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White bowl filled with taco soup, cheese, sour cream and tortilla strips.

The Best Taco Soup {Stovetop or Slow Cooker}

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ to 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup chicken or beef broth (see note)
  • 2 cans (4-ounces each) green chiles, mild, medium or hot
  • 1 (15-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes (see note)
  • 2 cans (8-ounces each) tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder (see note)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon paprika, smoked or regular
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels
  • Toppings: tortilla chips or strips, sour cream, cheese, cilantro, etc.

Instructions 

  • Stovetop: in a 6-quart pot, brown the ground beef with the salt and pepper until cooked through, breaking the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Drain grease. To the pot add the remaining ingredients except the corn and toppings. Stir well. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes (or up to 30 minutes). Stir in the corn and heat through. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed, and serve with toppings of choice.
  • Slow Cooker: in a 10- or 12-inch skillet, brown the ground beef with the salt and pepper until cooked through, breaking the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Drain grease. You can add the beef to the slow cooker now or wait and add it in at the end with the frozen corn. To the insert of a slow cooker add all the remaining ingredients except the corn and toppings. Stir well. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Stir in the corn (and meat, if it was reserved until later) and heat through on high. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if needed, and serve with toppings of choice.

Notes

Nutrition Facts: the nutrition facts for this recipe were calculated based on the soup (but do not include the toppings as those are added based on personal preference). 
Broth: the broth sets this recipe apart as a soup and not a chili. One cup broth is the sweet spot for me - you can add more or less depending on how thick/thin you want the soup.
Chili Powder: I usually use McCormick or Penzey's chili powder. This lends a mild kick to the taco soup without being overly spicy. If the chili powder you have is spicy and you don't want this soup overly spicy, decrease to 1/2 tablespoon.
Tomatoes: for a smoother texture, you can pulse the diced tomatoes in a blender (or use a can of crushed tomatoes).
Make-ahead: this soup tastes delicious served immediately, but it tastes even better the next day (and it freezes great).