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Home » Recipes » Dinner

Creamy Beef Taco Soup

Published: Dec 1, 2022 · Modified: Sep 25, 2024 by Christina Koncker · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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Creamy Beef Taco Soup satisfies those taco cravings when a one-pot meal suits your desired level of effort come dinnertime. This is one of those easy taco soup recipes that prioritizes using canned ingredients to expedite the cooking process.

Creamy Taco Soup in a bowl with a spoon and a bowl of tortilla strips and pot of soup in the background.
Jump to:
  • Why You Will Love This Creamy Taco Soup Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • Variations to Make It Spicy + More!
  • How to Make Beef Taco Soup
  • Expert Tips
  • Recipe FAQs
  • More Tex Mex Recipes to Try
  • Creamy Beef Taco Soup

Tacos are fire, but there are times when I want that classic taco flavor without the to-do of prepping and setting out all of the components.

This Creamy Beef Taco Soup achieves that goal in a one-pot wonder - seasoned ground beef, tender black beans, sweet pops of corn, and rich tomato goodness all combined into one hearty soup. A smidge of cream cheese lends a subtle creaminess, which ups the cozy factor another notch. This beefy, creamy taco soup recipe is the perfect vehicle for crispy tortilla strips.

Looking for some more hearty soups or chilis for meals? One of my favorites is this White Chicken Chili and I think you will love my Pinto Bean Soup too! Another one to try is this Venison Soup Recipe.

Why You Will Love This Creamy Taco Soup Recipe

  • Quick and Easy. Creamy Taco Soup comes together pretty quickly - prep takes around 10 minutes with a cook time right around 30 minutes. You can of course make this the night before and simply reheat it for dinner.
  • Great for Meal Prep. This makes a pretty sizable amount of soup - around 10 cups. Enough to feed a family of four. Or serve as really delicious food prep for a couple.
  • Leftovers Are Even Better. Similar to chili, I think this easy Creamy Taco Soup gets even better as it sits overnight. Hello, tasty lunch leftovers!

Ingredients

Ingredients needed to make  Creamy Taco Soup.

Don’t let the number of ingredients fool you - there’s not a lot of prep work required, thanks to the use of canned, ready-to-use ingredients. There are also suggestions for shortcuts in the Substitutions section if you need to further lessen the time investment.

  • Canned goods, including - Ro-tel diced tomatoes, corn, black beans, and vegetable broth. Reach for your pantry and you've got a solid quarter of your ingredients. You can also use canned crushed tomatoes here instead of Rote; fire-roasted tomatoes are my go-to when I don’t have Ro-tel on hand. Navy beans and garbanzo beans can be used in place of black beans, or try hominy instead.
  • Vegetable broth - Use chicken or beef broth instead. Or, make your own, like this Instant Pot Beef Bone Broth. 
  • Ground beef - I kept it simple with group beef, but you can use another protein like ground pork or ground chicken. Or if you'd rather not use a meat protein, try adding more beans, like pinto beans, to the mix.
  • Veggies - yellow onion, bell pepper, garlic cloves. I can't help but sneak some fresh veggies in; use a mandolin to make quick work of the onion and bell pepper.
  • Seasonings - ancho chili powder, cumin, paprika, and salt and pepper (optional, to taste). A handful of seasonings, from bold smoky ancho chili powder to earthy cumin, brings flavor to the ground beef and resulting soup. In lieu of the seasonings called for in this recipe, you could use 1-2 tablespoons of a homemade taco seasoning mix. The resulting flavor will be similar. 
  • Cream cheese - Lends richness and creaminess to the resulting soup.
  • Toppings - such as grated cheddar cheese, sliced avocado, sour cream, lime juice or zest, or tortilla strips. 

If you like this soup recipe, you should also check out this Black Bean Soup, which contains similar ingredients. Or give this Rotel Pasta a try!

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!

Variations to Make It Spicy + More!

Try these variations to achieve spicy Taco Soup perfection.

  • Add 2-3 finely diced jalapenos; leave the pith for extra heat!
  • Add a few dashes of cayenne pepper and/or red pepper flakes.
  • Finish with a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce - I tend to reach for OG Tabasco.

Here are some other changes you can make!

