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Beef Taco Soup

Beef taco soup with a deeply flavored, broth-forward texture made by browning ground beef and simmering with Tex-Mex spices and beans. Finished with classic toppings like shredded cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and cilantro for a loaded bowl.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ground beef base
  • 1.5 lb ground beef 80/20
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 4 garlic minced
Beans and vegetables
  • 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 liquid
  • 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 4 cup beef broth
Toppings
  • cheddar shredded
  • sour cream
  • tortilla chips
  • jalapeños
  • cilantro

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Brown the beef
  1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef, then drain the fat.
  2. Keep the heat at medium-high while browning so the beef develops crumbles with no excess grease.
Sauté aromatics
  1. Add the onion and green bell pepper to the same pot and sauté for 4 minutes, until softened.
  2. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant.
Build the Tex-Mex flavor
  1. Add taco seasoning, cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika, then stir for 1 minute to bloom the spices.
Simmer the soup
  1. Add kidney beans, black beans, corn, Rotel tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and beef broth, then bring the mixture to a boil.
  2. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, until the broth is deeply flavored, then season with salt and pepper.
Serve
  1. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with cheddar, sour cream, tortilla chips, jalapeños, and cilantro.

Notes

Pro tip: for thicker soup, simmer uncovered for the last 5 minutes or mash some of the beans against the pot. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (add toppings after reheating). For a lower-fat option, use 90/10 ground beef and consider adding extra broth if it thickens too much after storage.