Taco Soup Recipe (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker!) - Oh Sweet Basil (2024)

This Instant Pot Taco Soup recipe is an easy weeknight dinner, that’s full of all your favorite Mexican flavors. Serve with cheese, sour cream and avocado!

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Taco Soup Recipe (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker!) - Oh Sweet Basil (1)

The Best Taco Soup Recipe

Hi everyone! I’m Jennifer from Deliciously Sprinkled and I’m SOOO excited to share this delicious Instant Pot Taco Soup recipe with all of you today!

With the holiday’s in full swing, it seems like we are just so busy that I don’t have time to make dinner and I’m really sick of eating out all the time. So I decided I was going to start using my Instant Pot that I got for my birthday to hopefully help me make dinner quicker and easier.

Well you guys, I seriously LOVE my Instant Pot. After I got over the first initial intimidation of it, I learned that it’s really so simple to use and it’s so nice that I can have dinner ready in less than 30 minutes.

So if you’re like me and just got an Instant Pot and don’t know what to make in it, this easy taco soup is the perfect recipe to try first. My family loves this soup, my husband said he could eat this everyday!

Taco Soup Recipe (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker!) - Oh Sweet Basil (2)

Taco Soup Ingredients

This Instant Pot taco soup uses surprisingly few ingredients to achieve its rich flavor. For this easy soup recipe, you’ll need olive oil, ground beef, onion, canned corn, pinto beans, Rotel (a mixture of diced tomatoes and green chilies), diced tomatoes, ranch seasoning mix, taco seasoning, and beef broth.

Note that you’ll be using dry ranch seasoning and NOT ranch dressing. Ranch seasoning comes in small packets, and you can usually find them in the spice aisle.

How to Make Taco Soup in an Instant Pot

One of my favorite things about the Instant Pot is that you can saute meat and veggies right in the pot, so there’s no need to dirty a bunch of different pots and pans. You’ll first need to saute the ground beef and onions together until browned.

After you’ve browned the meat, just dump the corn, beans, rotel, diced tomatoes, ranch seasoning mix, taco seasoning, and beef broth into the pot. Stir and then set the Instant Pot to the soup setting for 20 minutes.

Once the soup is done, serve with your favorite toppings.

Our Favorite Taco Soup Toppings

You can top your taco soup with anything you’d put on a regular taco! Some of our favorite taco soup toppings include:

  • Shredded cheese
  • Sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
  • Fritos
  • Pickled jalapeños
  • Avocado
  • Diced tomato
  • Hot sauce
  • Chopped onion
  • …and more!

Taco Soup Recipe (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker!) - Oh Sweet Basil (3)

What to Serve with Taco Soup

This Instant Pot taco soup is incredibly hearty as is, but it’s nice to serve something alongside it. A few of our favorite sides to serve with this taco soup are:

  • Sweet Cornbread
  • Grilled Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad
  • Frito Salad
  • Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
  • Mexican Fried Rice

Can I Make Taco Soup in a Slow Cooker?

Absolutely! To make this easy taco soup in a slow cooker, you’ll need to brown the meat and onions in a skillet before transferring the mixture to a slow cooker. Dump in the rest of the ingredients, then let the taco soup cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

Can I Make Taco Soup with Ground Turkey?

Yes, both ground turkey and ground chicken would work well in this taco soup recipe. You’d still want to use beef broth though, since it adds so much flavor to the soup!

Can I Freeze Taco Soup?

Definitely. Instant Pot taco soup freezes incredibly well. You’ll first need to let it cool to room temperature, and then you can store it in freezer-safe bags or jars. When you’re ready to enjoy the frozen soup, simply set it in the fridge to thaw overnight.

Taco Soup Recipe (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker!) - Oh Sweet Basil (4)

Tips for Making Instant Pot Taco Soup

When making taco soup in the Instant Pot, make sure to factor in the amount of time your machine needs to build up and release the pressure. We always forgot to do that when we first started cooking with an Instant Pot, so dinner was on the table late a few times!

This is a fairly flexible recipe, so you’re welcome to swap out some of the ingredients based on what you have on hand. You can use different kinds of beans, omit the corn, and so on to suit your preferences.

If you prefer your homemade taco soup on the spicy side, add in a dash of hot sauce (either to the whole pot of soup, or just into your bowl). A little goes a long way, so be careful!

Read more: Have you heard about our Instant Pot Cheat Sheet? It has all the details for cooking the basics in your Instant Pot.

You can find all of our beef recipes here.

Instant Pot Taco Soup

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4.11 from 55 votes

Servings: 4 -6

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Additional Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 50 minutes mins

Description

The BEST recipe for Instant Pot Taco Soup, this soup is full of all your favorite Mexican flavors and makes the perfect weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 2 pounds Ground Beef
  • 1 Medium Onion, chopped
  • 1 can Corn, 15.25 oz.
  • 1 can Pinto Beans, 16 oz., drained and rinsed
  • 1 can Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, 10 oz.
  • 2 cans Diced Tomatoes, 14.5 oz.
  • 1 packet Dry Ranch Seasoning Mix
  • 2 packets Taco Seasoning
  • 2 1/2 cups Beef Broth

Instructions

FOR THE INSTANT POT:

  • Set the instant pot to "Saute" and add olive oil.