  • Vegetarian. Make a vegetarian version by leaving out the meat and add an additional can of black or pinto beans. 
  • No bean taco soup. If you'd prefer to leave the beans out of your taco soup, go for it! I would recommend replacing it with something since you are omitting around 15 ounces of beans - why not replace the beans with zucchini or sweet potatoes.
  • Creamier. If you want the resulting soup to be a little less chunky, blend one can of the Rotel before adding. This adds a creamier body to the soup. You could also add in more cream cheese than is called for in the recipe.

How to Make Beef Taco Soup

Take the cream cheese out of the fridge first so that it has time to soften while you prepare the Taco Soup.

Ground beef and seasonings in a pot.
  1. Cook the ground beef in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir it to break it up until it’s cooked through. , around 7 minutes. Add the ancho chili powder, cumin, and paprika as the meat cooks. Strain the excess fat off into a separate container and spread ground beef onto paper towels.
Onions and bell peppers added to the pot to cook.
  1. Cook the onion and green pepper in a little of the strained beef grease for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
Garlic is added on top of cooked onions and peppers.
  1. Add the garlic and continue cooking for an additional minute, stirring the whole time.
Adding the broth and other ingredients to pot to make taco soup.
  1. Add the strained corn and black beans to the pot along with the Ro-tel diced tomatoes and vegetable broth to the Dutch oven. Heat to a boil and then immediately reduce the heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Cream cheese in a bowl with some of the soup liquid.
  1. Add the cream cheese to a bowl along with some of the soup liquid.
Cream cheese and soup liquid mixed together in a bowl.
  1. Stir until the cream cheese has completely melted in. You can use a blender if you’d like to speed up this process.
Creamy Beef Taco Soup in the pot with a blue spoon.
  1. Add the melted cream cheese mixture to the soup and stir to combine. Remove soup from heat. Give it a taste and season the soup with salt and pepper as needed.. Serve with shredded cheese and tortilla strips!

Hint: Strain the ground beef well after it finishes cooking. Let it rest on paper towels while the peppers and onions cook to remove as much excess grease as you can. You don’t want too much oil to get into the resulting soup. 

A bowl of creamy taco beef soup topped with tortilla strips.

Expert Tips

  • Don’t be afraid to experiment! This is one of those soups you should feel confident tweaking to suit your tastes and use what you might have on hand. For me, the Ro-tel and the seasonings are the key ingredients. Once you have this soup “base”, you can add most anything you like - such as potatoes, garbanzo beans, or pasta.
  • Store Leftovers. Store leftover ground beef Taco Soup in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 3-6 months.
  • Brothy vs. thick-er: The resulting soup texture is brothy but on the creamier side. Just a little brothy tho, the ingredients make it a hearty bite. If the soup needs some adjustments, you can add more broth for a thinner soup or mash some beans for a thicker texture.
  • Serving Ideas: You’ll want to pair this soup with an understated, yet stand-out side dish. Try pairing this soup with Instant Pot Spanish Rice and Air Fryer Nachos! and Enjoy some Tajin Cucumber Salsa or Cheesy Refried Bean Dip as a snack with some tortilla chips with your taco soup.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use taco seasoning in this soup?

As instructed, the Rotel and three choice seasonings bring the taco flavor to this soup. Of course, you could omit the cumin, ancho chili powder, and paprika and use taco seasoning in a pinch, like this homemade Taco Seasoning. See the Ingredients section for more easy swaps.

Do you drain beans for soup?

It depends, is my answer. I don't feel strongly one way or another, but there are good reasons for inclusion or exclusion - like having more control over the sodium in the resulting dish. I do typically strain the beans in this beef taco soup recipe for appearance reasons - the liquid left behind in black beans makes the resulting taco soup appear darker and I prefer a more vibrant-looking soup. But if that doesn't bother you, feel free to forgo straining and use the liquid. If you opt to forgo straining the beans, I would still strain the canned corn to avoid introducing too much liquid into this soup.

What garnishes should I put on Beef Taco Soup?

Taco soup garnishes are the best! My go-to's are shredded cheese, tortilla strips (or crushed tortilla chips and sour cream. You should also consider a drizzle of this Creamy Salsa Dressing, fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro, a few dashes of hot sauce, or pepitas.

