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Home Method Slow Cooker Slow Cooker Soup Recipes
5
/5

Crockpot Taco Soup Recipe

Dairy Free Dairy-Free Gluten Free Gluten Free Nut Free Nut Free Freezer Friendly Freezer Meal Prep Meal Prep
Jump to Recipe
By: Denise Bustard7 Comments
Posted: 10/1/19 Updated: 11/7/20

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This crockpot taco soup recipe is a hearty but healthy soup loaded with your favorite taco ingredients and flavors! No sauteeing and crockpot ready in just 15 minutes.

Like my favorite Smoky Turkey Chili, this crockpot taco soup is hearty, but good for you and perfect for colder weather.

overhead view of the slow cooker taco soup recipe in bowl with avocado and tortilla chips

Minimal prep work and simple ingredients makes this soup ready to cook in just 15 minutes, and it can cook for up to 8 hours, which makes it a great dinner on those busy days when you are out of the house or running around all day.

And this recipe is SUPER meal prep-friendly: assemble ahead and freeze as a freezer crockpot meal OR cook ahead and freeze for easy meals later.

Why you'll ♡ this crockpot taco soup recipe

  • no sauteeing, minimal prep work, and it's into the slow cooker in 15 minutes or less
  • meal prep-friendly: assemble ingredients and freeze pre- or post- cooking!
  • healthy, hearty, and so tasty

Recipe Video

This is one seriously easy recipe. Want proof? Watch the video below! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!

overhead view of ingredients used in taco soup crockpot recipe

Ingredients you'll need

  • lean ground beef- or swap for ground turkey
  • canned ingredients- black beans, corn, green chiles and diced tomatoes (or rotel for a real kick!)
  • fresh ingredients- diced red onion and bell peppers
  • spices- taco seasoning (make my homemade taco seasoning for a cleaner recipe or use store-bought as a shortcut!)
  • broth- I used my homemade bone broth but you can use store-bought chicken stock

ground beef in slow cooker before adding other easy taco soup ingredients

Beef- to cook ahead or not to cook ahead

Almost every crockpot recipe I've seen calls to cook ground beef ahead, but I decided to test out whether this was 100% necessary.

Honestly? We didn't notice it at all. The texture of the beef was slightly less 'chewy' than it normally would be and it clumped together a little less than if we had sauteed it first. If you would prefer to sautee first, you should do that!

  • Note- we use grass fed lean ground beef which naturally does not have a lot of fat in it. If you use ground beef with a higher fat content, you may wish to cook first and drain the fat off before adding.

slow cooker taco soup in slow cooker before cooking

Prep ahead for easy dinners

You can meal prep this recipe in one of two ways:

  1. Freezer crockpot- assemble all ingredients except the broth in a large meal prep container (I like the 3 quart ones from Ikea!), gallon-sized reusable silicone bag, or gallon-size freezer bag.
    • squeeze out air, and freeze flat for up to 3 months.
    • thaw completely, and cook in the slow cooker as directed (low 6-8 hours)
  2. Cook ahead- alternatively, you can cook up this slow cooker taco soup, cool, portion out and freeze. I like freezing my soups in 1 quart mason jars (leave ¼ empty and lids ajar to account for expansion) or these reusable plastic freezer jars.
    • thaw, transfer to a bowl, then reheat in the microwave until steaming hot

side view of taco soup recipe before cooking

Can I cook this in the Instant Pot?

I bet you could, but I haven't tried. I would guess 5 minutes high pressure with 10 minutes of natural pressure release before releasing the rest. Let me know in the comments if you give it a try!

Can I make this soup lower carb?

Sure, leave out the black beans and corn. You might want to double up on the ground beef.

Can I make this recipe vegan?

Yes, I would leave out the beef, double up the beans, and swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock. I bet that would be delicious! You might also want to check out my Vegan Crockpot Chili!

close up of taco soup crockpot recipe in blue bowl

More crockpot soup recipes

  • Thai Slow Cooker Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
  • Slow Cooker African Peanut Stew
  • 42 Healthy Crockpot Soup Recipes
  • Crockpot White Chicken Chili
  • Hearty Lentil Soup

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

overhead shot of ingredients for the taco soup in crockpot

Crockpot Taco Soup Recipe

5 from 14 votes
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 8 hours hrs
Print Rate
Crockpot taco soup recipe is a hearty but healthy soup loaded with your favorite taco ingredients and flavors! No sauteeing and crockpot ready in 15 min.
8

Ingredients

  • 1 lb lean ground beef
  • 19 oz can of diced tomatoes (540 mL; include juices)
  • 4.3 oz can of green chiles (127 mL)
  • 11.5 oz can of corn kernels (340mL; drained)
  • 19 oz can of black beans (540 mL; drained & rinsed)
  • 3 cup chicken stock (or homemade bone broth)
  • 1 bell pepper (diced)
  • 1 red onion (diced)
  • ¼ cup taco seasoning

Serving suggestions

  • cheese
  • avocado
  • sour cream
  • tortilla strips
  • cilantro

Instructions 

  • In the base of a 6 quart slow cooker, place the ground beef. Use a spatula to break it up into small pieces.
  • Add all remaining ingredients. Mix, then add the lid.
  • Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
  • Serve with suggested toppings.

Storage

  • Leftovers may be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

To assemble as a freezer crockpot meal

  • Add all ingredients except for broth/stock to a large meal prep container, reusable silicone bag, or sturdy gallon-sized freezer bag. Squeeze as much air out as possible and freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Thaw completely before cooking as directed above.

Tips:

Nutritional information does not include suggested toppings.

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/8 of batch, Calories: 265kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 38mg, Sodium: 413mg, Potassium: 814mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 773IU, Vitamin C: 34mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 4mg
Author: Annie Holmes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Did You Make This?Don't forget to leave a review below, and tag us on Instagram using @SweetPeasAndSaffron or #sweetpeasandsaffron
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Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

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Reader Interactions

5 from 14 votes (11 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




  1. Anissa says

    Posted on 11/21/23 at Posted on 11/21/23

    5 stars
    Delicious! My batch was done in just under four hours on low. About halfway through I broke up the ground beef and the temperature registers it at fully cooked early. Having it for lunch instead of dinner, so it works out! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Julie says

    Posted on 1/13/21 at Posted on 1/13/21

    Any changes to the recipe if you make this the evening-of instead of in a crock pot?

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 1/15/21 at Posted on 1/15/21

      Hi Julie! I have only tested it as written, and prefer to use the low setting in the slow cooker in general. You can potentially use the high setting, though I'm not sure if it will affect the texture of the beef. I would try high for 3-4 hours. Let me know if you give it a try!

      Reply
  3. Debbie says

    Posted on 1/21/20 at Posted on 1/21/20

    5 stars
    Made for dinner tonight....very good just as is! The toppings made it perfect! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 2/3/20 at Posted on 2/3/20

      So happy to hear you enjoyed, Debbie! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a review 🙂

      Reply
  4. Dianna says

    Posted on 11/14/19 at Posted on 11/14/19

    5 stars
    I swapped the beef for plant based crumbles to make it vegan!! The rotel added a nice kick. The whole family, including the kids enjoyed!!

    Reply
    • Denise says

      Posted on 11/18/19 at Posted on 11/18/19

      Hi Dianna! That's so great to hear! I can't wait for some of these cool plant based swaps to start coming out in Canada. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review 🙂

      Reply

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