  • Once hot, add the ground beef and onions, cook until meat is browned.

  • Turn off instant pot and drain meat.

  • Put the meat back into the instant pot.

  • Add corn, beans, rotel, diced tomatoes, ranch seasoning and taco seasoning.

  • Add beef broth and stir.

  • Place the lid on and set the valve to "Sealed".

  • Press the "Soup" button and set timer for 20 minutes.

  • Once the soup is done, turn valve to "Quick Release".

  • Serve soup with shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream and Fritos.

FOR THE SLOW COOKER:

  • Heat a pan to medium heat and add olive oil. Once hot, add the meat and the onions. Cook until meat is browned. Drain.

  • Add meat and onions to the slow cooker. Add corn, beans, rotel, diced tomatoes, ranch seasoning and taco seasoning. Add beef broth and stir.

  • Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 4 hours.

  • Serve soup with shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream and Fritos.

Equipment

Notes

Left overs can be stored in the refrigerator, or even frozen.

Nutrition

Serving: 1BowlCalories: 831kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 47gFat: 55gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 26gTrans Fat: 3gCholesterol: 161mgSodium: 1582mgPotassium: 1538mgFiber: 6gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 678IUVitamin C: 37mgCalcium: 155mgIron: 8mg

Author: Sweet Basil

Course: 100 + BEST Easy Beef Recipes for Dinner

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FAQs

How long does it take to cook in Instant Pot vs crockpot? ›

Generally, if your slow cooker meat, soup, or stew recipe calls for 8 hours on the low setting or about 4 hours on the high setting, it should be fully cooked in about 25 to 30 minutes in the Instant Pot. For chicken or turkey, use the 15-minute poultry button. While volume doesn't matter, density does.

How do you thicken taco soup? ›

You could also simmer the soup for more time uncovered. This would allow some of the liquid to evaporate, and would thus make for a thicker consistency. Lastly, you could add a cornstarch slurry to the soup. A cornstarch slurry is 1 part cornstarch and 2 parts cold water combined thoroughly.

Can I use a slow cooker instead of an Instant Pot? ›

Probably the most difficult part of of converting any recipe is figuring out how long to cook and at what temperature. Instant Pot cooking times are much lower than Crock Pot cook times, so you'll always want to extend the time it takes to cook a recipe in the crock pot.

What's the difference between a Crockpot and a slow cooker? ›

However, Crockpots generally have ceramic or porcelain pots, while most slow cookers have a metal pot. As with a lot of cooking appliances, the biggest difference comes from the distribution of heat.

Which is better, a slow cooker or a pressure cooker? ›

Slow cookers are much better for cooking root vegetables and tough cuts of meat because the long, low-temperature cooking process is great for adding moisture and breaking down fat. Pressure cookers can get hot enough for meats and vegetables to brown in them when cooking, but slow cookers can't.

What ingredient makes soup thicker? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute.

How to thicken taco soup without cornstarch? ›

Whisking beurre manié (butter-flour paste) into simmering soup is the best way to thicken an otherwise too-watery soup. Add bits of the paste gradually and simmer to cook out any raw flour taste. The broth will be velvety smooth, rich, and thick.

What is taco soup made of? ›

Cook onion and garlic until translucent, then brown the beef. Add taco seasoning, corn, beans, beef, canned tomato, beef or chicken broth, and canned green chili if you have it. Simmer for just 10 minutes to bring the flavours together, then it's ready to ladle into bowls.

Can I switch from Slow Cook to pressure cook? ›

As long as you keep a few basic rules in mind – like how much liquid to use and how to adjust the cooking time – turning your favorite all-day slow cooker recipe into a 30-minute pressure cooker special is straightforward and simple.

What temperature is low on a slow cooker? ›

What temperature is 'Low' on a slow cooker? Most slow cookers have two slow cooker temperature settings. The 'Low' cook setting reaches temperatures between 164-182°F (reaching a peak of around 205°F after 4 hours).

Should Instapot be on sealing or venting? ›

When starting your cook, you want this lever pointing toward "sealing" and not "venting." Sealing means the Instant Pot is going to hold all the pressure created inside the pot, while venting is what you'll likely do to release the pressure when the food is finished cooking.

What can I use to thicken my tortilla soup? ›

Incorporate Cornstarch

Cornstarch is another popular thickening agent that can be easily added to your chicken tortilla soup. Mix cornstarch with a small amount of water to create a slurry.

Is it better to thicken soup with flour or cornstarch? ›

It's important to note that cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. If you need to substitute cornstarch to thicken liquid in a recipe that calls for ¼ cup (four tablespoons) flour, you only need two tablespoons cornstarch.

Should I thicken soup with flour or cornstarch? ›

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

How do you thicken Mexican stew? ›

Whisk a teaspoon of flour in a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir into the stew as it's cooking. Don't add dry flour directly to the stew as it may clump. After adding the slurry, bring the stew to boil. This will cook out the flour taste and allow the starch to swell.

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