Can you make this soup in a slow cooker?

Yes, of course you can make some adaptations to make this beef taco soup in a slow cooker! I recommend browning the ground beef first, as well as cooking the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Once you've completed that step, all all of the ingredients - EXCEPT for the cream cheese - to a crock pot. Set it to HIGH for 5-6 hours. When you've got about an hour before serving, open the lid and add in the cream cheese. Let it slow cook away - the cream cheese will slowly melt. Before serving, mix in cream cheese :). You can also cook this soup over LOW for 8-10 hours, but don't forget to add the cream cheese at the end and give it time to melt!

More Tex Mex Recipes to Try

  • Quick sauteed tex mex beef in a skillet.
    Tex-Mex Ground Beef
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    Chorizo and Scrambled Egg Breakfast Tacos

If you tried this Beef Taco Soup recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!

Creamy taco soup in a bowl with tortilla strips on top and a spoon in the bowl.

Creamy Beef Taco Soup

Christina Koncker
This creamy, ground beef Taco Soup is perfect for satisfying taco cravings when a one-pot meal suits your desired level of effort come dinnertime.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 40 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican-American
Servings 10 cups
Calories 268 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 yellow onion, diced (around 2 cups) 
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced 
  • 6-8 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
  • ½ tablespoon cumin
  • ½ tablespoon paprika
  • 2 10 ounce cans Ro-tel diced tomatoes
  • 1 12 ounce can sweet corn
  • 1 15 ounce can black beans
  • 1 32 ounce container vegetable broth
  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • salt and pepper, to taste (optional)
  • toppings such as grated cheddar cheese, sliced avocado, sour cream or tortilla strips  (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Take the cream cheese out of the fridge first so that it has time to soften while you prepare the Creamy Taco Soup.
    4 ounces cream cheese
  • Add the ground beef to a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the beef, stirring occasionally until it’s cooked through, around 7 minutes. I like to season the meat after it’s browned for a few minutes. Add the ancho chili powder, cumin, and paprika as the meat cooks. 
    1 pound ground beef, 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder, ½ tablespoon cumin, ½ tablespoon paprika
  • Strain excess fat off into a separate container and spread ground beef onto paper towels. Add a little of the strained beef grease back to the Dutch oven. Add yellow onion and green bell pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
    1 yellow onion, diced, 1 green bell pepper, diced 
  • Add garlic and continue cooking for an additional minute, stirring the whole time.
    6-8 garlic cloves, minced
  • Strain corn and black beans. Add the corn, black beans, Ro-tel, and vegetable broth to the Dutch oven.
    2 10 ounce cans Ro-tel diced tomatoes, 1 12 ounce can sweet corn, 1 15 ounce can black beans, 1 32 ounce container vegetable broth
  • Increase the heat to high to bring the soup to a boil. Upon boiling, immediately turn down the heat to a simmer. Simmer for around 15-20 minutes. 
  • While the soup simmers, add cream cheese to a bowl. Spoon out some of the soup liquid into the bowl with cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese has completely melted in (you can use a blender if you’d like to speed up this process). 
  • Add the melted cream cheese mixture to the soup and stir to combine. Remove soup from heat.
  • Taste and season the soup with salt and pepper (if desired). Serve with shredded cheese and tortilla strips!
    salt and pepper, to taste, toppings such as grated cheddar cheese, sliced avocado, sour cream or tortilla strips 

Notes

*The nutrition information was calculated using an online calculator application and should be considered estimates. 
No bean taco soup. If you'd prefer to leave the beans out of your taco soup, go for it! I would recommend replacing it with something since you are omitting around 15 ounces of beans - why not replace the beans with zucchini or sweet potatoes.
Creamier soup. For an even creamier soup, blend one can of Ro-tel before adding to the soup; it will add body and creaminess without increasing the calories.

Nutrition

Calories: 268kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 14gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 455mgPotassium: 560mgFiber: 6gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 936IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 3mg
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Christina from Midwexican

About Christina

I'm a Minnesota native who can't get enough of south-of-the-border flavors. My recipes combine comforting Midwestern eats with bold Mexican and Tex-Mex flavors. If you love comforting food, bold flavors, and - most importantly - tacos! then you'll love what I'm cooking!

Learn more about me

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