Sauté aromatics
  1. Sauté the onion and green bell pepper in the same pot for 4 minutes, stirring until softened.
  2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring just until fragrant.
Build Tex-Mex flavor
  1. Stir in the taco seasoning, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika 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, then bring the mixture to a boil.
  2. Simmer for 20 minutes until the broth is deeply flavored, then season with salt and pepper.
Serve
  1. Serve the taco soup loaded with cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and cilantro.

Notes

For the best texture, keep the soup at a steady simmer (not a rolling boil) during the 20-minute cook so it thickens slightly and tastes cohesive. Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days; freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Dietary swap: use all-bean broth and omit the beef for a vegetarian version by replacing ground beef with crumbled plant-based protein.