Description
This set-it-and-forget-it taco soup is packed with smoky, savory flavor, creamy black beans, and sweet corn. Perfect for busy weeknights or feeding a crowd, it’s a hearty, hands-off meal that delivers big taste with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey for a leaner option)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) corn, drained (or frozen corn)
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles (e.g., Rotel)
- 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 4 cups beef broth (low-sodium preferred)
- 1 packet (1 oz) taco seasoning
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Optional toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced jalapeños, crushed tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, diced avocado, lime wedges
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef (5-7 minutes): Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and no longer pink. Leave about a tablespoon of fat in the pan for flavor.
- Sauté the aromatics (2-3 minutes): Add the diced onion to the skillet with the beef. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Season the meat (1 minute): Sprinkle the taco seasoning, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika over the beef mixture. Stir well to coat evenly. Cook for another minute to toast the spices.
- Transfer to the crockpot: Dump the seasoned beef mixture into your slow cooker.
- Add the canned ingredients: Add the drained black beans, drained corn, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and fire-roasted diced tomatoes to the crockpot. Stir to combine.
- Pour in the broth: Add the beef broth and stir again. The liquid should just about cover the solids.
- Cook low and slow: Cover the crockpot and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours.
- Thicken the soup (optional, 5 minutes): About 30 minutes before serving, use an immersion blender to blend about 1 cup of the soup directly in the pot. Alternatively, carefully transfer 1 cup of soup to a regular blender, blend until smooth, and stir back in.
- Taste and adjust: Add salt and pepper as needed. For more heat, stir in an extra pinch of chili powder or a dash of hot sauce.
- Serve and garnish: Ladle the soup into bowls and let everyone customize with their favorite toppings.
Notes
For best flavor, don’t skip browning the meat and toasting the spices. Use low-sodium broth and rinse canned beans to control salt. The soup thickens nicely by blending a cup of the cooked soup. It tastes even better the next day as flavors meld. For a vegetarian version, omit the meat and add extra beans and vegetable broth.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours (LOW) or 3-4 hours (HIGH)
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1.5 cu
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 900
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 3.5
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 10
- Protein: 22
Keywords: crockpot taco soup, slow cooker taco soup, black bean corn soup, easy taco soup, crowd-pleasing soup, set-it-and-forget-it dinner