Taco Soup Recipe With Ranch Seasoning

Bring this easy, delicious Taco Soup Recipe to life with ground beef and pantry staples in just 30 minutes. It’s Midwest-meets-Tex-Mex in this fusion cult favorite.

My Favorite Easy Taco Soup Recipe

Taco Soup ranks among my favorites because if you have a package of lean ground beef and a handful of spices and other pantry staples, it’s a cinch to whip up on the stove top any day of the week. It’s as simple as dump, simmer, and savor, and a big pot is only 30 minutes away. If you have a little more time, it’s a great dump-and-pour recipe for your slow cooker, too!

Taco Soup Recipe Ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

• Ground beef: I suggest an 85% lean, 15% fat ground beef blend. If desired, swap in ground turkey, chicken, pork, or ground sausage. For a vegetarian Taco Soup, add an extra can or two of beans.
• Kidney beans: 3 cups cooked beans can be substituted for the 2 cans (that’s about 1 cup dried beans before cooking). You can use any type of canned or cooked bean instead of kidney including pinto beans, black beans, or red beans.
• Canned diced tomatoes: Use fire-roasted diced tomatoes for more smoky flavor. Rotel tomatoes with green chiles are good, too.
• Taco seasoning: A store-bought packet works great. To DIY a packet’s worth of homemade taco seasoning, whisk together 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin, ¾ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, and salt to taste (I like ½ teaspoon). Add 1 teaspoon cornstarch if you prefer a thickener in your taco seasoning.
• Ranch dressing mix: A packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning is fine, or make Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix with 2 tablespoons powdered buttermilk, 2 ½ teaspoons dried parsley, 1 teaspoon dried minced onion, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon dill weed, and salt (I like ¼ teaspoon). Use immediately or store covered in the refrigerator.
• Tortilla chips: Store-bought or Homemade Tortilla Chips, choose your own adventure. You could also fry tortillas whole to serve with Taco Soup.

How to Make Taco Soup

1. In a Dutch Oven or large soup pot over medium heat, cook ground beef and onion until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain well.

2. Add water, beans, tomatoes, corn, chiles, and all juices from cans. Stir in taco seasoning and ranch seasoning.

3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve your favorite toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, minced cilantro, lime wedges, and tortilla chips.

Taco Soup Recipe Easy Tips and Variations

• Yield: My easy Taco Soup recipe makes about 12 cups (3 quarts) of soup, enough for 8 hearty servings, 1 ½ cups each.
• Vegan Taco Soup: Omit the ground beef and ranch dressing mix. Add crumbled tofu if you want a meat substitute and crank up the veggies overall. Try bell peppers, zucchini, finely-shredded carrot, celery, and more beans or lentils.
• Slow Cooker Taco Soup: To make this a set-and-forget meal, after adding all of the Taco Soup ingredients to the pot in Step 2, transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 to 8 hours.

How to Thicken Taco Soup

There are a few different ways you can thicken taco soup:

1. Cornstarch slurry: Combine ¼ cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Stir into the soup and cook until heated through. If you add cornstarch directly to the hot soup, it will clump.
2. Roux: Melt ¼ butter, then whisk in ¼ cup flour until lightly browned. While the soup is simmering, whisk the roux into the soup.

You can also make your soup chunkier by adding more vegetables and beans. Or, serve the soup with a slotted spoon to drain off liquid in individual portions.

How to Store Taco Soup With Ground Beef

Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To Freeze

Cooled Taco Soup can be transferred to freezer-safe containers, labeled, dated, and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave to 165 degrees.

How to Serve Taco Soup

• Toppings: Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and scallions are classics. You can also try diced avocado or heaping spoonfuls of guacamole, crispy cooked bacon, fresh cilantro, minced white onion, hot sauce, jalapeño slices, oyster crackers, tortilla chips, or lime wedges.
• Sides: Chunks of moist cornbread make an excellent side for Taco Soup. Or, try soft corn tortillas, corn chips (Fritos), or tostadas. You also can’t go wrong with chips and salsa or Elote (Mexican Street Corn).
• Mix-ins: Stir in hot cooked rice, tender elbow macaroni, or cooked quinoa to stretch the soup further.

More ground beef recipes

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Sloppy Joe Recipe

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Meat Sauce Recipe

Taco Soup With Ground Beef

By Meggan Hill

Bring this easy, delicious Taco Soup Recipe to life with ground beef and pantry staples in just 30 minutes. It's Midwest-meets-Tex-Mex in this fusion cult favorite.

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings (1 ½ cups each)

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Calories 339

4.85 from 19 votes

ReviewPrint

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 2 pounds ground beef (see note 1)
• ▢ 1 large onion peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
• ▢ 3 cups water
• ▢ 2 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans undrained (see note 2)
• ▢ 2 (14-ounce) cans diced tomatoes undrained
• ▢ 1 (14-ounce) can corn undrained
• ▢ 1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies undrained
• ▢ 1 packet taco seasoning (see note 3)
• ▢ 1 (1-ounce) packet ranch dressing mix (see note 4)
• ▢ shredded cheese and sour cream, diced avocado, cilantro leaves, and tortilla chips, for serving

Instructions 

• In a Dutch Oven or large stock pot over medium-high heat, cook ground beef and onion until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain well.
• Add water, beans, tomatoes, corn, and chiles. Stir in taco seasoning and ranch seasoning. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Serve your favorite toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, diced avocado, minced cilantro, and tortilla chips.

Recipe Video

Notes

1. Ground beef: For a lighter soup, substitute ground turkey or chicken. For a vegetarian version, add an extra can or two of beans.
2. Kidney beans: Substitute 3 cups cooked beans for the 2 cans (that’s about 1 cup dried beans before cooking). You can use any type of canned or cooked bean instead of kidney including pinto beans, black beans, or red beans.
3. Taco seasoning: To DIY a packet’s worth of homemade taco seasoning, whisk together 1 Tbsp. chili powder, 1 ½ tsp. ground cumin, ¾ tsp. paprika, ½ tsp. ground coriander, ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper, and salt to taste (I like ½ tsp.). Add 1 tsp. cornstarch if you prefer a thickener in your taco seasoning.
4. Ranch dressing mix: To DIY a packet’s worth of homemade ranch dressing mix, in a small bowl, whisk together 2 Tbsp. powdered buttermilk, 2 ½ tsp. dried parsley, 1 tsp. dried minced onion, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, ½ tsp. dill weed, and salt (I like ¼ tsp.). Use immediately or store covered in the refrigerator.
5. Yield: My easy Taco Soup recipe makes about 12 cups (3 quarts) of soup, enough for 8 hearty servings, 1 ½ cups each.
6. Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5 cupsCalories: 339kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 21gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 520mgPotassium: 688mgFiber: 6gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 128IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 4mg

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